Corn Fritters

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Celebrate summer with fresh Corn Fritters!  A flavorful recipe that works as a tasty appetizer, hearty side dish, or a vegetarian main course. Serve with creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce!

These Mexican-inspired Corn Fritters are easy to make and packed full of summertime goodness. My husband loves them- although I must admit, any vegetable that arrives in the form of a fritter will recieve high praise from him!  I love making this recipe in summer when sweet corn is fresh for the best texture! But frozen corn will work too.

Fresh corn kernels, cut right off the cob, have the best flavor! Combined with scallions, cheddar cheese, Mexican spices, lime, and cilantro in a light batter, they are pan-seared until golden and crispy, then finished in the oven. Make them spicy or keep them mild- up to you! Serve them with a cool and creamy cilantro dipping sauce. The recipe makes 24 small fritters which can be refrigerated for later and reheated—a fun thing to pull out of the fridge for mid-week snacks.

Corn Fritter Ingredients

• Fresh Corn- Fresh sweet corn has the best texture here, but frozen corn or roasted frozen corn works well too!
• Red Bell pepper (optional or add more corn)
• Scallions- Green onions add savory goodness.
• Cilantro- We love adding fresh cilantro here, but you could easily leave it out or use basil or flat-leaf parsley.
• Lime zest and lime juice- To add a nice tangy brightness to the corn fritters.
• Fresh jalapeno– or sub cayenne pepper!  ( both optional)
• Cheese– grated cheddar cheese, jack cheese, or mozzarella cheese
• Spices– Coriander, Cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and a little sugar.
• Eggs & baking powder to give the fritters structure and loft.
• Flour – all-purpose flour or use a gluten-free flour blend.
• Milk – or use half and half or plant-based milk.

How to make Corn fritters

Lay the corn on its side (rather than straight up) and cut the kernels off as close to the cob as possible.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, spoon a little of the fritter batter into the hot skillet and fry.  Smaller fritters are easiest to handle here- roughly 2 1/2 inches wide.

Flip when golden, using a thin spatula, about 3 minutes on each side. To keep calories lower, you can use spray olive oil.  Or, for extra luxuriousness, add a little butter. 

Sear the other side, then place on the wire rack in the oven to finish cooking through. Continue working in batches until all the batter is gone; you’ll have roughly 24 fritters.

While the fritters are in the oven, make the cilantro cream sauce. Just whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.

Storing Tips

Cook all the corn fritters, then store in the fridge for up to 4 days, reheating as needed in a 375F oven, letting them crisp up again. Cooked Corn fritters can also be wrapped tightly and frozen- thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Can the Batter be Made ahead?

Yes, except wait to add the baking powder until right before cooking. Whip up the batter and store in the fridge for 24 hours. Sprinkle the baking powder through a fine mesh strainer and mix in the batter right before cooking the fritters. 

Enjoy the corn fritters and let us know what you think in the comments below!

More Summer Corn recipes!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Cornmeal Crusted Halibut with Summer Succotash

Mexican Corn (Esquites)

Baked Quinoa with Corn, Zucchini, Feta & Fresh Tomato Relish

Zucchini Stir Fry with Corn and Basil

Masala Street Corn

• Fregola with Corn, Zucchini &  Basil
• Coconut Corn Chowder with Leeks
• Mexican Corn Dip
• Masala Street Corn
• Grilled Mexican Corn with Chipotle Lime Butter

Corn Fritters Recipe

★★★★★ 4.9 from 16 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 24 fritters 1x
• Category: Appetizer, vegetarian main
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Celebrate the bounty of summer with fresh Corn Fritters!  A flavorful recipe that works as a tasty appetizer, hearty side dish or as a vegetarian main course. Serve with creamy Cilantro Sauce!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

Corn Fritters

• 3 cups fresh corn (4 large ears of corn) or use frozen, thawed.
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 teaspoons coriander ( toasted, ground whole seeds are nice here too)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup milk, nut milk or half and half
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (or use gluten-free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced (optional, or add more corn)
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped- or sub basil, or flat-leaf parsely
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or sub other melty cheese, jack, mozzarella, etc. )
• optional: 1-2 tablespoons finely minced jalapeno (remove seeds) optional, or add a pinch of cayenne
• olive oil for frying.

Cilantro Dipping Sauce

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F  with a wire rack inside.
2. Prep the corn. Lay the corn flat on the counter, and cut the kernels off. Set aside.
3. Make the corn fritter batter. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, lime zest and lime juice, spices, salt, pepper and sugar until smooth. Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl, then whisk this into the egg mixture, whisking until very smooth.
4.  Stir in the fresh corn, cheese, scallions, cilantro, bell pepper, and optional jalapeno.  You should have a thick batter that mounds on a spoon. If it feels overly thick, add a splash of milk, or overly runny, add a tablespoon of flour.  If unsure about consistency, cook one “tester” fritter first.
5. Cook Fritters: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Place 5 rounded spoonfuls of fritter batter (2-inch round fritters) carefully into the skillet (scooting in any stray kernels) and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until golden and holding together. Working in batches, move the fritters to the wire rack in the oven to cook all the way through. Don’t worry if they are still a little doughy in the middle; they will continue to cook in the oven. Bake until puffed, about 10-15  minutes.
6. Cilantro Dipping Sauce  In a food processor, pulse cilantro cream ingredients until blend until combined.(Alternatively, feel free to mix in a bowl)
7. Serve the fritters with the Cilantro cream, garnish with cilantro, lime wedges and your favorite Hot sauce.

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Notes

Leftovers in the fridge will last up to 4 days and can be reheated in a toaster oven or oven. Fritters can also be frozen.

If making the batter ahead, leave out the baking powder until ready to fry. Sprinkle it through a fine mesh strainer then whisk it in. 

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 fritter
• Calories: 78
• Sugar: 1.6 g
• Sodium: 102.1 mg
• Fat: 4.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
• Fiber: 0.6 g
• Protein: 3.1 g
• Cholesterol: 28.7 mg

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