Corn fritters are easy to make and a delicious snack, appetizer, or side dish. You only need a few simple ingredients to make them and can use canned corn, fresh corn, or frozen corn that is thawed. They are deep-fried and so delicious!
I’ve been experimenting with deep-frying lately and DH and I made these easy corn fritters this past weekend. Actually, I can proudly say DH made them so that means they’re really easy.
We tried a recipe from “Dadgum That’s Good, Too” cookbook because all of the recipes in that book are pretty easy including the homemade fritters. It occurred to me that my cooking-phobic husband could handle most of them!
If you’ve ever had hushpuppies, corn fritters are similar but not the same. Hushpuppies are made with a cornmeal batter while these fritters are made with all-purpose flour and have corn mixed in.
They turned out perfectly and we loved the flavor and texture. All you do is make a thick batter, mix the corn in, and then fry them. We used our deep fryer, but I am also including how to fry them on the stove in a pot or saucepan.
Ingredients
- Cooking oil – you will need to use one for deep-frying like canola or vegetable oil.
- Canned whole corn kernels
- Lightly beaten egg
- Milk
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Ground pepper
Deep Fryer Instructions
Fill the deep fryer halfway with oil and heat it to 350°F.
In a small bowl, combine corn, egg, and milk. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Drop fritter batter by the spoonful into the hot oil and fry them in batches for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. How many you can cook at a time will depend on the size of your fryer. Don’t cook too many at once.
As they fry they should turn on their own after about two to three minutes, but if they don’t you can turn them using a metal spoon.
Once they are golden brown, use a metal slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. They are best when they are served warm.
Stove Instructions
If you don’t have a deep-fryer you can cook them on the stove in a large pot. I recommend that you use a frying thermometer to make it easy to maintain the heat of the oil.
Pour the oil into the pot. There should be enough so the fritters have room to float around without touching the bottom of the pot.
Hook the thermometer on the side of the pot and heat the oil to 350°F. The temperature will fluctuate as you cook the corn fritters, but as long as it’s between 350 and 375°F they will cook fine.
Drop them into the hot oil by the spoonful and cook them as instructed for the deep-fryer. Just remember to not overcrowd the pot which will cause the temperature to drop and will make your fritters greasy.
Serving Tips
They are best hot from the frying oil after they’ve drained. They make a great snack or appetizer or serve them as a side dish.
You can also serve them with dipping sauces. You can try an aioli or different honey dipping sauces. They’re also great with a dollop of sour cream.
Tips
For the best corn fritters, don’t overmix the batter. You should only mix until the dry ingredients are absorbed. If you overmix it, your fritter dough will be tough once it’s cooked.
We used canned corn for this recipe, but you can use fresh corn kernels. Just slice them off the cob and mix them into the batter raw. They will cook when you fry the fritters.
Frozen corn will work, too. It might be best to thaw it first and then pat the kernels dry. That way they don’t release moisture while cooking which can change the texture of the fritter.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. The texture won’t be the same when you reheat them, so I usually only make enough for what we want to eat right away.
If you do want to reheat them, you can use a microwave or an air fryer, which I think would work better.
Variations
This is a really simple recipe and I think you could add other mix-ins to the dough to give them different flavors. Here are some ideas I am thinking about trying:
- You could add some onion powder or garlic powder to the batter. Or, finely chopped fresh onion, green onions, or garlic would work, too. I would just make sure to really chop them up so you don’t have big chunks in your fritters.
- For some spice and heat, you could add some finely chopped jalapenos with some chopped cilantro for a Mexican-style fritter.
- I think cheese would work well, too. Mix in shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or other shredded cheese that you like.
We loved how simple this recipe was and will definitely make them again. I’m happy to find a recipe that DH enjoys making!
More Deep-Fried Recipes
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Buttermilk Fried Cauliflower
- Fried Bacon-Wrapped Eggs
- Fried Mashed Potato Balls
Corn Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 gallon cooking oil
- 1 12 ounce can whole kernel corn
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Fill deep fryer halfway and heat to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine corn, egg and milk. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring to combine.
- Drop batter by the spoonful into the hot oil and fry in batches for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. You should see them turn on their own after about 2 to 3 minutes, but help them turn, if needed. Use a metal slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately.
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Happy Thanksgiving guys!
Thanks Dennis! Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
I thought those were deviled century eggs for a second and I got so, so excited. Potatoes are cool too though, haha.
Oh, that actually sounds really good. Never thought to make it though. Must try it sometime