These little guys 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. 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 seared, highlighting the sweet fresh corn.
Served with a cooling cilantro cream, these are perfect as an appetizer, or as a light dinner along side 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.
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 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 loose 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.
A tip: When making sauces or condiments using cilantro, don’t waste the stems. They too have great flavor. I will cut off the bottom inch or two of the whole bunch and then include the rest of stems when making a sauce that is blended. It adds another level of flavor. For another tasty cilantro sauce, try this cilantro chimichurri.
Spicy Corn Fritters with Cilantro Cream
Spicy Corn Fritters with Cilantro Cream – an easy delicious recipe that works as an appetizer or vegetarian main! www.feastingathome.com #cornfritters #corncakes
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 12 fritters 1x
- Category: Appetizer, vegetarian main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Northwest
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
- 1tablespoon coriander ( toasted and ground, or ground is fine too)
- 2 large beaten eggs
- 3/4 cup whole 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)
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 4 scallions chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped packed cilantro
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 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
- In a large bowl, combine first 6 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.
- Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet ( I use a cast iron skillet) with a generous amount of vegetable or canola oil, mixed with a little butter (optional) on medium high heat.
- Wait until oil is hot, and turn 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 golden brown. Add more oil if necessary.
- Make 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.
- 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
Fantastic. Sweet and a little smoky. Yum.
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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.
OMG I dont think ive ever made anythings so delicious!! Thank you!! Love your site..
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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.
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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.
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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!
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so glad you like them!
These look amazing! What a great way to get more of summer’s delicious corn in my diet. Yum!
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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!