These Corn Fritters are easy to make and packed full of summertime flavor. Fresh corn cut right off the cob with jalapeño, bell pepper, scallions, lime and cilantro are combined with a light batter and pan-seared until golden and crispy. Make them spicy or keep them mild- up to you!
I like this version of corn fritters, because, unlike traditional corn fritters which are heavy on the batter and deep-fried, these are heavy on the veggies, and pan-seared, highlighting the sweet fresh corn.
Served with cooling cilantro cream, these are perfect as an appetizer, or as a light dinner alongside a hearty salad. They will satisfy.
They can be made in less than 30 minutes or made ahead and refrigerated….just heat them in a hot oven to crisp them up before serving.
Fresh picked corn, right off the cob has a pleasant earthy sweetness. Juicy plump kernels accentuate the fritters, giving them the perfect texture, and for this reason, I never make these using canned or frozen corn- it just wouldn’t do them justice. This is a recipe to save for when fresh corn is in season and readily available.
How to choose the best corn on the cob
Picking out good corn requires a little effort at the market. Husks should be green and feel moist. You can actually feel the kernels through the husk to check for uniformity and plumpness, but if you are not sure, pull back the husks and examine them before buying. This will save you from ending up with corn that is mildewy or shriveled, clearly past its prime.
If the husk looks as if it has already been pulled back, chances are, someone already checked it and ruled it out. Set it aside and dig a little deeper in the pile. Kernels should be plump and juicy and somewhat uniform and should not have any discolored or slimy spots.
After 24 hours of being picked, the natural sugars in corn start to turn into starch and they begin to lose their sweetness. So if possible, make an effort to buy the freshest corn available.
If you happen to find some really fresh corn, this grilled corn recipe, is another one of my favorites.
More recipes you may like:
Fregola with Corn, Zucchini & Basil
Coconut Corn Chowder with Leeks
Mexican Street Corn ( Elotes!)
Grilled Corn with Chipotle Lime Butter
Spicy Corn Fritters with Cilantro Cream
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 12 fritters
- Category: Appetizer, vegetarian main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Northwest
Description
Spicy Corn Fritters with Cilantro Cream – an easy delicious recipe that works as an appetizer or vegetarian main! www.feastingathome.com
Ingredients
Fritters:
- 1 Cup flour (or use gluten-free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tablespoon coriander ( toasted, ground whole seeds are nice here too)
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2/3 cup whole milk, nut milk or half and half
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, and zest of one lime
- 3 cups fresh cut corn kernels (2 1/2 – 3 ears) Or use frozen, thawed.
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 4 scallions chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped packed cilantro
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or sub other melty cheese)
- 1–2 tablespoons finely minced jalapeno ( remove seeds, about 1/2 jalapeno)
Cilantro Cream:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro, stems OK
- 1/8 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 small garlic clove
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Make FRITTER BATTER: In a large bowl, combine first 6 dry ingredients, mix well. In a smaller bowl whisk milk, eggs, zest and lime juice. Whisk wet into dry and making a batter. It is OK if there are tiny clumps, but work the big ones out with the whisk. Fold in the remainder of the ingredients; corn, bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, scallions, cheddar. It should be a relatively thick batter- mounding on a spoon, so feel free to add a little more flour to get consistency right.
- Cook Fritters: Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet ( I use a cast iron skillet) with a generous amount of oil, mixed with a little butter (optional) on medium-high heat. Wait until the oil is hot, and turn the heat down to medium. Place rounded spoonfuls of fritter batter (2 inch round fritters) carefully into skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until crispy and beautifully golden. Add more oil if necessary. Cook in batches, moving fritters to a sheet pan and transferring to a warm 350 F oven. Don’t worry if they are still a touch doughy in the middle, they will continue to cook in the oven. Bake until puffed, about 10-15 minutes.
- Make Cilantro Cream: In a food processor, pulse cilantro cream ingredients until blend until smooth. Serve on the side.
- Garnish with cilantro, lime and your favorite Hot sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 fritters
- Calories: 275
Keywords: corn fritters, best corn fritters, corn cakes, corn fritter recipe, corn fritters recipe, corn cakes recipe
These were so delicious!! My family loved these. They were easy to make & are super-yummy. I will definitely make them again. This recipe makes a lot of them. Highly recommend!
★★★★★
Awesome Shelly! thanks so much!
Fabulous recipe. Omitted the bell peppers as my partner is allergic. I had more luck in a frying pan than a cast iron skillet, as they were sticking in the skillet. Used jarred jalapeños, no more than about a tablespoon chopped, and these were spicy!!!
★★★★★
Can I make these a day in advance and just reheat the next day. Or would you think that’s not a good idea?
Hi Suzette- great question, and I think that could work? Best the same day, but if I recall, we did reheat leftovers, and they were fine. 🙂
Hi Sylvia Is it possible to prep the batter the night before??
Yes I think that should be fine!
These were fantastic. Made a huge batch. Do you the cooked leftover fritters would freeze well?
★★★★★
I bet they would!
Having some leftover fresh corn, I made these fritters. I made these per the recipe, except I omitted the cheese. For me, the batter was too thin and I ended up adding 1/2 cup more flour. The fritters were tasty. The cilantro cream seemed to overpower the taste of the corn. I would probably just make a black pepper sauce next time. Overall, a good recipe. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★
Looks delicious! Have you tried to bake instead of frying them?
★★★★★
I haven’t yet! They may be a bit too runny?
Fantastic. Sweet and a little smoky. Yum.
★★★★★
Great to hear, thanks for the comment!
Hi! Did you deseed the jalapeños or 2tbs with seeds? Thanks!
Deseeded! I updated recipe- thanks!
How long should these cook in the oven after pan frying?
Just until heated through and slightly puffed.
I loved this! I left out the coriander, bell pepper and jalapenos because I didn’t have those things on hand. I did add a little pepper because it would be lacking in spice otherwise.
After frying them in the skillet, I baked them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 350° for 12 minutes. Excellent.
★★★★★
OMG I dont think ive ever made anythings so delicious!! Thank you!! Love your site..
★★★★★
Yay! Glad you liked it!
Just made these tonight. They tasted fantastic. However, I think it must have the fresh corn that kept popping and spattering hot grease everywhere. I had a splatter guard on my frying pan, but they still made a huge, hot, oily mess. How did you avoid this? I hope I can figure it out, because i’d love to make them again.
★★★★★
Hey Laura- I wonder… what oil did you use? What kind of skillet did you use (cast iron, stainless steel, no stick? )
Hi.
I have Rob’s Mill Paleo Flour, and his Tapioca Flour, as well. Will either of these work?
Thanks-
Jimmy
Try the Paleo flour. Should work fine!
I made these last night – they were so delicious! I made them exactly as written. They were spicy and EASY.
★★★★★
Yay!!! I like them a lot too! Thanks for sharing!
These are so delicious, thanks for the fabulous recipe! They have become one of my go-to summer recipes. I sometimes sub zucchini for about a third of the corn, and/or add about a cup of quinoa to bulk them up a bit depending on what leftover are in my fridge, but they are great just as is too!
★★★★★
so glad you like them!
These look amazing! What a great way to get more of summer’s delicious corn in my diet. Yum!
★★★★★
Thanks Kristen!!
yay!!! thanks for letting me know!!!
just wanted you to know that these are a HIGHLY requested item anytime i go to a potluck or bbq. thanks for this amazing recipe!
Just made these, they are fantastic! Next time I may add a little more “heat” to them.
I’ve made these a few times and they are as good as they look! They are a highly requested item now for parties.
Awesome! Glad you like them!
★★★★★
Being a sucker for any fritter, had to visit your blog. These look delicious.
Checked all the ingredients oh dear, I can do this!
I am going to make these for our French house guests this weekend. I can’t wait!
Oh, I bet these are amazing.
These sound so fabulous!