Our new favourite way to enjoy corn on the cob! Serve as an appetiser or a side dish, these spiced air fryer corn ribs topped with our irresistible chipotle mayo is one everyone will rave about!
If you’ve never tried corn ribs before, you’re in for a treat. These little beauties are sweetcorn quarters that curl up as they cook—kind of like veggie ribs—with crispy edges and loads of flavour. I brush them with a smoky, slightly spicy seasoning mix before popping them in the air fryer, and they come out golden, juicy, and just a bit addictive. They’re brilliant as a snack, side, or even a fun veggie starter. Plus, no deep frying, no fuss—just throw them in the air fryer and you’re sorted. A total crowd-pleaser every time!
What are air fryer corn ribs?
Corn ribs are a fairly new twist on a classic ingredient, and they’ve taken off in recent years thanks to TikTok and the rise of air fryer cooking. Inspired by American BBQ flavours and the look of traditional meat ribs, this clever idea involves cutting corn on the cob into quarters lengthways, seasoning them up, and cooking them until the kernels go golden and slightly curled! This allows any flavours or sauces added to the ribs to soak right in, delivering incredibly extra flavour you will adore!While the method is modern, the smoky, grilled flavour nods to Southern-style cooking, where corn has always been a staple. It’s a fun, plant-based take that brings all the BBQ vibes without the meat.
Air fryer corn ribs ingredients
- Corn on the cob: the star of the show!
- Paprika: gives a smokey, slightly sweet and mildly peppery taste to the air fryer corn.
- Cayenne: pungent and fruity, this is one of our favourite spices for the beautiful rounded kick it brings to this corn air fryer ribs.
- Garlic powder: potent and flavourful, adds a delicious layer to these air fryer corn ribs.
- Onion powder: for the flavour and aroma of onions but without the texture.
- Salt and pepper: balances and rounds off the flavours in the dish. Do taste and adjust to your personal preference.
- Mayonnaise: carries the chipotle lime dip, giving a smooth creaminess but balancing some of the spicy flavour too. We used store-bought mayonnaise to make this recipe, but you could easily use homemade too if you wish.
- Chipotle paste: makes it really easy to combine the ingredients, and definitely a preference to jarred chipotle chillies for a smooth chipotle and lime mayo.
- Fresh lime: always use the juice of a fresh lime when making chipotle lime mayo recipes for the best flavour. This ensures a really beautiful vibrant zesty flavour from the lime juice.
How to make air fryer corn ribs
Super simple to make, these air fryer corn ribs will have everyone coming back for more!
Prepare the corn
Step 1: Wash the corn on the cobs thoroughly to remove any dirt. Remove any stringy fibres that are visible.
Step 2: Ensure your knife is sharp. A blunt knife risks slipping during cutting and is just not worth losing a finger for!
Step 3: Place a wet cloth or something similar under your chopping board. This ensures the board does not move around while you are cutting the ribs, and so helps keep your fingers firmly attached to your hand!
Cut the corn ribs
Step 4: Trim both ends of the corn. Doing this will give you a stable flat base for the corn to stand upright, but also a flat top for the knife to start on, making it easier to cut straight down.
Step 5: Place the corn on one flat side. DO NOT HOLD THE CORN OR PLACE YOUR HAND UNDER THE KNIFE! This is dangerous as the knife will jerk through the corn as it cuts through.
Step 6: Hold the knife with one hand and place across the flat top side of the corn. With your other hand, hit the knife with the heel of your hand to push it through the corn. Keep thumping on the knife to help it move down the middle of the corn, making slight adjustments to the angle as needed.
Assembling and cooking the corn in air fryer
Once the corn has been cut into ribs, it is time to get cooking!
Step 7: Preheat the air fryer to 200C/390F whilst preparing the corn.
Step 8: Combine all the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl. Brush the mixture lightly over the corn ribs.
Step 9: Once the air fryer has preheated, carefully place the prepared corn ribs in the drawer, leaving a little space between each rib. Cook for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through, until cooked through. Watch the corn curl into “ribs”!
Step 10: While the ribs cook, combine all the mayo ingredients to make the sauce.
Step 11: Once the ribs are cooked, remove them and place on a plate. Drizzle with some of the mayo and a little chopped chives and serve with extra mayo to dip into. Enjoy!
How to cut corn cobs into ribs easily
Sadly, there is no “easy” way to cut corn into ribs. It takes a little practice to get used to it, but even if you have wonky ribs, so what? They will still taste delicious!
Having said that, you can make it slightly easier on yourself by cutting the corn in half before cutting into ribs. This will mean shorter corn on the cob ribs air fryer, but who cares! They will still be YUM!
What to serve with the corn ribs
We absolutely love air fryer sweet corn with the chipotle mayo detailed below. However, as the corn ribs air fryer curl and open up during cooking, they make space between the kernels for plenty of flavour to be held within it. So, you could also try any of these other fabulous options too:
- slather in garlic butter. Honestly, who can possibly turn that down?!
- a simple mayo or ketchup to dip the sweet corn ribs air fryer in.
- sriracha or your favourite hot sauce mixed with some mayo and yogurt.
- a creamy blue cheese dip. Yum!
Tips for making the best corn ribs
- BE CAREFUL when cutting the corn! Much better to have intact fingers and hands without corn air fryer to enjoy than a trip to the ER/A&E!
- Using fresh corn and a super sharp knife will help a little way to make cutting the corn a little easier.
- Store leftovers (if you have any!) in the fridge for up to three days. These corn ribs in the air fryer do not freeze well, so I would not recommend it.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this air fryer corn ribs recipe, please drop us a comment below, we would love to help. Additionally, if you enjoyed this corn ribs air fryer recipe, we would really appreciate if you would leave us a star rating and review below! Thanks so much!
Thanks for joining us today! We hope you love this air fryer corn ribs recipes as much as we do! Until next time!
Corn Ribs (Air Fryer)
Ingredients
- 4 corn on the cob
Corn ribs spice mix
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Chipotle lime mayo
- 100 g mayonnaise
- 2 tsp chipotle paste
- 1/2 lime
Equipment
- air fryer
- small bowl
- measuring spoons
- knife
- chopping board
- pastry brush
Instructions
Prepare the corn
- Cut each cob corn into quarters length ways. See all our tips in the post above.4 corn on the cob
For the spice mix and cooking the corn
- Preheat the air fryer to 200C/390F whilst preparing the corn.
- Combine all the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl, then brush it lightly over the corn ribs.1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Once the air fryer has preheated, carefully place the prepared corn ribs in the drawer, leaving a little space between each rib.
- Cook for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through, until cooked through. Watch the corn curl into "ribs"!
For the chipotle lime mayo
- While the ribs cook, combine all the mayo ingredients to make the sauce.100 g mayonnaise, 2 tsp chipotle paste, 1/2 lime
- Once the ribs are cooked, remove them and place on a plate. Drizzle with some of the mayo and a little chopped chives and serve with extra mayo to dip into. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are having trouble with cutting the cobcorn into quarters, microwaving the corn for 30 seconds to 1 minute before cutting can soften it slightly and make it easier (and safer) to cut.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @ourjazkitchen on Instagram.