Quick and Easy Corn Ribs
A delicious vegan recipe for corn ribs made in the oven
Gather around my beautiful vegans, because I've got the quickest and easiest way to make corn ribs. This recipe is for everyone who enjoys a great BBQ with family and friends and is unsure how to cook awesome ribs, made vegan. Corn ribs or corn riblets are the perfect vegan alternative. And not only that, it's so easy to make, all you need is corn on the cob, a good knife and spices.
Summer is coming, we can all feel the temperatures going up a bit, which means it's soon time to get the BBQ going and make these vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free corn ribs. I'm sure everyone is just as excited about it as we are. If you love grill recipes, make sure to check out our vegan steak, Texan brisket, vegan sausages, epic mango salsa and of course, top it all up with passion fruit margaritas. Your summer menu is right here!
What are corn ribs
I know you are a bit puzzled, how can corn replace ribs. Well, it's thanks to its appearance and the way you'd hold the little corn strips, that makes you eat it in a similar way to the original. I mean, of course, the taste is that of delicious spiced corn and not meat, but it's still pretty cool and fun.
Corn ribs are essentially strips of corn on the cob, oven-baked full of spices to have an aromatic taste. Super quick, easy and delicious. They are also known as corn riblets. They are called corn riblets because they are easier to eat than your traditional corn on the cob. Cooked riblets are also a lot more delicious because you can add herbs and spices on a lot more corn surface than when you cook corn on the cob. That means that every mouthful of corn riblet is going to be full of taste and seasoning. So yum!
This corn ribs recipe is so versatile because you can spice up the corn the way you want to. You can even combine it with the authentic Mexican street corn recipe that has a little chipotle, a little (vegan) cheese. You can adapt it the way you want it and make your signature corn ribs.
If you're wondering why to make corn ribs, is simply because I think it's nice to have a delightful snack that reminds us of summer. I love these types of grill. As you know, I wasn't born vegan, so I sometimes have my own cravings. A bit of corn rib and I'm good.
Corn ribs are best in bite-sized pieces, so here's how to make them!
The Ingredients for riblets
You don't need much to make incredible corn ribs. So here are the ingredients we love to use for this recipe.
- Corn - make sure you get corn on the cob. Ideally, you will get it when it's in season. We have a handy seasonal veg guide right here for you.
- Olive oil - I always use extra virgin olive oil and I recommend you to do the same. You can opt for a different healthy oil as well if you prefer.
- Ground Coriander - I'm obsessed with ground coriander, as it makes the food so aromatic and nice. A must for the corn ribs.
- Paprika - Sweet, spicy or smoked paprika, whichever you prefer. I like to use either Hungarian Grade I paprika or smoked paprika. Both are excellent and make the corn ribs taste fantastic.
- Garlic powder - Perfect for this dish, a little garlic and corn work so well together. It will also help enhance the taste of the rest of the spices.
- Oregano - A bit of earthy taste in the corn rib it's all that's needed to make them even tastier. So good!
How to make corn ribs (corn riblets)
As I mentioned earlier, our corn riblets recipe is the easiest ever. All you need is corn on the cob, ground paprika (spicy or smokey), ground coriander, some olive oil, oregano, garlic powder and salt to taste.
Step 1: Cut the corn on the cob into riblets
You will need a sharp knife. The cob is hard, so you'll need a hard and steady surface and a very sharp knife. Cut the corn into strips which are essentially your riblets, but be very careful. I like to cut it vertically, but you can find your own way of cutting it into riblets that works for you.
I'm not going to lie, I sometimes just ask my husband to cut it for me, as he can apply a bit more force. Nowadays, you can find frozen unseasonable corn ribs in your local shop. You can get those and just apply the seasoning on them if you want to save yourself some hassle.
Step 2: Get the oven ready. Or the airfry!
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. If you have an air fryer, you can use that as well, which of course doesn't need preheating.
Step 3: Season your corn ribs
Drizzle the corn ribs with a bit of olive oil and add the herbs and spices. Use your hands to mix everything well and make sure the riblets are fully covered.
Step 4: Cook the corn ribs
Place them in a tray lined with baking paper and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes until the corn is fully done. If you're using your airfryer, 12 minutes on 190C is perfect for your ribs! Do check regularly to ensure they don't burn.
Oven vs Air Fryer vs Shallow Fried Corn Ribs
I'm going to start by saying that I prefer my oven corn riblets the most. But here is how to cook them in different methods and what are the differences.
- Oven Corn Riblets - They take around 25-30 minutes to make. The kernels are dryer than other methods and feel nicely seasoned. The corn ribs stay straight and nice. The result is crispy but not soo curly riblets.
- Air Fryer Corn Ribs - Quickest method as it takes just 12-15 minutes at 375ºF/190ºC. The riblets curl a little, which some people may prefer. The result is quite a crispy corn as well.
- Shallow Fried Corn Ribs - If you want to shallow fry the corn ribs, make sure you don't season them first. Season after, as the seasoning will stick to the oily rib better. This method yields the juiciest corn ribs but also the least healthy thanks to the high oil content.
Tips for making corn riblets
- Experiment with the seasoning - This is such a versatile recipe, you can experiment so much with it. Mix seasoning with spices and herbs and get the riblets you love. Add tandoori seasoning to make it fun or harissa spices. Why not try something more exotic like ras el hanout on it?
- Use a sharp knife - This will make your life so much easier. Use a super sharp knife to make this recipe super quick as well.
- Seasonal corn - Use in-season corn as it will taste better and it will be easier to cut into riblets as well. It's a summer dish anyway so make use of it!
- Add cheese - Want to make it extra fun? Place the corn riblets on a plate, add grated cheese and allow it to melt on the riblets. Now that's an epic snack right there.You can use vegan cheese or normal cheese if you prefer it vegetarian.
- That's all there is to it. Serve it hot with vegan Parmesan and fresh herbs and enjoy it as a snack, part of a big BBQ or as a side dish. Either way, you're going to love this recipe. Enjoy!
This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.
Description
Our corn ribs are a fully vegan BBQ alternative for veggie lovers. Enjoy them with vegan parmesan and topped with fresh herbs. Our recipe is super quick and easy.
Ingredients
- 2 corns on the cob
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- salt and peppercorn to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Clean the corn and cut it into strips. Use a sharp knife and a stable surface.
- Place the corn strips on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Drizzle the olive oil, add the coriander, paprika, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and using your hands massage it into the corn.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for around 25-30 minutes until the corn strips are fully cooked.
- Enjoy the corn ribs with vegan Parmesan and some fresh coriander.
Nutritional Information
Total Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving | |||
Calories 184 | |||
% Daily Value* | |||
Total Fat 9 g | 11% | ||
Saturated Fat 1 g | 6% | ||
Trans Fat 0 g | 0% | ||
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g | |||
Monounsaturated Fat 6 g | |||
Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% | ||
Sodium 391 mg | 17% | ||
Total Carbs 27 g | 10% | ||
Dietary Fiber 4 g | 15% | ||
Sugar 6 g | 11% | ||
Protein 5 g | 9% | ||
| |||
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice
What do you think?
Did you like this recipe? Do you have any questions or suggestions? Leave a comment below.
Your Comment
Looks like a great recipe, but why don't you have a print setting? With all the adds coming through it's almost impossible to read it...
I find cooking them on the top shelf of my grill works just fine.Preheat grill to @400. Grill for @12 minutes. Less messy.
This recipe is incredibly high in sodium. I wonder if that could be reduced. (Obviously one could leave out adding salt to the spice mixture.)
Made this just before xmas. It tasted delicious. Thanks!
Love this recipe - I add tasty and Parmesan cheese to melt on top and a bit of bbq sauce when served and it’s perfect!
The only problem is cutting the corn, it’s almost impossible so I have to settle with cutting them half length and then only once through but they still turn out great.
Can you also put them on the BBQ?
You sure can! And it will turn out delicious!
made this today on my big green egg. I dont like spicy things and this one 'fit the bill'. Very delicious.
I've cut corn off the cob before, but it looks like you're cutting par of the cob off, too, to make the "bone" of the rib and keep the corn kernels on the "bone" to mimic the shape of ribs. when you eat this, do you eat the cob/bone, or do you eat it like corn on the cob, nibbling the corn kernels off of the piece of cob? If you don't eat the piece of cob, I'm wondering what the advantage, other than appearance, is to this presentation, versus just baking the whole ear of corn. I like the way this looks and want to make it, I'm just not sure how to eat it. Sorry for being a dummy.
I recently made my own corn ribs and did some prep work in advance to soften the cob (bone?). Then trimmed it down so it was thinner and once cooked, it was lovely and soft to eat and quit tasty as well. Let’s face it, it’s all organic matter.
Definitely not a dummy, lol.. cos i was wondering the same thing and wasn't sure if people ate the bone as well
Hi Bob, thank you for your message. Def not a dummy, super valid question here! You do not eat the cob/bone. You are just nibbling on the corn kernels. Just to clarify, the only advantage of eating corn as corn ribs is that you are nibbling on it as you would on ribs. It's a bit messy, a bit fun. We found that our friends really enjoy it during a BBQ as it's a bit more similar to actual ribs.
Also, the corn is a little better cooked this way. You are spot on though, this is about the presentation. :)