TikTok's 'Corn Ribs' Are A Breeze To Make In The Air-Fryer

From elote to popcorn, there are numerous ways to enjoy corn. The popular veggie is believed to be first cultivated about 7,000 years ago in Central Mexico.Since then, corn, also known as maize, has garnered a status of being one of the most important and versatile crops, because not only is it an edible grain, but it can be turned into flour, syrup, ethanol, and even plastic.

Lately, corn is having a moment over on TikTok. What's there to not like about corn? As TikTok child sensation, also known as Corn Kid proclaimed "It's corn. ... It has the juice!" Enter, corn ribs. Air-fried corn ribs are popping up all over TikTok as the latest food craze making cooking corn a little more fuss-free. Because while corn on the cob is a popular way to eat corn, sometimes it can be tiresome or messy to hold onto the ear of corn. 

A quick search for "corn ribs" on TikTok will bring up seemingly hundreds of videos, with several garnering thousands of likes. One particular video featuring corn ribs has gone viral. The recipe tutorial was uploaded by Farrah Jalanbo, also known as @spicednice, and has racked up more than 14.5 million views and 1.8 million likes at the time of this writing.

In the video, cobs of corn are cut into quarter pieces, meant to resemble "ribs." Then, Jalanbo created a mixture of olive oil and spices, including lemon pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika. The mixture is then coated evenly onto the corn ribs. The "ribs" are then air-fried at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. In the video, the corn ribs come out curled with a perfectly charred outer layer.

She then topped the "ribs" with a mayo aioli made with mayo, adobo-covered chipotle peppers, and lime, along with cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro. Jalanbo's rendition of corn ribs had the comments in a frenzy. A few commenters noticed that her recipe is reminiscent of elote, a Mexican street food, and chicharrón, a fried pork belly dish popular in Latin America.

While the ribs can be fried or baked, Jalanbo recommends air-frying the corn. "They curl better in the air fryer than they do in the oven," she told Today. "They will definitely still work in the oven, they just take much longer to curl."

Farrah Jalanbo's elote-style corn ribs recipe isn't the only version TikTok is hyping about. If you can't get enough corn ribs, give these other recipes a try. Another TikTok user shared a Tex-Mex version of corn ribs that has over 3 million views and nearly 600,000 likes. The corn ribs get covered in a butter sauce made up of Trader Joe's everything but the elote seasoning, taco seasoning, and paprika. The user then air-fried them for 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The corn ribs are served with a side of chipotle ranch dip.

If Tex-Mex isn't your thing, another user shared a seafood boil-style recipe for corn ribs. In the video, the user dipped the corn in a butter mixture made with Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley. They then toss the corn ribs in the mixture, and the ribs are then air-fried at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Finally, the user topped the corn ribs with a hot honey garlic butter drizzle and parmesan cheese. With so many ways to whip up corn ribs, it's no surprise TikTok is embracing it. May we suggest corn ribs tossed in cowboy butter?