Smokey BBQ Sweetcorn “Ribs”
Plant based Sweetcorn “Ribs” are hot right now! Find out how to make my sweet and smokey BBQ Sweetcorn Ribs below.
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A social media sensation!
You probably first saw these sweetcorn ribs on TikTok or Instagram. Videos of these delicious plant based ribs have been doing their rounds and are truly viral!
The reason people love these plant based ribs is because they are crispy and packed full of smokey BBQ flavour on the outside, but with the tender, juicy, sweet flavor of sweetcorn on the inside.
They are also the perfect finger food thanks to their shape. Just like meat ribs, the “bone” or “core” of the sweetcorn is ideal for holding on to as you gnaw away at them. Sticky fingers are inevitable.
Ingredients for BBQ Sweetcorn Ribs
Fresh corn on the cob
To make this recipe you will need fresh corn still on the cob.
Sweetcorn is generally in season from late September to November in the UK. In the US the season is a little longer, starting as early as mid-August in some states.
Whilst you may get enough sunshine in September allowing you to make these on the BBQ, I think of them as the perfect finger food to enjoy in front of the TV as the NFL comes back on our screens and I begin binge watching scary movies in the run up to Halloween.
Most supermarkets in the UK sell sweetcorn with husks already removed and the top/bottom already chopped off. This makes it easy to choose good quality cobs and makes preparing them even easier.
If you are buying fresh corn still in its husk, choose husks that are bright green, and wrapped tightly around the corn. Avoid any husks that are starting to yellow or feel dry.
Smokey marinade
Before they go in the oven, I marinade my sweetcorn ribs with a smokey blend of spices and a secret ingredient.
To make the marinade you will need:
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Olive oil
- Liquid smoke
These ingredients are the absolutely essential ingredients for a smokey marinade that will infuse the sweetcorn with classic BBQ flavour.
The secret ingredient is the liquid smoke! It might seem like a strange ingredient but I love this stuff. I add it to a lot of plant based dishes to get that super savoury, super smokey flavour that you would ordinarily associate with BBQd meats. Some versions contain additives but it is generally made by condensing the smoke from burning wood. How clever is that!?
When the dried spices are mixed with the olive oil and liquid smoke it makes a marinade that the sweetcorn ribs can be dipped in before cooking.
BBQ sauce
As though fresh corn isn’t sweet enough, I love to brush my sweetcorn ribs with BBQ sauce in the last 5 minutes of cooking. This makes them moist and sticky, as all good ribs should be!
Of course you could use your favourite store bought BBQ sauce but I love to make my own. If you want to give it a try, check out my recipe here.
How to make Smokey BBQ Sweetcorn Ribs
The method is simple:
- quarter the corn length-ways,
- season/marinade them,
- and then cook,
- baste with sticky BBQ right at the end,
- garnish,
- then serve.
How do Sweetcorn Ribs get that signature curve?
As they cook, the ribs curl slightly making them resemble the curve of meat ribs.
Air fryers seem to create the most distinctive curve but I prefer to cook mine in the oven. When you open up the oven door to brush on the BBQ sauce, you can bend them slightly to help them on their way!
Serving suggestion
Although these sweetcorn ribs are delicious as they are, I like to finish them with a drizzle of sriracha mayonnaise, some thinly sliced spring onion and a few fresh coriander leaves.
Pile them high then tuck in!
The recipe
Smokey BBQ Sweetcorn Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 corn on cob
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp onion powder
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 0.25 tsp liquid smoke
- 4 tbsp BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 190 C / 375 F / gas mark 5.
- Stand your first corn on the cob vertically, with the wide flat part against the chopping board. Using a sharp knife chop it in half from top to bottom.
- Lay the halves on to your chopping board and then chop them in half again length ways.
- Mix together the dry spices, oil and liquid smoke to make the marinade.
- Brush the marinade over the corn ribs.
- Lay the seasoned corn on to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for between 25 minutes.
- Brush the BBQ sauce over the ribs and cook for 5 minutes more before removing them from the oven.
- Leave to cool slightly before serving with the spring onion, sriracha mayo and coriander leaves to garnish.
Nutrition
Rib “bones”
Is it weird that one of the things I find most satisfying about these Smokey BBQ Sweetcorn Ribs is that the core acts like the bones in a regular rib.
It’s the perfect way to hold on to the corn as you gnaw away at it and you get left with a pile of sweetcorn “bones” at the end!
More BBQ Recipes
For the full range of BBQ inspired recipes on the blog check out the BBQ recipe archive.
Enjoy!