Ready for serious flavor? These Grilled Elote Corn Ribs aren’t just amazing to look at, but the flavors are off the charts! Every bite of sweet, smoky corn is highlighted with a spicy, creamy, sauce and cotija cheese. This is just about as good as good gets, and everyone will want seconds!
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What You’ll Love About Grilled Elote Corn Ribs
- There’s big, bold Mexican flavors in every bite!
- These are so fun to eat and are going to wow everyone!
- This is an easy recipe that’s ready in no time!
What Is Elote?
Elote is a Mexican street food delight. It is corn that is grilled and then slathered in a spicy, limey sauce and finally sprinkled with cotija cheese. The combination of flavors really highlights this barbecued corn, but you don’t have to be in Mexico to get this messy treat!
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What Are Corn Ribs?
Some clever person discovered that you can cut a cob of corn into quarters or ribs, and when you cook them, they bend a wee bit and form a rib shape. I can’t take credit for this, but I often serve corn ribs when a whole corn cob will be too much or when I just want to impress.
Grilled Elote Corn Ribs
This deceptively easy recipe blends the flavors of lip-smacking elote with fun-to-eat corn ribs. The hardest part about making this dish is cutting the corn. Please see my tips below to do this safely. Then, all you need to do is fire up the grill, grill the corn ribs, then slather them in the delicious sauce. These are so crazy good! I first had these in a South American restaurant in downtown Toronto, and since then, I’ve been making them at home. They’re so much cheaper to do at home, trust me!
Ingredients
- Corn on the cob – Shucked and silks removed; cut into ribs.
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Chipotle powder
- Lime juice
- Chili powder
- Cotija cheese – Crumbled.
- Cilantro – Optional garnish
How To Cut Corn Ribs
Cutting the corn ribs is the trickiest part of making this recipe. Here’s how to do it:
- Get a non-slip cutting board and a large, sharp knife. A chef’s knife works great.
- Shuck the cobs and remove the silk.
- Cut the stem end so that the end of the cob is flat.
- Stand the cob of corn up on the stem end – the widest end, and hold it securely with a kitchen towel. Now’s a great time to wear those cut-resistant gloves.
- Cut the corn cob in half, lengthwise. If you cut the cob lying on its side, you’ll squish and mash the corn kernels. This is best done with the cob standing upright.
- Cut the halved cobs into half again so that each cob has been cut into quarters.
How To Make The Best Elote Corn Ribs
- Fire up your grill – medium-high on a gas grill or prepare it for indirect heat if using charcoal.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and lime juice in a small bowl. Set aside or refrigerate if you’re making it ahead of time.
- Grill the corn for 2-3 minutes per side, watching that it doesn’t burn.
- Slather the corn with the sauce, then sprinkle with a few pinches of chili powder, crumbled cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Cut the corn ribs very carefully.
- You can use whole cobs instead of ribs if you aren’t comfortable cutting the corn ribs.
- The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.
- Can’t find cotija cheese? Crumbled feta is a good alternative or even grated Parmesan.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
Grilled corn ribs are perfect with so many other grilled dishes, including grilled ribeye cap steaks, or my current favorite, these grilled steak skewers with mojo rojo. This elote corn ribs recipe also goes well as a side dish with smoked dishes, like smoked pork loin or even a colossal tomahawk. You can also serve the ribs as an appetizer, along with other fun-to-eat dishes like artichoke jalapeno dip and fried tomatillos.
Storage
Once sauced, these corn ribs are best eaten fresh. You can store the unsauced corn ribs in the fridge for 3-4 days. I love nibbling on them cold out of the fridge. They won’t freeze well.
Step By Step Process
Grilled Elote Corn Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 corn cobs shucked and cut into ribs
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or to taste
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese crumbled
- 2 tabelspoons chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Fire up your grill – medium-high on a gas grill or prepare it for indirect heat if using charcoal.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and lime juice in a small bowl. Set aside or refrigerate if you're making it ahead of time.
- Grill the corn for 2-3 minutes per side, watching that it doesn't burn.
- Slather the corn with the sauce, then sprinkle with a few pinches of chili powder, crumbled cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
How To Cut Corn Ribs
Cutting the corn ribs is the trickiest part of making this recipe. Here’s how to do it:-
- Get a non-slip cutting board and large, sharp knife. A chef’s knife works great.
- Shuck the cobs and remove the silk.
- Cut the stem end so that the end of the cob is flat.
- Stand the cob of corn up on the stem end – the widest end, and hold it securely with a kitchen towel. Now’s a great time to wear those cut-resistant gloves.
- Cut the corn cob in half, lengthwise. If you cut the cob lying on its side, you’ll squish and mash the corn kernels. This is best done with the cob standing upright.
- Cut the halved cobs in half again so that each cob has been cut into quarters.
These were the best tasting corn ribs I’ve had! They tasted incredible and had such a good flavor to them. Will be making these as a side dish again!
This recipe was perfect on the grill! We have a Mexican specialty shop nearby that sells cotija which makes all the difference. Yum!
I saw this on TikTok, but had no interest in making it. Then, I cam across your post and you made it look easy. I was a little apprehensive about cutting the corn, but, it turned to be so so easy to do. The rest of the recipe was so easy to follow. Sprinkled my corn “ribs” with tajin and they tasted so good.
This was the first time I’ve tried grilled elote corn ribs. They were spicy, creamy and delicious! I am definitely going to make this again.
Yum. I’ve loved these flavors ever since I had grilled elote while on vacation in Mexico. It’s so great being able to serve a smaller portion as a tasty side dish.