Forget corn niblets – these are corn riblets. Mexican Corn Ribs are a riff on the classic elote recipe featuring a chili lime seasoning, homemade crema drizzle and cojita cheese and cilantro as a final garnish. One of the best corn recipes to enjoy this sweet summer bounty!

Mexican Street Corn Ribs Recipe

They started on TikTok, popped up at Disney World, and now I can grab them frozen at my grocery store, but the frozen options are always lacking in flavour (and definitely don’t have that amazing drizzle) and a trip to Disney World isn’t always on the calendar. (As much as I wish it was.) So making them ourselves is still our best option for enjoying this amazing appetizer!

Corn ribs are quartered corn cobs that are grilled, baked or fried. They curl up when heated to resemble beef or pork ribs and can be seasoned or garnished with a variety of toppings to make each time you make them a bit unique.

For today’s corn ribs recipe, we were inspired by Mexican elote, which are traditionally, whole cobs of corn roasted and seasoned with butter, chili and lime then drizzled with a mayonnaise-and—sour-cream-based dressing and sprinkled with cojita cheese crumbles and cilantro. Originally sold by street vendors, they are a decadent snack that now pop up on restaurant menus worldwide.

Serving elote as corn ribs is less messy, making them perfect for parties or as a fun BBQ appetizer.

These lip-smacking corn ribs are tangy, savoury and slightly spicy, and whether you bake or grill the corn ribs, they turn out succulently juicy and slightly crispy/charred.

This recipe is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, making them a great option to serve to meat-free guests at a BBQ, but if serving these to truly vegetarian friends, I suggest preparing them on a grill that has been well-scrubbed of any meat residue out of consideration.

To make these Mexican street corn ribs in the air-fryer: cook at 375 for 12 minutes, flipping over at the 7 min mark.

Can Mexican street corn ribs be made in advance? While these corn riblets are best served immediately, they can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Mexican Street Corn Ribs Ingredients

• Corn Cobs
• Bloody Mary Mix (or Tomato Juice)
• Chili Lime Seasoning, or to taste
• Mayonnaise
• Sour Cream
• Lime Juice
• Cojita Cheese, optional
• Cilantro, optional

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: read our tips above or in the recipe card for cutting the corn, which is the hardest part of making this recipe.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Sharp Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Container for Marinating
• Grill Pan (if not using a BBQ)
• Pastry brush <– I like these because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Ribs

Turn on your BBQ or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Cut off the ends of each cob of corn, then cut the corn in half length-wise. Cut the corn again in have length-wise so that each cob of corn is quartered.

Place the corn in a casserole dish and cover with bloody mary mix. Toss to coat completely, then season corn with 2 Tablespoons chili lime seasoning.

Once the grill is hot, place the corn ribs directly on the grill and cook until charred, about 8-10 minutes, then flip and continue to cook until charred on the other side and corn starts bending to look like a rib (slight arch shape)

While the corn is grilling, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and lime juice. Set aside.

Once corn is fully cooked, drizzle with the mayonnaise-sour cream mixture and sprinkle with additional chili lime seasoning, cilantro and cojita cheese, as desired.

Pin this Delicious Mexican Street Corn Ribs recipe for your next BBQ night:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our easy Mexican street corn ribs recipe:

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 servings

Mexican Street Corn Ribs

Print

Forget corn niblets - these are corn riblets. Mexican Corn Ribs are a riff on the classic elote recipe featuring a chili lime seasoning, homemade crema drizzle and cojita cheese and cilantro as a final garnish. One of the best corn recipes to enjoy this sweet summer bounty!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Corn Cobs
• 1 cup Bloody Mary Mix (or Tomato Juice)
• 3 Tablespoons Chili Lime Seasoning, or to taste
• 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Sour Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
• 1/3 cup Cojita Cheese, optional
• Handful Cilantro, optional

Instructions

1. Turn on your BBQ or grill pan to medium-high heat.
2. Cut off the ends of each cob of corn, then cut the corn in half length-wise. Cut the corn again in have length-wise so that each cob of corn is quartered.
3. Place the corn in a casserole dish and cover with bloody mary mix. Toss to coat completely, then season corn with 2 Tablespoons chili lime seasoning.
4. Once the grill is hot, place the corn ribs directly on the grill and cook until charred, about 8-10 minutes, then flip and continue to cook until charred on the other side and corn starts bending to look like a rib (slight arch shape)
5. While the corn is grilling, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and lime juice. Set aside.
6. Once corn is fully cooked, drizzle with the mayonnaise-sour cream mixture and sprinkle with additional chili lime seasoning, cilantro and cojita cheese, as desired.

Notes

The hardest part of making this recipe is quartering the corn cobs - which I will admit, takes a bit of strength - and failing that, determination. To cut the corn cobs:

• Husk and clean the corn well, then dry thoroughly to ensure there is no slip while cutting
• Use a sharp, large and sturdy knife
• Cut in half through the middle (width-wise) to make two sections
• Be sure to protect your hand, using a cutting glove or covering the blunt side of the knife with a kitchen towel
• To cut further into quarters, set the corn cobs on the flat ends created by halving them, and then cut in half lengthwise
• Half the sections of corn further to create quarters resembling what you see in our pictures
• Keep the core of the corn - it will serve as the “bone” of the rib, holding the corn in place while grilling

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 325Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 443mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 8g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

Pin this Recipe for Later

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

I hope your family loves this easy Mexican street corn ribs recipe as much as mine does!

For more ways to make veggies delicious, check out our full vegetable recipe collection here:

For more scrumptious side dishes, check out our full side dish recipe collection here: