Simply made with fresh corn, flour, buttermilk, a bit of sugar and spice and a whole lot of love, these Corn Fritters fry up quickly and taste amazing!! Each bite of fritter is a touch sweet and a bit savory in all the best ways.
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Stop what you’re doing and get in the kitchen! Seriously, you’re not gonna want to miss this one. I’ve shared fritter recipes with y’all in the past but, I think this might be the best one. Big talk, I know. There are many variations of fritters, most sweet rather than savory. Sweet, fried sugar is undeniably infamous across the South (and beyond).
Though I’m a BIG fan of berry, pear and apple fritters alike, I’m an even bigger advocate of savory fritters. Adding a salty, seasoned component to a sweet treat is a great way to change things up. Corn Fritters are a classic Southern offering; they’re light, fatty, cheesy and golden. Need I say more?
Follow along with me as we fry up today’s dose of pure Southern joy!
The Heart and Soul of the Best Corn Fritters Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort Get ready to dive deep into the heart of Southern cooking with these scrumptious corn fritters that’ll make your grandma proud. It’s tradition and comfort all packed into a golden, crispy bite.
Primary Cooking Method: Frying Embrace the sizzle, folks! These little golden beauties achieve their peak crunchiness and divine texture from a good ol’ fashioned fry-up.
Dietary Info: Vegetarian Friendly Corn lovers rejoice, this dish is a vegetarian’s dream. Packed with the goodness of corn and a batter that’s light on the tummy, it’s comfort food without the meat.
Key Flavor: Sweet Corn Bliss The star of this show is the burst of sweet corn that complements the savory notes. Each bite promises a delightful dance of flavors that’s corn-centric with a hint of nostalgia.
Skill Level: Easy Peasy Worried about your kitchen skills? Fear not! This recipe is simple enough for cooking newbies yet so delicious, you’ll look like a seasoned chef.
Sweet Highlights:
- All about the Corn: Fresh, juicy kernels straight off the cob or even from a can make all the difference, ensuring each fritter is a celebration of corn’s natural sweetness.
- Crispy on the Outside, Fluffy Inside: Achieve that perfect, crave-worthy crunch on the outside, with a soft, pillowy center that melts in your mouth.
- Quick and Easy: Short on time? No problem! From start to scrumptious finish, these fritters are your quick-fix solution to hunger pangs and rushed meal times.
- Versatility is Key: Serve ’em up as appetizers, a side dish, or even a snack. Add your favorite dips or toppings, and you’ve got endless possibilities.
- Kid-Approved: Struggling to make a dish the whole family will love? These corn fritters are a hit with the kiddos, making meal times a breeze.
Ingredients
Fritters are simply the easiest thing you’ll ever fry. Honestly, all you need is one bowl and a hot pot of oil! What do you say we make a batch together?
Here’s our shopping list:
- Fresh (or Frozen) Corn – corn is mildly sweet, crunchy and simply put, delightful. Their addition mellows out the fritters and layers in a texturally pleasing component. I love using corn in so many of my recipes from my Scalloped Corn, Homemade Corn Dogs, Creamed Corn, Southern Fried Corn to my Corn Spoonbread. It makes such a big difference if you can use fresh in these.
- Diced Onion & Green Pepper – both are mildly acidic and bitter yet, sweet. They count as a vegetable too, right?
- Minced Garlic – pungent and aromatic, garlic is always necessary.
- All-Purpose Flour – flour creates the structure of our fritters.
- Yellow Cornmeal – cornmeal is made from dried maize (corn) that has been finely ground. Its taste is similar to that of fresh corn, just with a more earthy element.
- Granulated Sugar – I like to highlight the sweetness of the corn by using sugar to boost its potency.
- Salt & Cayenne Pepper – seasoning is key people! Both salt and cayenne will bring flavor and heat. It’s a nice balance to the sweetness.
- Buttermilk – tangy and slightly acidic, buttermilk will add in a pleasant zippiness while also creating a more tender fritter.
- Egg – just a binder. No biggy.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – cheddar is sharp with a superb meltiness. Just a handful balances out the sweetness and adds a wonderfully pungent flavor.
How to Make Corn Fritters
- Veggie Sauté: Start by heatin’ up some olive oil in your trusty skillet over medium heat. Toss in the corn, onion, and green pepper, and let ’em get all cozy and softened for about 4-5 minutes. Oh, and don’t forget to invite garlic to the party for an extra 30 seconds of fun. Once they’re done mingling, set ’em aside to cool their heels.
- Dry Mix Magic: Grab yourself a big ol’ bowl and whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little kick. This dry mix is where the magic starts, y’all.
- Wet Ingredients: Time for the buttermilk and egg to join the hoedown! Mix ’em in with your dry ingredients until they’re best buddies. Now, gently fold in those sautéed veggies you set aside earlier, and let’s make things extra decadent by adding cheese. Because everything’s better with cheese, right?
- Fry Time: Pour enough oil to cover the bottom of your cast iron or Dutch oven skillet, and get it all hot and bubbly—around 365 degrees. Carefully plop 2-3 tablespoons of your fritter batter into the skillet, spreadin’ it out like dainty little pancakes. Fry ’em until they’re golden brown and irresistible, about 2 minutes or so, then flip and repeat. Hook ’em outta the oil and let ’em chill on paper towels. Give ’em a little sprinkle of salt for good measure.
What To Serve With
To be honest, my favorite way to eat a fritter is straight out of the fryer. Yes, they’re devilishly hot. Yes, I often burn my mouth. But, I’m OK with that! I’ve enjoyed these fried pockets of sweet corn and cheese as both a snack and as a side to a classic Southern dinner.
I find that fritters are best served with fried or fresh seafood; the flavor just works. Don’t take my word for it, try for yourself using a few of my favorite Grandbaby Cakes recipes:
Can I save leftover batter?
Any fritter batter can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge. I wouldn’t recommend saving leftover batter; it’s intended to be made fresh to avoid any funky flavors.
Freezing and Reheating
Finished fritters freeze well. Store them in a large airtight freezer bag. When ready to reheat, place the fritters in the toaster oven for about five minutes. Alternatively, you could let them sit out on the counter for an hour and quickly reheat in a non-stick pan. Avoid the microwave at all costs!
Favorite Fritter Recipes
Whether savory or sweet, fritters are delectable nuggets of Southern heaven! Do yourself a favor and step up your snack, appetizer, side or dessert game by frying up a few of my BEST fritter recipes:
Corn Fritters
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Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (or frozen corn kernels that have been thawed)
- 1/4 cup finely diced onion
- 1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
- 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 7 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp yellow corn meal
- 1 3/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- vegetable oil
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add corn, onion and green pepper, season with a little salt and pepper and cook until softened (about 4-5 minutes) then add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper and whisk until combined.
- Next add buttermilk and egg and combine with dry ingredients. Fold in sauteed corn and veggies and then add cheese.
- Heat enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet or dutch oven skillet and heat until about 365 degrees.
- Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of fritter batter to the skillet and spread out like a small pancake and fry until golden brown (about 2 minutes or so) then flip and do the same. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt and serve.
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Maybe a stupid question, but do you cook the corn on the cob first – like boil it? Or throw it in raw?
Nope you just throw it in raw.
These are really tasty but I only got 12 fritters, so I’ll double the recipe next time
These were delicious! We ended up subbing a different cheese and red pepper flakes due to what was on hand. The bit of heat was a fabulous layer of flavor. Only note is that to yield 25, yours must have been the size of a half dollar! We doubled the recipe and yielded 11-12 palm sized cakes. 1-2 each was perfect.
Can you substitute buttermilk with regular milk?
You can actually make your own buttermilk using this substitution with regular milk and lemon juice or vinegar https://grandbaby-cakes.com/baking-substitutions/
Can you bake these?
I have never baked them but feel free to do this and report back to let us know how they turned out.
I haven’t made this yet, but I can see they look great, and I can imagine that they taste even better so I’m giving them five stars in advance. Can you “fry” them in an air fryer?
These are sooo good. I made a few adjustments to use what I had on hand but will definitely be adding into permanent rotation at my house. ❤️
I made today. These are amazing! Another yummy recipe for my for my files.
Loved these!! I didn’t have cayenne pepper so I used Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning and instead of regular corn meal I used Tony Chachere’s Creole Fish Fry plus I added in a 6 oz can of crab meat. My friend and I ate them all except for the few I saved for my mom to try. Fresh corn gave them a nice, crunchy sweetness. Probably will make another batch this week. Thank you for this recipe!
Can I use canned corn?
Someone mentioned that they did and they turn out just great.
Delicious!