I made corn ‘ribs’ utilizing the TikTok hack

  • I turned corn into “ribs” using a popular TikTok recipe and an air fryer.
  • The “ribs” were delicious and unique, but annoying to make.
  • If I did these all over again, I’d cut the corn in half instead of cutting it into quarters.
  • You can find more stories on the Insider homepage.

TikTok recipes can be good or bad, and I was pretty curious about a new one from @spicednice that turned corn into “ribs”.

The simple recipe calls for corn, some condiments, and an air fryer. I was skeptical, but as someone often referred to as the air fryer queen today, I had to try it out myself.

I used the original seasoning recipe from this video as well as a pre-made BBQ dry grater to see what it would taste like with a more typical rib flavor.

Read on to find out if it was worth it and if I would do it again.

I started by preparing my corn for cutting

Corn Tiktok Ribs

I also tried taking the corn hair off.


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After cleaning up the corn and peeling off the husks, I tried chopping them into quarters as seen in the TikTok video.

For starters, I was skeptical about changing the shape of the corn – would it make it tastier? Or was it just for aesthetics?

The cutting process turned out to be a lot more difficult than it looked

Corn Tiktok Ribs

I didn’t have a knife big enough or sharp enough to do this well.


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In the video, TikToker said that some people tried to chop it into quarters with a knife and the help of a rolling pin.

But she said the best method was to stand the corn upright and use a knife to cut through each piece with a “firm pressure” downward.

I mixed up both methods and didn’t find them all that great either.

Corn ribs

Corn flew everywhere.


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The corn flew everywhere during this experimental hacking session.

Sometimes the corn didn’t cut evenly or would break into smaller, oddly shaped pieces – especially when trying to cut the halves into quarters.

To flavor the corn, I used salt and a few other spices

Corn ribs

Use a staple brush and oil to apply it evenly on the corn.


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After I managed to chop part of the corn into quarters, I covered it with a mixture of spices and olive oil with a staple brush.

Corn ribs

The corn was ready for the air fryer.


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The spices included lemon pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika.

I fried them in the air at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Corn ribs

It didn’t take long to cook the corn.


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After preheating the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, I put the corn in it for 10 minutes. Then I crumbled cotija cheese, coriander, and a dash of chipotle lime mayonnaise on top.

The corn was delicious with a unique texture

Corn ribs

The combination of flavors and spices was delicious.


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The corn reminded me of elote, or Mexican street corn, and had a unique texture.

It was less juicy than cooked corn, but had a firmer, almost chewy bite while it was still moist. The spice mix tasted great with the corn.

Corn ribs

The corn reminded me of Elote.


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I really loved the smoked taste of the paprika and the light heat and peel of the mayo.

The crumbled cheese and coriander gave it a freshness that blended in well with the warmth of the mayo and butter flavor of the corn.

I made another version of the corn ribs with BBQ seasoning

Tiktok Corn Ribs

This time I used a BBQ spice mix.


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I did the same with another batch of corn, but this time I used a BBQ seasoning mix that included many of the ingredients from the previous mix, like peppers and garlic.

Tiktok Corn Ribs

They smelled pretty good.


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It tasted like a mix of popcorn and BBQ chips

This version was just as tasty, but tasted more like BBQ chips with a popcorn aftertaste.

Corn ribs

That too was a breeze.


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Without the mayo, cheese, and coriander, the real flavor of the corn came out and was complemented by the salty, smoky sweetness of the rub.

Overall, these recipes were tasty but unnecessarily difficult

Corn ribs

This version reminded me of BBQ chips and popcorn.


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When it comes to taste, aroma, and texture, this snack gets an A +.

This is a unique and really delicious way to make corn. It’s also much faster to cook corn this way instead of waiting for a pot to boil water.

That said, these corn ribs weren’t more satisfying and no fun to eat. I still prefer fully cylindrical corn on the cob.

I also think halving corn would have worked for this recipe and it would have been easier and less annoying.

Even so, I plan to air fryer corn again – I’m just not going to cut it into quarters.

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