Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe
I’m here to show you How to make Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe and turn you back into a corn lover like me! Okay… I’m going to shoot it to you straight. I don’t like corn. Yeah, I know. This statement is ridiculous, especially considering I’m bringing you a corn recipe. But give me a second to explain.
It’s not that corn is disgusting or that I have an allergy or aversion to it. The truth is that I have found corn to be quite boring. There, I said it. It’s boring. This is the reason I haven’t incorporated corn into my diet regularly or put it on the table for my family very often. But this recipe changes that completely!
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Are you familiar with ELOTE (Mexican street corn)?
Corn has played an important role in Mexican culture and history since the Aztec civiliztion. And throughout history, the way that corn has been prepared and eaten has continued to grow and evolve. Nowadays, this popular Mexican street food (ELOTE) is essentially fresh corn on the cob, grilled giving it that signature smoky flavor, and topped with some classic Mexican flavors.
Fun Fact – The same delicious corn and toppings once removed from the cob and served in a cup is called “Esquites”.
After the kernels have developed some color and become tender, a delicious creamy sauce made of Mexican sour cream or mayo is slathered on top and then sprinkled with other authentic toppings like chili powder, salty cotija cheese or queso fresco, lime, and cilantro. It is a bright and robust experience for your taste buds and all of those amazing flavors work so well together and bring a nice balance to this amazing snack/side dish. (I don’t add the Mexican cotija cheese or queso fresco to mine.)
And just for fun… we’ve taken this SUPER POPULAR Mexican dish and given it yet another interesting twist. You see, Elote, is an entire ear of corn on the cob. But in this recipe, we are quartering the ear of corn and after it’s grilled or air-fried, it begins to curl up like ribs. (Hence the name… corn ribs) There are some practical reasons as to why we would want to quarter the corn.
- First, it’s easier to eat and less messy. Because all of the “good stuff” is on one side of the corn, it’s easy to eat off that one side, especially for kiddos.
- Second, it’s easier to plate and keep the sauce on top. If you sauce an entire ear of corn, one side will be touching the plate and all of the sauce and seasonings will rub off.
- Finally, they are cute! It’s crazy how one food item can begin looking like a different one. It makes this recipe so much fun!
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This is an easy air fryer recipe, but I highly encourage you to make these on your grill if you have one. The air fryer aspect of this recipe makes this a quick weeknight side and tastes great. But there’s is nothing quite like grilled corn with a smoky char. Either way, the cooking time is very short. And if you don’t want to spend time shucking and silking fresh corn, you can buy the frozen corn and just let it thaw. Or you can get the fresh corn in the produce section that is already prepared and ready to cook.
It’s the perfect side for your next BBQ. I mean seriously… the name itself has “ribs” in it. It’s easy to eat with your hands and can be tossed onto the grill with all the other meats.
The ingredients are minimal. The flavor is maximum. The presentation is beautiful and creative. It will become the side dish that gets you known in the neighborhood for the best corn recipe! (HA) To say that this recipe is LIFE-CHANGING would be a bit of a stretch, but I can say that it has the power to turn corn from a boring and forgotten side dish into the MAIN ATTRACTION!
Tips for Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe:
- Do not skip the step of cutting off the bottoms of the ears of corn to give you a flat base. Or you might have an accident/injury during the cutting process. It’s just not safe.
- I wouldn’t add extra salt to this recipe or the corn. The salted butter is enough and the sauce has plenty not to mention the sprinkling of Tajin at the end.
Make the Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe with me on YouTube!
Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe Ingredients:
- 1/2 juice of a lime
- 2 stalks of fresh sweet corn (This recipe is for 2 people)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons melted butter (salted)
- 1 Tablespoon Siracha (you can substitute hot sauce)
- Tajin (sprinkled on top of the finished corn)
- Fresh cilantro (sprinkled on top of the finished corn or mixed in with the sauce to taste)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Ground black pepper (to taste)
Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe Instructions:
- The first thing you need to do is preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees or get your grill fired up.
- Second, shuck the ears of corn and remove all the hairs from the corn cobs.
- Third, on a stable cutting board, cut off the ends of the corn to give you a flat base. You will need this because you will stand the corn up on the flat end to cut the corn in half lengthwise and then cut the two halves in half. (Essentially you are quartering each ear of corn)These pieces of corn, once air-fried, take on the shape of ribs.
- Next, mix the melted butter and garlic powder in a bowl, and using a pastry brush, coat the corn ribs.
- Then, place the corn ribs in a single layer in your air fryer basket or on the grill and grill for 12 minutes total.
- Then, at about the 6-minute mark, flip your corn ribs over so that all sides are roasted and get that beautiful golden color.
- While the corn ribs are cooking, take a small bowl and mix your mayonnaise, Siracha, lime juice, and pepper to make a creamy sauce.
- After the corn ribs are air-fried or grilled to perfection, remove the ribs from the air fryer or grill and brush the mayonnaise mixture on the top sides of each rib.
- Next, sprinkle the Tahin and cilantro on each corn rib and place on a beautiful platter or a large plate.
- Finally, serve with an extra wedge of lime and enjoy with your favorite main dish!
Storage for Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe:
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not sauce the corn ribs if you don’t plan on eating them. Keep the sauce and ribs separate and only sauce when ready to serve.
What are the Macros for Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe:
Makes 8 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 rib)
- Calories – 98.25
- Protein – 1.9 grams
- Carbs – 7.7 grams (net)
- Fat – 7.17 grams
Check out some of my other Mexican-inspired recipes!
The most delicious Pina Colada
The Best Guacamole Recipe EVER!
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Mexican Street Corn Ribs (Elote) – Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1/2 juice of a lime
- 2 stalks of fresh sweet corn This recipe is for 2 people
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons melted butter salted
- 1 Tablespoon Siracha you can substitute hot sauce
- Tajin sprinkled on top of the finished corn
- Fresh cilantro sprinkled on top of the finished corn or mixed in with the sauce to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- The first thing you need to do is preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees or get your grill fired up.
- Second, shuck the ears of corn and remove all the hairs from the corn cobs.
- Third, on a stable cutting board, cut off the ends of the corn to give you a flat base. You will need this because you will stand the corn up on the flat end to cut the corn in half lengthwise and then cut the two halves in half. (Essentially you are quartering each ear of corn)These pieces of corn, once air-fried, take on the shape of ribs.
- Next, mix the melted butter and garlic powder in a bowl, and using a pastry brush, coat the corn ribs.
- Then, place the corn ribs in a single layer in your air fryer basket or on the grill and grill for 12 minutes total.
- At about the 6-minute mark, flip your corn ribs over so that all sides are roasted and get that beautiful golden color.
- While the corn ribs are cooking, take a small bowl and mix your mayonnaise, Siracha, lime juice, and pepper to make a creamy sauce.
- After the corn ribs are air-fried or grilled to perfection, remove the ribs from the air fryer or grill and brush the mayonnaise mixture on the top sides of each rib.
- Next, sprinkle the Tahin and cilantro on each corn rib and place on a beautiful platter or a large plate.
- Finally, serve with an extra wedge of lime and enjoy with your favorite main dish!
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