Elotes Corn Ribs
okay but this has got to be my new favorite appetizer
i have always dreamed of having my own restaurant and I like to play around with ideas of what I would put on my menu and this would definitely have to be on there. a while ago corn ribs were really trending online but I think I was hiding under a rock so I am very late to the game but this is probably one of the tastiest things I have made in a while and it's just really fun to eat.
i went vegan when I was 15 which was tough because the fam was eaten pretty good and I did feel a bit left out. for myself it was worth the sacrifice and now I get to recreate and eat all my childhood favorites like these Elotes inspired corn ribs.
Elotes Corn Ribs
serves 2 / prep and cook time is about 30 minutes
Ingredients
3 whole corns - pre-boiled
2 tbsp - grapeseed oil
1 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - black pepper
1/2 tsp - garlic powder
Cilantro Lime Aioli
yields about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup - vegan mayo
2 tbsp - lime juice
3 tbsp - cilantro
1/4 tsp - garlic powder
Toppings
1 cup - Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozz Cheese Shreds
1/2 tbsp - Tajin
1 tbsp - chopped cilantro
Instructions
Step 1 - Blanch the corn
Get a pot of boiling water and cook the corn for approximately 4 minutes or so and then transfer to an ice bath. This will make it easy to cut them later and minimize the cooking time.
Step 2 - Marinate the Corn
Cut each ear of corn in half vertically to make it easier to then quarter each piece. Once you have chopped all of your corn, transfer to a bowl and toss well with the oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. I used an air fryer so I put mine on a try with a rack and parchment paper to cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes.
Step 3 - Make the aioli
I always have some vegan mayo on hand to make recipes like this. If you have store bought that will work but I do also have a recipe to make your own vegan mayo with aquafaba. To make the aioli place 1/4 cup of vegan mayo in a blender or Nutribullet which is what I used and add in the lime juice, garlic powder, and cilantro.
Step - 4 Topping prep
To get that “ cotija cheese” I had to experiment with the vegan cheeses and I found that the Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella shreds worked really well for this. I pulsed them in a food processor till it was nice and crumbly. The other toppings prep is simply chopping some cilantro.
Step 5 - Assemble the Elotes
You really could plate this a number of ways but I wanted to play around with the elotes inspiration so in a bowl I tossed the corn ribs with the cilantro mayo, cheese and some tajin. To plate I topped the corn ribs on a smear of the cilantro aioli and topped it all off with the “cojita cheese”, tajin and more cilantro.
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3