I finally got around to making those TikTok viral corn ribs, without chopping off a finger, which is a miracle in itself. Also, just to see if it could be done, I elevated them from a viral fad into a filling, low FODMAP feast.
Here's how I did it...
- Added juicy tempeh ribs for protein.
- Cut the corn smaller to make it feel more like a decent low FODMAP portion and
- Made the delicious BBQ marinade free from gluten, garlic, onion and FODMAP-friendly.
You're welcome! But read on for my top tips on keeping your FODMAP diet and fingers intact...
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At first glance, it can seem that the majority of viral recipes that everyone's raving about are best avoided on the low FODMAP diet. Hopefully, this adapted recipe shows that with a few tweaks, you can often join in the trend and still keep your gut happy.
Ingredients
- Sweetcorn on the cob - Ready-shucked, trimmed corn is the easiest for me to get hold of but it's typically cheaper to buy the cob intact and shuck it yourself. However, for this recipe, I find the trimmed corn to be better as it has a more consistent width which helped with cutting the corn evenly into ribs.
- Tempeh - As more brands become available it's becoming increasingly common for tempeh to be vacuum-packed without liquid. I used a brand preserved in brine, but either works for this recipe.
- Canned plum tomatoes - Try to use the tomato flesh rather than the juice from the can. This helps the sauce to be a thicker consistency once blended.
- Apple cider vinegar, tamari, maple syrup and mild mustard - These ingredients add the signature sour, sweet and umami flavours to the BBQ sauce marinade.
- Smoked paprika, asafoetida and ground allspice - The paprika and allspice add another depth of flavour to the marinade. Asafoetida adds pungency and warmth in place of onion or garlic.
- Smoked salt - This is my salt of choice in BBQ or meat-style dishes. It can be substituted with a stock cube or regular sea salt, especially in recipes such as this one, where smoked paprika is also used.
See the recipe card for full quantities and the FODMAP ingredient notes for detailed low FODMAP portions.
If you're happy to eat the corn as a simple side dish, then feel free to leave out the tempeh. As the low FODMAP portion of corn is pretty small, I think that bulking the dish out with the addition of tempeh makes the recipe much more filling and satisfying. It also gives you the option to eat it as a main course.
If you've got a taste for tempeh, then you'll love this smoky vegan chocolate chilli with its complex flavours and meaty, mince-like texture.
Instructions
Rinse and drain the tempeh and slice into 1.5 cm wide ribs. Lay out in a steamer basket in a single layer.
Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes. Turn the tempeh over after 5 minutes and continue to steam on the other side.
Dry the steamed tempeh on a clean tea towel. Press lightly until the surface is dry to the touch.
Dampen a tea towel and place your cutting board on top. This helps to secure the board when cutting the corn.
Top tip: I used the same tea towel I used to press the tempeh. The tea towel is already damp from the tempeh and it saves dirtying and washing a second towel.
Cut the corn in half widthways to create two smaller cobs. Stand each cob on its end and cut vertically in half lengthwise. Cut each half in ½ or ⅓. The ideal rib should be 3-4 kernels wide. If you're confident with your knife skills you can cut the full cob, lengthwise, into 4-6 long ribs.
Blitz all the marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Top tip: See the cutting tips and the accompanying recipe video below for more details on how to safely cut the corn into ribs.
Pour ⅓ marinade over the tempeh. Spread the marinade out with a spoon to fully coat each piece. Turning the tempeh over in the marinade for even coverage.
Lay the ribs, kernel side down, on top of the tempeh. Cover with another ⅓ of the marinade. Leave in the fridge to marinate overnight
Chefs tip: The marinade can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. If it seems to have thickened too much you can add a small splash of the leftover tomato juice from the can to loosen it back up to a pourable consistency.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Lay the ribs on a baking tray covered with parchment. Brush over a little of the remaining marinade on top. Season with smoked salt and black pepper.
Cook for 15 mins in the middle of the oven. Flip each rib over and lightly brush more of the marinade on top. Season again with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for a further 15 mins until cooked.
The corn should be lightly curled into a slight rib shape. You can continue to cook for 10 mins to encourage it to curl more. I like my corn to catch and char slightly on the edges.
Brush the last of the marinade over the hot ribs as you serve.
I served mine on a bed of rocket leaves with this rich, creamy and cooling potato salad.
Recipe Video
Recipe FAQ's
Yes. Many of the corn rib recipes I came across use an air fryer. The air fryer method gives more of a signature curled look to the finished ribs. I don't use an air fryer so I have little experience with cooking times and temperatures.
My research online suggests cooking for 10-12 minutes at 200C/400F. The cooking times for air fryers seem to vary a lot so keep your eye on them to avoid burning. Turn and marinade the ribs halfway.
If you use the air fryer method please share with me and our readers how it went in the comments below.
If you're leaving the corn whole to create long ribs then these should be fine to lay diagonally across the bars. If you cut your corn in half to create shorter ribs then I recommend carefully threading a skewer through each end of the ribs to stop them from disappearing through the bars of the grill. The tempeh can also be threaded through the centre of each slice.
You can thread several ribs on each skewer to make turning them quicker. Just make sure you leave space between each rib. If you're skewering the corn it won't curl up into a curved rib shape but will still taste delicious.
Turn frequently, marinating with the extra sauce after each turn. These should take about 15 minutes on medium heat.
Tempeh is a high-protein, plant-based food originating from Indonesia. It's typically made by fermenting cooked whole soybeans. The beans are then pressed into a firm block which is held together by the fuzzy, white mould (mycelium) that forms during fermentation.
Tempeh is considered less processed than tofu and also contains more protein and fibre. It's a great plant-based source of vitamins and minerals. It has a denser, meatier texture than tofu which makes it a great meat replacement.
Plain tempeh is traditionally gluten-free. As its popularity increases flavoured varieties are becoming more common. Always double-check that your specific brand is allergen safe for you.
Although plain tempeh is fairly bland it can be prone to a funky, bitter aftertaste, common in fermented foods. Remember your first sip of kombucha? I know it wasn't at all what I was expecting! Whilst tempeh is much more subtle than that, it can be an acquired taste if you're new to eating fermented foods.
The great news is that, like tofu, it's a fantastic base ingredient for soaking up the flavours you throw at it. After my first tempeh fail, where I tried to eat it straight from the jar, I quickly learned how to get the best flavour from it.
No matter how you intend to cook it in your recipe the first step to delicious tempeh is to steam it. This initial steaming cooks out any bitterness and leaves a juicy, meaty base ready to flavour any way that you like.
Firstly I rinse off and discard any liquid that the tempeh has been packaged in. I also like to slice or dice my tempeh before steaming. This increases the surface area which I think releases more of the bitterness from every bite.
My preferred method is to use a steamer basket set over a pan of boiling water. I steam for 10 minutes, flipping the tempeh over halfway through cooking. Alternatively, you can cover the tempeh with water and simmer it in a pot for 5 minutes.
Another popular way to steam tempeh is in the microwave. Add the sliced tempeh and a few tablespoons of water into a microwave-safe container. Cover with a vented lid and steam for 2.5 minutes. Carefully flip the tofu over and steam again for another 2.5 minutes. My microwave is 800 watts but all microwaves vary. Stay close to hand and remove the tempeh if it starts to spit and burst.
Once the tempeh is steamed lay it out on a clean tea towel and press off as much of the surface moisture as possible. It's now ready to marinade and cook.
Yes, but if possible I urge you to give tempeh a chance. Despite being vegan since 2015 I only tried tempeh for the first time this year. As a slow convert to tofu, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
If you substitute the tempeh for firm tofu you must thoroughly press the tofu before use. This will ensure you get the densest possible texture. Also, you can skip the steaming stage, firm tofu just needs to be rinsed, pressed and dried.
Substitutions.
- BBQ sauce - no time or inclination to make your own BBQ sauce? Substitute the marinade with a premade sauce. If you need a FODMAP-certified brand then a good choice is Fody original BBQ sauce.
- Garlic - if you're not on a low FODMAP diet substitute the asafoetida for dried garlic.
- Soy sauce - if you don't require gluten-free then substitute the tamari for soy sauce.
Variations
- Mexican elote style - rub the corn with a splash of garlic oil then sprinkle with salt, pepper, ground cumin and smoked paprika. Grill or bake until cooked. To serve, smear on vegan mayo and finely crumble over a sharp, salty cheese. Finish with a sprinkle of chilli powder and a squeeze of lime juice. Cotija cheese is traditionally used but for vegans, the closest alternative would be a finely grated parmesan-style cheese. Cotija cheese remains untested for FODMAPs so for now it's best to avoid it during the elimination phase of the diet. Queso fresco has recently been tested and listed in the Monash app. It has a low FODMAP serving of 40 g or 2 slices. at 120 g it becomes moderate for lactose.
- Dry BBQ rub - instead of marinating the corn in a wet sauce use a dry spice rub. If eating low FODMAP it's safer to make your own spice blend free from garlic or onion. As for the elote style, rub the corn with garlic oil and sprinkle over your choice of spices before grilling. I tested the recipe this way and although the flavour of the corn was punchy I found the corn kernels to be too dry for my liking.
Tips for cutting corn ribs
For ease and safety, your choice of knife is everything when preparing this recipe. Now is not the time to experiment with your biggest, meanest-looking knife. Ideally, you need a sharp, 7-10 inch chef's knife that you're familiar with. Knowing how the weight and length of the knife feel to you will help you to be more confident with your cuts.
If you're not confident with the sharpness of your knife or your cutting skills then I recommend cutting the corn in half widthways to give you two smaller cobs to work with. Although cutting the corn into smaller lengths won't give that signature curled effect it's much easier to handle and safer for your fingers.
- Sharpen your knife.
- Place a teatowel onto your kitchen surface and spray with water until damp. Lay your cutting board on top of the towel and attempt to move the board to check that it stays in place. The friction from the teatowel should grip the board, making it less likely to slip as you cut.
- Lay the corn flat on the board and holding it firmly at one end carefully cut it widthways into two halves. Use a rocking motion to get through the hard core. Go slow and steady.
- You may need to apply more pressure to the top of the blade with your other hand. Keep the fingers of the top hand above the blade at all times.
- Make sure you're applying even pressure straight down onto the corn. If your blade is angled, even slightly, there's more chance of the knife slipping dangerously away or towards your body when you complete the cut.
- Taking one half of the cob at a time stand it upright on its widest end. Cut vertically down through the centre of the corn to cut the corn in half. Once you've done this to both halves the full corn cob will then be cut into quarters.
- The safest thing now is to lay each quarter on its flat edge and cut it in half. This will give you 8 wide, short ribs.
- If you want thinner ribs then you need to make a riskier cut. Stand the quartered cob on its end and make two vertical, even cuts to give you three ribs from each quarter. This cut is much harder to do as there's very little corn to hold onto. I found this cut much more likely to result in the knife slipping. It also created more waste as it's difficult to leave enough of the core intact.
- This sounds quite complicated but it's much easier to see rather than read. I show you a few of my near misses and exactly how to do it in the recipe video. Watch that through a few times to get your head around the cuts that you need to make.
- If you're more skilled or confident with a knife then feel free to cut the whole cob lengthwise into 4-6 pieces to create longer ribs. To give you a better idea Alpha foodie demonstrates here how to cut whole corn into ribs.
Storage & Food Safety
Once cooked this recipe is best when eaten right away. Any leftover, uncooked corn can be blanched and frozen.
Money saving tips
Ingredients
Try to cook this recipe when sweetcorn is in season, typically June - August in the UK. Not only will it taste better but it's much cheaper to buy fresh.
Tofu is generally cheaper per 100 g than tempeh. Feel free to swap it for the tempeh in this recipe. Whilst it's not an exact substitute it's close enough.
Tofu and tempeh are often cheaper to buy in specialist Asian supermarkets than in your typical Western supermarket or health food shop. If you're on a low FODMAP diet ensure there are no high FODMAP flavourings.
This recipe calls for allspice which adds a spicy warmth to both sweet and savoury dishes alike. If you don't think you'll use it up in anything else then feel free to leave it out. Other warming spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground clove may make a nice substitute but haven't been tested in this recipe.
Asafoetida is an unusual ingredient but can be used in virtually any cooked recipe as a garlic and onion replacement. If you're at the start of your low FODMAP diet then I pretty much guarantee you'll use up at least one full jar of this stuff before you're through.
It can be tempting to rely on FODMAP-approved brands of ready-made sauces and marinades. Whilst these do offer some peace of mind, not to mention convenience, they are generally much more expensive than making your own from scratch.
Cooking
Although it takes a little longer to prepare I like having all my ingredients peeled, chopped and ready to go before turning on the heat. This way I'm not wasting energy on the stove whilst I prep things last minute.
Boiling the amount of water you need in the kettle is faster and more efficient than boiling on the stove. To steam the tempeh in this recipe I first boiled the water in a kettle and then added it to the pot underneath the steamer. I store any extra water in a thermos flask and use this to make cups of tea without needing to reboil the kettle.
A newish model air fryer is generally more energy efficient than using an electric oven. It typically cooks in ½ - ¾ the time of a conventional oven. Air fryers also don't require pre-heating. However, a unit of electricity is often more expensive than a unit of gas so the savings may not be as obvious when taking this into account. I found this great comparison between the cost and efficiency of air fryers compared to conventional ovens.
When cooking in the oven, wherever possible, look through the glass window rather than opening the oven door to check on the food.
On opening the door to turn food over remove the tray entirely and quickly close the door behind you to keep in the heat. Don't leave the oven door open whilst you turn or marinate food.
Food waste
If you're eating the corn yourself then use the nibbled core of the cobs in a homemade stock or broth. If you don't have enough veg scraps freeze the cores and add more scraps to them over time.
Try to cut the corn ribs as evenly as possible to avoid splitting the cob and ending up with loose kernels. Loose kernels and ugly offcuts can be briefly boiled for 3-5 minutes until tender and added to the dish at the end.
Gluten Free Tips
Ensure your asafoetida is wheat free. Some brands of asafoetida are diluted with wheat flour. I use the Schwartz brand which is diluted with rice flour.
FODMAP Tips
BBQ sauce
Typically BBQ sauce uses tomato paste as a base ingredient. Because tomato paste is now listed in the Monash app as containing fructans I did not want this to stack with the fructans in the tempeh. As canned plum tomatoes contain fructose and there are no other fructose-containing ingredients in this recipe I decided they would be a better option rather than the traditional tomato paste. Canned plum tomatoes also have a larger low FODMAP serving size than fresh tomatoes.
If you opt for using a premade BBQ sauce be aware that the serving size will likely be much smaller than the amounts used in this recipe. For this reason, I recommend making your own marinade wherever possible.
Corn on cob
If you've watched the recipe video you'll know that when prepping this recipe I made a disappointing discovery. The Monash app lists half a corn cob or 38 g as low FODMAP. When I cut and weighed half of my standard corn cob I found a big discrepancy between the half cob and the weighed amount. My half a cob weighed in at a whopping 76 g! Double the recommended low FODMAP portion.
Since the recipe video was created Monash has clarified that the recommended low FODMAP serving size is for the corn kernels only, without the weight of the husk, silks or core. This makes accurately weighing your low FODMAP portion of corn more difficult if you intend to enjoy it still on the cob.
Monash equates the low FODMAP serving to half a cob. Based on my tests I would say that this is accurate. If you'd like to cook and eat your corn still attached to the cob then be aware that the total weight of half a cob is likely to be double the recommended amount. However, the edible part, the kernels will roughly equal a low FODMAP portion.
FODMAP Servings
As written this recipe serves two and is low FODMAP at ½ a serving. One serving of this recipe contains approx:
- 1 Fructan serving
- 1 GOS serving
- 0 Mannitol
- 1 Sorbitol serving
- 1 Fructose serving
- 0 Lactose - All my recipes are vegan and therefore free from dairy and lactose. Yay!
Always refer to the Monash app for current low FODMAP servings and FODMAP categorisations.
FODMAP Ingredient Notes
Asafoetida
Low FODMAP serving of ¼ teaspoon with no excess FODMAPs listed. Some varieties may contain wheat flour. If this is an issue for you then source the pure version or wheat-free brands. I typically use the Schwartz brand which is blended with rice flour. If using pure asafoetida or undiluted Indian hing reduce the recipe amount by at least half until you get used to the intensity of your purchased brand.
Sweetcorn on the cob
Corn served on the cob has a low FODMAP portion of 38 g. Please note, as mentioned above, that this amount is for the kernels only and does not include the weight of the core, so it's more than you initially think.
In servings of 63 g, it becomes moderate for sorbitol and at 75 g, or roughly one whole corn cob, it becomes high for sorbitol.
This recipe uses 1 corn cob in total. When split into two portions we end up with ½ a corn cob per serving. This is considered low FODMAP and contains 1 portion of sorbitol.
Confusingly, corn kernels from a can have recently been retested and now have a larger low FODMAP serving than corn cut from the cob. This is likely because some of the FODMAPs will leach out of the canned corn into the canning water over time. Canned corn is also now listed as fructan, rather than sorbitol-containing. This is a good example of how different processing techniques can affect not only the safe serving but sometimes the FODMAP type too.
Tempeh
Plain tempeh has a low FODMAP serving size of 100 g. Servings of 220 g contain high amounts of fructans and GOS. In this recipe, we use a total of 200 g. When portioned into two servings this gives us the recommended low FODMAP portion of 100 g per serving. As larger portions of tempeh contain both fructans and GOS we consider the tempeh element of this recipe to be 1 full portion of each.
I treat tempeh in the same way as firm tofu. Although tempeh holds much less water and doesn't need to be pressed I rinse and pat dry before use. I feel this helps to remove a little of the surface bitterness.
Tomatoes plum, canned/tinned
Low FODMAP serving of 100 g. Servings of 190 g contain moderate amounts of excess fructose. High for excess fructose at 250 g serving.
This recipe uses a total of 200 g. When split between two each serving is a low FODMAP portion and contains 1 serving of fructose.
Shopping Tips
Biona organic natural tempeh (400 g). This Biona brand is the tempeh I used for this recipe. It's a plain variety so it's very versatile and perfect for adding your own flavour. One thing to point out is that this brand is packaged in water. The drained weight of the tempeh is 175 g. It's listed for sale under the total weight (including the water) of 400 g. I initially thought this was 400 g of tempeh making it seem like better value for money than it is. However, once drained it's an equivalent price to most other supermarket brands available.
Sanchi tamari gluten free soy sauce (300 ml). This brand is traditionally fermented without preservatives, caramel or artificial enzymes. Please note that this brand contains distilled alcohol. I only advise buying tamari if you have a genuine need to avoid gluten. This is because it's typically much more expensive than regular soy sauce.
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Free From
- Celery free
- Coconut free
- Garlic free
- Gluten free
- Oil free
- Onion free
- Peanut free
- Sesame free
- Tree nut free
- Wheat free
- Lactose free
- Mannitol free
Please always double-check your ingredients to ensure your products, brands and version is "free-from" if required. Where we list free from FODMAPs please be aware we are referring to free from excess FODMAPs as defined by low/high FODMAP limits in the Monash app and not a true allergy-safe definition of "free-from".
Most plant foods will still contain some level of FODMAPs but in amounts that are considered to be tolerable for most people on the low FODMAP diet.
Recipe
Viral Corn Ribs but Low FODMAP
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
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Equipment
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Sturdy chopping board
- 1 Tea towel optional but recommended for safety
Cook mode
Ingredients
Ribs
- 200 g plain tempeh
- 1 whole sweetcorn cob
Marinade
- 200 g canned plum tomatoes - tomato flesh, drained of juices
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon tamari - sub with soy sauce if preferred
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon mild sweet yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon asafoetida - ensure wheat free if required
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground all spice
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked salt - sub with regular sea salt if preferred
Instructions
- Drain off and rinse 200 g plain tempeh then slice into 1.5cm wide slices. Lay out in a steamer basket in a single layer. Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes. Turn the tempeh over after 5 minutes and continue to steam on the other side.
- Whilst the tempeh steams strain 200 g canned plum tomatoes flesh from the juice. Blitz together 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoon tamari, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon mild sweet yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon asafoetida, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and ½ teaspoon ground all spice in a blender until smooth.
- Dry the steamed tempeh on a clean tea towel. Press lightly until the surface is dry to the touch. Lay the tempeh in a single layer, in a container big enough for the tempeh and corn. Drizzle over ⅓ of the marinade and set aside.
- Lay down the tea towel you used to press the tempeh onto your tabletop. Spritz lightly with water until damp all over then place your cutting board on top of the damp towel. This helps to secure the board when cutting the corn.
- Place 1 whole sweetcorn cob flat on the board and cut it in half widthways to create two shorter cobs. It helps to use a sharp knife and a rocking, seesaw motion to gradually cut through the core. Go slowly.
- Stand the cob upright on its widest end. Cut vertically down through the centre of the corn to cut the corn in half. Once you've done this to both halves the full corn cob will then be cut into quarters. Lay each quarter on its flat edge and cut it in half. This will give you 8 wide, short ribs.
- If you want thinner ribs then you need to stand the quartered cob on its end and make two vertical, even cuts to give you three ribs from each quarter.
- If you're confident with your knife skills you can simply cut the whole corn, lengthwise into 4-6 pieces, to create long ribs. I found this way much harder to cut evenly and safely.
- Place each rib, kernel side down, on top of the tempeh. drizzle over another ⅓ of the marinade. Pop on a lid and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight. Keep the remaining marinade in a seperate container in the fridge.
- When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200℃/400℉/gas 6. Place a piece of baking parchment or a non-stick mat onto a baking tray. Lay the ribs out in a single layer. Brush some of the leftover marinade on top until evenly coated. Sprinkle over ¼ teaspoon smoked salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Bake the ribs in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and flip each one over. Brush a little more marinade on top and season again with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. Depending on whether the edges of the corn are charring you may want to cook for a further 10 minutes to get the ribs to curl even more.
- Alternatively, cook in the air fryer at 200℃/400℉ for 6 minutes per side, marinating when you flip them over. This gives a more signature, curly rib look that you've probably seen online.
- Brush the remaining marinade over the hot ribs as you serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- 1 cup = 250 ml
- 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
- 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
Related
Do you think viral corn ribs are worth the hype?
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