We used to fritter on the regular. The earlier archives of this site are filled with favorites that got us through many snacky toddler meals and excesses of vegetables: broccoli-parmesan, zucchini, cauliflower-feta, cabbage and mixed vegetables with an okonomiyaki vibe, mixed vegetables with a pakora-spiced vibe, and of course, potato latkes in every shape and form. According to the date stamps, it’s been over 5 years since we last frittered, and this is unacceptable, especially as we are again deep in the toddler years.
To me, the best fritters are mostly vegetable with just the smallest amount of egg and flour needed to bind them together. You should taste vegetable, not cake-y pancake-ness. They should be simple; ideally one-bowl. This is quick food you throw together. You shouldn’t have to think too hard, or even follow a recipe much after the first or second time. Applying this to corn was easier than I thought. The results are crispy and toasty and were mostly snatched off the table before we even started dinner because they smelled so good.
Harder, for me, was controlling my impulses to make them every which way. I made these fairly classic American-style, with chives and scallions and cheddar. I’d put a little dab of mayo on them, were they not so good from the pan, it was not necessary. But should you feel inspired:
– Street corn-ish: Work some lime zest into the batter, use cotija cheese intead of cheddar, keep the scallions, and use cilantro for the herb. Finish with a shake of chili powder or, even better, tajín, and sour cream or the sauce we dollop on here.
– Miso-scallion with sriracha mayo: For this, I’d whisk 2 to 3 teaspoons white miso into the egg in the batter, skip the cheese, double-down on the scallions. I make sriracha mayo to taste, just the amount of each that tastes in good balance to you.
– Cacio e pepe: I’d skip the scallions, use parsley for the herb, many many grinds of black pepper and sharp pecorino for the cheese.
– Spiced: Try this with 1/4 cup minced red onion instead of scallions, cilantro instead of chives, and then add 1 teaspoon each ground coriander and cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric and cayenne or another red chili powder to taste. Finish with a cooling dollop of yogurt.
Have another tweak in mind? Tell me, tell me. Corn season has just begun, so there’s lots of time left to play with flavors.
Previously
One year ago: Confetti Party Cake
Two years ago: Peaches and Cream Bunny Cake
Three years ago: Green Beans with Almond Pesto and Very Blueberry Scones
Four years ago: Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings and Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Five years ago: Slow-and-Low Dry-Rub Oven Chicken and Grilled Bacon Salad with Arugula and Balsamic
Six years ago: Blackberry Gin Fizz
Seven years ago: Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt
Eight years ago: Zucchini and Ricotta Galette and Sour Cherry Pie with Almond Crumble
Nine years ago: Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes and Mediterranean Pepper Salad
Ten years ago: Project Wedding Cake
Eleven years ago: Roseanne Cash’s All-American Potato Salad and Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Split Pea Soup
1.5 Years Ago: Crusty Baked Cauliflower and Farro
2.5 Years Ago: Chicken Chili
3.5 Years Ago: Feta Tapenade Tarte Soleil
4.5 Years Ago: Roasted Grape and Olive Crostini
Corn Fritters
- 6 ears of corn (about 3 cups corn)
- 4 scallions, both white and greens finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped herbs of your choice (I used chives)
- About 1 cup (6 ounces) grated sharp cheddar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 more tablespoons if needed
- Olive or a neutral oil for frying (I used safflower)
Add scallions, herbs, cheese, and many grinds of black pepper and stir to evenly combine. Taste for seasoning; I usually find I needed more salt and pepper. Add the eggs and use a fork or spoon to stir until they’re all broken up and evenly coat the corn mixture. Add 1 cup of flour and stir to throughly coat. My mixture at this point (especially with bi-color corn) looked precisely like egg salad, to give you an idea of what you’re looking for: mostly kernels and just a little visible batter to bind it. A scoop of it should hold its shape unless pressed down; if yours does not, add the remaining flour. (For reference, I needed it.)
Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot and shimmering, add your first scoop of corn fritter batter and press it gently to flatten it. (I used a #40 scoop, which holds a little less than 2 tablespoons. Tinier fritters are easier to manage.) Corn fritters cook quickly so keep an eye on them. When the underside is a deep golden brown, flip and cook to the same color on the second side. Drain on a paper towel, sprinkling on more salt. When it’s cool enough to try, taste and adjust the seasonings of the remaining batter if needed.
(Deborah Madison advises that if your fritter isn’t holding to add another egg and 1/3 cup flour to give it more “glue” but I didn’t find this necessary.)
Cook remaining fritters in the same manner, adding more oil as needed. Try to get them to the table before finishing them.
Do ahead: Fritters keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days, and freeze well too. I like to defrost and re-toast them in a 350 degree oven.
perfect summer food! Can’t wait to make these – for the third year in a row, we are trying to GROW corn in our garden (while protecting it much more than in previous years – birds ate it). I’m making your swiss chard pancakes and grilled zucchini ribbons with pesto and white beans for dinner tonight – perfects ways to use my CSA share. Thank you, as always!
Deb,
I’m on the hunt for a new set of kitchen knives and want to get quality and affordable knives (would love some Shun’s but they are outside my budget). Also, how do you like western style versus Japanese knife styles? Do you have both?
Many thanks!
Rebecca
Hi, Deb has a page with the suggestions of things that she uses in her kitchen called “build your own smitten kitchen” here https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/12/build-your-own-smitten-kitchen/
CI highly recommended Victorinox knives with the Fibrox handle, they’re really inexpensive, around $35 for the 10 inch chef knife. It’s certainly not as luxurious as a Shun (or my somehow missing Global), but it has the narrower angle of a Japanese knife, rather than the bulk of some of the German knives. I love mine, and highly recommend.
I have both Western and Japanese knives. My go-to is Japanese, though, the Global you see here. More in this article from a couple months ago.
I also have a Global, the G-2. After 40 years of passionate cooking I’ve tried them all and the Global wins hands-down.
This is such an awful question to ask underneath a fritters recipe of all things but if it weren’t for the internet I wouldn’t know about aqafaba so here it goes:
Is there a way to make fritters without eggs?
Anything that actually binds?
I use a “flax egg” – a tablespoon of flax meal mixed with three tablespoons warm water. Works fabulously in everything I’ve tried, including fritters! (and baked goods)!
Thanks so much! Will definitely try that for this recipe.
I have such a hard time getting the kernels off without getting them all over my very small nyc kitchen. I just saw a u tube video where it was placed in the hole of a bundt pan and the kernels fall into the pan. I might try this.
I also used to have that problem, but I figured out a way to avoid it. Put your shucked cob in a deepish bowl, then just cut the kernels off halfway down the cob all the way around. Then turn it upside down and do the other end!
I cut the corn with it laying down on its side, rather then standing on end. There’s nowhere for the corn to fly from, if it’s not standing up in the air!
I was wondering the same thing! My daughter has an egg allergy but I know my family would devour fritters.
We use flax seed eggs over here – 1 tablespoon flax seed meal mixed in 3 tablespoons water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Aquafaba won’t bind, but it is great for fritters in combination with chickpea flour or besan. That’s my favorite combo for fritters. I find that flax and chia stay unpleasantly gooey/slimy unless you cook them much longer.
I have never tried chickpea flour! So far aquafaba has not worked very well outside of some cakes I tried so this combination could do the trick. Thanks for the idea.
I actually use a can puréed white beans with a splash of the bean liquid as the “glue” instead of eggs for veg based patties fairly often. The trick is to refridgerate the whole mix before proceeding to scoop and cook, an hour or longer. This way everything mingles and sticks together much better- and you get some added nutrition too.
Oooh intriguing! I will definitely try that, thanks!
Do you think these would work in an air fryer brushed with a light layer of oil?
I’d love to know this too!
Oh my word. This is so happening this weekend.
Would this still work with canned corn? (I’m moving and am trying to empty my pantry)
Theoretically, yes. You will probably need more flour.
Thanks for the reply!
I’ve made them with fresh, frozen and canned corn. Fresh has best flavor, but still very tasty with canned or frozen.
When I make fritters, they never stay together! It ends up like an ugly hash. Any tips?
More egg, more flour. I note how much of each to add in the recipe if it’s not holding together.
Hi Deb! Do you have any suggestions for an egg substitute here? I’m seeing other comments suggesting flax egg, but I would also love to get your thoughts :-)
Thank you so much!
Could you use Frozen Corn if you thaw it first.
I think so. You might find you need more flour, but hard to say for sure.
Actually Deb,
It goes the other way around. You will need less flour!
Why?
When you freeze the kernels, the ice shards puncture the walls of the cellular structure. When you thaw them, this water disappears and that’s why frozen corn which has been thawed looks more “collapsed” than regular corn.
Oddly, if you want a really “low flour” fritter, if you add a discreet amount of frozen corn (thawed and dried) to your fresh corn, you will NOT have the crazy popping problem that people here mention.
Also, you will have very little flour (but usual eggs) and almost all pure corn flavor.
Cheers!
Great note! I’m making these tonight and will add some frozen kernels to the ones I scraped off the cobs. Thank you.
I read a tip that I tried: before scraping the kernels off, I cut the cobs in half. Holding the cut sides flat against the inside of the bowl made them far more stable for scraping the kernels off. Having a smaller vertical space to cut from also felt safer, although it may not have been. I then grated the de-kerneled cobs, hoping for corn “milk,” but almost nothing came out.
Will it work to make the batter a day ahead and pan fry the fritters the next day? Also any refs for herbs if using goat cheese?
Yes, it does. Actually I made a full batch of the “batter” and used half one day and half a couple/few days later and they were just as good.
I could do with some just now…
Hi Deb, This looks delicious. I think you meant “It’s okay if you get a little more or a little less than THREE cups of corn” not 6.
Thanks.
These look delicious, thanks! Similar to one of your variations, I make these Indian-esque versions from David Tanis at least once every summer because they’re so delectable: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12602-spicy-corn-pakoras-with-mango-tamarind-chutney
I love corn fritters but can rarely get myself to make them–I have gotten literally burned too many times by popping kernels. You really should warn people to use a screen and wear long sleeves. That being said, these look good and I may have to give them a go. I have never tried cheese in mine. I like to dip mine into a Thai sweet chili dipping sauce.
Thank you for mentioning the sticking point I always contend with when fritterizing corn: SO MUCH SPLATTERS AND POPS.
Anyone have a trick for containing these things, beyond or in addition to a screen? I love corn fritters and belong to the school of thought that requires them being eaten in huge quantities but I don’t know how the chef or her kitchen ever survives making a full or double batch.
The weird thing is, leftovers (if any ever exist) makes great croutons crumbled up and lightly toasted, and they don’t do any of that angry popping. Maybe a hybrid preparation is in order: bake, cool & chill, and then quick-fry the following day? I’ve a friend who makes hers with canned corn for this reason, but the end-result is so tinny and lacks the summeriness of the freshly shucked.
I love the frywall products. Got mine from food52 but they sell on amazon too.
So much less splattering and spitting and cleaning and pain!
I’ve been making corn fritters for years — they are a bit of a NZ (?and Oz) standard lunch/brunch dish.
The best way I’ve found to stop the popping is to do two runs of the knife down the corn cob. The first run you want to cut all of the kernals in half. The second run gets the second half of the kernal off.
If the kernals are cut in half, they’ve already popped.
Thanks to you both! Very helpful!
I had the same issue! Made these last night and LOVED them, but no matter how dry my hands were, the fritters themselves are wet enough that I was splattered with oil far too many times. Will have to look into one of these screens…
After suffering burns from popping fritter kernels, I first slice through the kernels themselves before cutting them off the cob: problem solved!
i agree – most cooking warnings are common sense but i burnt my hand pretty badly last year cooking chiles rellenos that had corn in the filling. one of the kernels fell out out into the oil and one loud pop and a small geyser of oil later i was in a lot of pain. after it happened i had kind of a *facepalm* moment thinking “of course corn pops!” but at the time it just really never occurred to me since, well, i wasn’t intending to make “popcorn” haha.
it’s of course not as hazardous with only a few tablespoons of oil in a large pan, but everyone should still use caution – thanks for the reminder! i have a screen but i almost never use it and i really should.
Oh my goodness I just made these and the pops were dangerous!! Like I’m lucky I didn’t get injured. It’s too bad bc they were amazing, like juicy corn latkes
Do you think it would work (or sort of work, ha) with a gluten free flour blend? I’ve done fritters with it before, but the recipe only used like a tablespoon of flour so it didn’t seem as integral to the structure.
I really do think it would work here.
I’m GF and used KAF’s blend last night (cup for cup) and it worked great! Splatter guard and more oil / thicker frying pan on the lower end of medium heat kept the splatter / popping under control.
Yum! I’m not a melted cheese person though (a major flaw of mine, I know). Would you make any changes to the recipe if you were leaving out the cheese? More flour, anything?
I would give it a try without, just take a look at the batter and adjust as needed, picturing egg salad, and something thick and scoop-able as the ideal texture.
I made it with feta – I’m also not a melted cheddar gal – and it was delicious.
I love corn more than anything but was just diagnosed with an allium allergy (no scallions, leeks, onion, garlic, chives, etc) and it is really crimping my desire to cook. Any suggestions on a good sub in this, other than the cacio e pepe (which I’ve already had for lunch twice this week)? Corn-Jalapeno-Lime, maybe?
Have you tried asofetida?
I think that sounds great. I think anything you like with corn would be great here. I wonder maybe even about a corn-bacon fritter with a spicy honey or maple syrup finish?
I’ve also got allium issues! I think the elote version would still have lots of flavor without the scallions. And in the spiced version maybe bell pepper?
These fritters look really delicious!
These look great as do all the riffs you have listed. I think this would be he ideal way to use corn that may-or-may-not be delicious, as in something packaged from the supermarket. I find it always a crapshoot to buy this stuff for eating “on the cob”…but all the spices could save a lot of substandard corn from ignominy, and those of us who have a couple of weeks left to be able to obtain the really GOOD stuff can indulge right now! Bless you!
I like Thai corn fritters/cakes. The recipe I’ve made is pretty plain (no ginger / fish sauce / lime leaves) but includes a sweet and spicy cucumber sauce that’s fantastic. Didn’t find it in my search but will try to dig it up.
Oh that sounds exactly like what’s missing from the list. In Smitten Kitchen Every Day, I have a charred corn succotash with vaguely Thai flavors: a lime and fish sauce vinaigrette, crispy shallots, basil and mint. It would be great to apply that here.
I think this is the corn cake recipe I’ve made and liked:
http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/fried-corn-cakes/. Will have to remind myself about the cucumber sauce (it involves cooking vinegar with chili, but there’s no shallots or carrots).
Looks delicious. I think a tempura batter would be great here.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/05/savory-bacon-cheddar-jalapeno-corn-pancake-recipe.html
This is more complicated than yours (which is why I love your site and why I make those less often) but I do enjoy the jalapeño in them. I leave out the bacon.
I saw your facebook post and decided to cobble this together for lunch with sautéed corn left over from dinner last night. I did the miso option, and added some minced shiso leaf to the mix. Rather than the sriracha, I hit the finished fritters with some yuzu kosho, my new favorite thing. Even with my on the fly modifications, these were tasty. Thank you for the idea!
Thank you, we have our oldest daughters five and almost two year old as rather frequent weekend guests and love all of your cooking!
We traditionally ate these with grape jelly at my house (?????? idk) and in my opinion it’s the only acceptable use of grape jelly.
My mom used to make similar fritters with bell peppers or poblano. She would serve with refried beans, salsa and sour cream.
I made a mexican dinner last night with toastadas with refried beans and these corn fritters, I hadnt thought about using the refried beans as a topping for the fritters, I love that! thank you
I am making this with your corn chowder salad today!
Oh boy. Guess what’s for dinner!
Mmmm, this reminds me of a favourite restaurant brunch when I worked for a few months in Cape Town, South Africa – a pile of corn fritters that looked just like these, with homemade salsa, a spicy chive/onion creme fraiche type sauce dolloped on, and tons of perfect avocado slices, salt, and pepper. As you’d appreciate I’d always ask them to put an egg on it too (poached!). When I came home from South Africa I tried to recreate it but it’s been years. Going to give it a go with your recipe!
We have had them with applesauce a la potato latkes, or with some spiced tomato jam,and/or yogurt or sour cream . So crunchy, so good. As with all fritters I need to double recipes when my large and hungry sons are home.
… and also with warmed honey.
These look great! Could I bake them instead of frying? (I’d rather turn on the oven and walk away than stand over a hot splattering pan.)
Yes. They don’t get as crispy but will cook fine.
OMG, I grew up in NYC, but my New England dad made these on the regular. No scallions though. Way too forward for a Yankee. But the cheddar? I can see him giving it a moments thought and approving 100%. I shall make. Thanks!
I added chopped one canned Chipolte and some of its sauce. And because we are in zucchini everyday mode shredded and squeezed one of those. Used pepper jack and cheddar. Yum 🥑
Made these tonight with 1/4 c parsley and feta instead of the chives/scallions/cheddar (my four year old doesn’t like any kind of onion, the crazy person). A lot less salt because of the feta. Both kids ate them with Japanese mayo and okonomiyaki sauce on the side. Win!
I’ve made the zucchini fritters a few times, and these sound great. Have you ever tried a sweet version? I just read the word “rhubarb” on another recipe on your site and got thinking about how these would work with fruit.
I have made apple “latkes” but they need… work. I am not sure fruit comes alive as well in fritter format.
My mother in law makes pineapple fritters, and I am here to tell you that they are worth the work! Yummy!
i’ve seen apple fritters but never tried to make them. the ones ive seen have more dough; more like a deep fried donut than a true fritter or latke
When I lived in Brooklyn a decade ago I got corn fritters from a Thai place that were amazing. They were mostly corn with a little cilantro and came with a sweet sauce.
I made these tonight and they turned out really well! I followed the recipe exactly and halved the recipe because I was only serving three people as a side dish to vegetables and fish. I would definitely make it again. I did have gluten free flour and half regular flour because I have a gluten sensitive eater and it worked fine. The oil did splatter and almost burned me a few times. A splatter guard helped. All corn fritters were eaten quickly!
I occasionally make a corn, zucchini, and shrimp galette that’s loosely adapted from your tomato galette. Corn and shrimp are amazing together because they are both kind of on the sweet side. I’d like to try these fritters with some cooked, diced shrimp in them. Parmesan instead of cheddar, I think. Maybe this weekend…
Thanks for this! Your blog is an inspiration!
My mum always made corned beef fritters and corn. I add halloumi to mine.
Summer makes me think of red capsicum, corn and avocado with some smoked ancho chili and cumin. Served with a simple tomato salsa and sour cream. Pantry friendly and winter tolerant versions would have canned corn and roasted capsicum from a jar.
Yum yum yum yum yum.
You know how sometimes, you read a recipe somewhere, and think “Hey, I would really like to make that maybe someday soon.” I read this and rushed out to the store to get corn and stuff to make this for dinner tonight, plus big ripe tomatoes to make a salad to go with, plus sweet drippy ripe cantaloupe for dessert, because apparently we were foreordained to have these fritters for dinner tonight. And, even though it is just the two of us, I made a full batch. I am not saying we ate the whole thing, because some of them actually made it to the fridge to await breakfast tomorrow, when they likely will be warmed up and served with maple syrup. But, there were not all that many left, and I have a feeling the first one up tomorrow will be the lucky one to have fritters for breakfast. I read over your suggestions for variations, and I think I will be spending a lot more time frittering in the future.
Great summer recipe!!! Can’t wait to make this!!
So I use feta and some harissa mix in mine. Yummy!
I always serve corn fritters with salsa, sour cream and avo. Have been doing this so long, that it has never occurred to me to take them in another flavour direction!
Even though it’s Winter here in New Zealand, I’m keen to try the miso-scallion suggestion. I often use frozen corn with no problems; I just whizz some kernels in my mini-processor ( an indispensable piece of kitchen equipment IMHO), to make corn ‘milk’.
Re. scraping the cobs with the back of a knife to get the ‘milk’, I find there is less mess, and more milk, if I use a mixing bowl for the batter that has a straight edge (as opposed to a bowl with a rolled lip), and scrape the cob firmly on the edge of the bowl. Cheers from the edge of the world, Karen
My grandmother made something she called corn oysters, the eggs were separated with the whites beaten and folded in, no cheese and then they were served with maple syrup – delish!
I’ve been obsessed with the corn hushpuppies available in the summertime at a local restaurant, and these seem close. Now I just need to experiment with making the cayenne honey butter that accompanies them at the restaurant…
My mind goes to: crumbled bacon, blue cheese. Keep the chives. Sprinkle diced tomatoes on the top when serving.
Will definitely have to try this. Fritters are a go-to for me, mainly inspired by your site and Heidi’s quinoa patties from 101 cookbooks.
Thank you for this recipe. I grew up in Florida where the best corn fritters were made. My sister went back recently and said they were still good but that there was less corn in them. I would love to make these but I am gluten-free.
Do you think they could be made gluten-free or would they crumble?
Warm regards and happy feasting,
Elizabeth
I suspect they’d work fine with a gluten-free mix since you have the egg as binder, but I haven’t tried it here. Yet.
I noticed that you referred to Deborah Madison, so I pulled out her recipe to compare. I ended up more or less combining your recipes and making this for brunch today (3 eggs, feta cheese, chives, I didn’t have scallions, leftover cooked corn on the cob, 1 c flour) and it was DELICIOUS. Even my 8 year old was exclaiming over how good they were. My husband declared that we should eat fritters more often.
The funny thing was, we had corn on the cob a few days ago and I had the extra ears in the fridge while I was more or less waiting for The Right Fritter Recipe to appear. And yours did. THANK YOU.
Away at lake with friends and this popped into my email. The perfect answer to what to have with our shrimp and avocado salad. Good room temp finger food. Make em small like Debbie advises.
May favorite thing to date from your website. Just made them and can’t stop eating.
I just made these…like just finished frying them 5 minutes ago. And I’m peppered with little oil-spatter burns from rogue corn kernels escaping the fritter and popping randomly. So I definitely recommend using a spatter guard or something similar and using care when flipping or moving the fritters as they cook. They are DELICIOUS, just use caution!
My husband and I just made these tonight and they were perfect! We had no popping with these because the consistency was so perfect and it uses very little oil. I felt like I was a toddler again. I forwarded it to my grown kids who have toddlers and reminded them about the zucchini pancakes they used to love as kids. THOSE did pop all over the place because the zucchini has a lot of water when it hits the grease.
These were fantastic!! We found that since our ears of corn were larger, we only needed 4 to get a (substantial) 3 cups of kernels.
A delightful summer dinner alongside a salad!
I like to combine grated, drained zucchini and fresh corn in a summer fritter. I season them with basil and mint, add feta and eat them topped with halved cherry tomatoes, with or without yogurt or sour cream. I took a look at some of your other fritters and will try some others soon.
Very plain corn fritters served with pancake syrup are a staple
of traditional Pennsylvania German cuisine. My grandmother made them with much less egg (2 for 2
cups of corn) and flour(just a quarter cup for 2 cups of corn), and no onions or cheese, but her recipe calls for both a teaspoon of baking powder and 2 tablespoons of milk. I don’t know why it never occurred to me to try international variations on her recipe; I am excited to test all of your flavor profile ideas. Thank you!
I have used well drained can corn and it’s absolutely delicious.I’ll have to make a double batch next time. Thank you.
I made these last night and they were amazing! (street corn version) My one year old ate them so fast I could hardly sit and eat before he was ready for another one. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I’d love to tweak this for a gluten free family member. Thinking chickpea flour or fine cornmeal. Any recommendations, or would you avoid modifying to GF?
Elyn, I made these tonight with the America’s Test Kitchen gluten-free flour blend and they were really good! I think any AP gluten-free flour blend would work, and I’m sure they would be delicious with chickpea flour as well.
Thank you!
OMG magnificient! I have to try these ASAP!
Putting in a tablespoon or two of thai curry paste is heaavenly
Dear Deb, thanks for saving me from a summer of only baby carrots!
Sincerely, A very Grateful mom
Made the corn and also zucchini version of the fritters and both of my picky kids gobbled them up!
I made these tonight with gluten-free flour (America’s Test Kitchen gf blend) and they came out so good! Wonderful recipe – easy to make, quick and simple. Thank you for the delicious recipe, my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed them!
OMG. Despite having read Smitten Kitchen for 10+ years and cooked hundreds of Deb’s recipes, I have somehow avoided frittering until now. What was I thinking? I made these for dinner and they were so incredible, I went out and bought the ingredients to make them for a second night in a row — the highest compliment. I used a nonstick pan and canola oil and didn’t have any issues with splattering or popping — it helps to cook them at medium heat, not high. Cleanup was easy. For the first batch I didn’t have chives or any other herb, and the result was definitely bland. For the second batch I added basil and minced red onion, and they were much improved. You can’t really taste the cheese (I used sharp cheddar), so I think the cheese-averse or lactose intolerant could cut it and add another egg or two, and they wouldn’t miss anything. Finally, I can confirm they are amazing reheated with an egg for breakfast. These are the best!
Made these tonight and they were just as advertised. Fresh corn flavor, not too much batter, cooked quickly, and hard to resist eating before dinner!
That’s delicious and tasty Corn Thanks For sharing with us.
I started making corn fritters a few summers ago, and fall back on Joy of Cooking’s easy recipe. The hardest part of which is separating the egg white from the yoke and whipping those egg whites almost stiff. Success every time.
I’ve got these earmarked for a Friday post-work happy hour we’re hosting, so thanks in advance. Since you mentioned other variations, what about something tandoori-ish? Turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, etc., plus a cucumber-yogurt sauce? The options seem endless!
Summer in a fritter! YUM!
Delicious! I made this last night to accompany ribs and we couldn’t stop eating the fritters as they came out of the pan. This was very easy and so tasty. The fresh corn flavor really shines through. We can’t wait to make the variations mentioned!
Yum! I recently tried the blackened sweet corn chaat recipe from Meera Sodha’s Fresh India – I bet that flavor profile (chili, cumin, mint, cilantro, date/tamarind chutney) could lend itself well to a corn fritter too.
These are absolutely delicious!! I love fritters and these are so simple to make – no cumbersome shredding of zucchini/carrot and draining or squeezing out liquids. And this is a great way to enjoy summer corn, the sweet corn flavor really shines here even with the cheddar and herbs. I made these using whole wheat flour instead of regular since that’s what I had on hand, and it turned out perfect. Thank you!
Yum! I love Local Flavors and I haven’t made those fritters for a couple of summers. Thank you for the reminder–they are a favorite! I love them over a bed of arugula with fresh or honey roasted cherry tomatoes.
Yum! I know it sounds bizarre, but our favorite thing on grilled corn is a vaguely Asian peanut sauce, like this one: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/peanut-sauce-51149020
Not sure how I would adapt the fritter ingredients, besides nixing the cheddar, but I think peanut sauce would be a great topping option.
Totally suggest sprinkling the final product with a heavy hand of Old Bay .. then it’s almost Maryland crab cakes and corn all at one time. Also added some premade rancho gordo beans for a little bit of protein. Fantastic all around. Thanks, Deb.
So good it made me want to comment and I’ve never commented before. <3<3<3
I made this tonight for dinner, it was delicious! I served it with your cucumber and avocado salad (also awesome I should add) and everyone loved it.
I liked how easy it was, with all pantry staple (beside the fresh corn of course, but i’m sure frozen corn would work great as well). I will make them again for sure.
Didn’t have enough corn so I added broccoli. Used basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano which I grow on my balcony in pots.
Added Mexican mixture cheese and scoops of flour which I didn’t bother to measure. Delicious combination. Will be experimenting with other ingredients using this recipe as a guide. Thank you Deb for this timely recipe using fresh produce.
These look yummy, I will have to look for fresh corn at the Farmer’s Market. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Just made them. Fab. Because I can’t digest anything in the onion family that hasn’t been cooked first, I sauteed minced white onion and young garlic in a frying pan and let it cook before stirring it in. Used fresh basil and parsley as the herbs. Did not need as much flour as in the recipe; I used a combination of rice flour, fine cornmeal (not corn flour), and yellow flaxseed meal. No white flour. Ate them with low-fat sour cream on top and cold ratatouille on the side. Really good. The smells and tastes of summer. Excited that I can freeze them.
Sorry–let it COOL before stirring it in.
I love diced bacon in corn fritters because bacon makes everything better. My other addition is a little more controversial, coriander/cilantro, although I know it’s loathed by many
I made these last night and added jalapeno and lime zest, they were terrific! Even my very picky 8 year old ate hers without complaint, which was a small miracle. Also, I had my kids help me make them, so we even squeezed a fun family activity out of them!
I was already buying a bunch of basil to make your Lentils with Zucchini and Burrata so I made these with basil, garlic and mozzarella. To serve I hit them with a little balsamic glaze. And by ‘serve’ I mean eat by myself in the kitchen as they came out of the pan thus ruining my appetite for the aforementioned lentils (There’s always tomorrow, right?)
Corn fritters are a staple I learned from my Pennsylvania Dutch grandmother! Beat in an egg, add some flour and baking powder and milk “until it looks right”, fry, and serve with honey! Summer must-have, always buy a few extra ears of corn so you can fritter!
Deb, thank you for the inspiration! We nixed both the wheat flour and eggs in favour of a chickpea-flour-and-water batter (sort of like a thick socca mixture), and left out the cheese too, and the resulting fritters were rich-tasting and creamy-textured inside. We used cilantro for the herb and served them with a nice fresh pico de gallo and a guacamole, and are looking forward to the next time!
How about corn and black beans with a tomatillo salsa?
I love to make mine BLT Style with bacon and tomato. Or avocado and tomato
I have not made your fritters recently but a few weeks ago I was hungry for my Mom’s corn fritters. She only made them as a treat once or twice a summer because of the frying. I decided to try them cooked on my waffle iron and they turned out delicious. Definitely worth a try if you want to avoid being splattered!
Made these a day ago…they were fantastic! So flavorful, so crispy, so yummy.
I made a couple of modest changes….used 1/2 C. flour, 1/2 C. Cornstarch (a la tempura batter) and 1/4 cup panko, as well as 1/2 C. half and half.
Also used some Chinese chives because I had some left over from another recipe.
RAVE reviews from all who partook!
One more thing….I have never eaten these before yesterday, as I usually prefer the food item like corn in it’s fresh-from-the-field state with minimal accoutrements…..but these were definitely “the whole is greater than the sum it’s parts” kinda thing!
Deb, I think you’ll get a kick out of this comment emailed to me by my Twinnie….”of all the extraordinary foods you’ve researched and prepared for me/us, i mean the eclairs and soups and breads and pastries and salads,and meats….omg, what a wild road, twinnie!!! BUT: of all the foods you’ve made, i’m thinking the best things are these fresh corn fritter-cakes….so perfect!! i can’t stop eating them (and it’s Late, !)” lol
My absolute preferred way to serve corn fritters – admittedly not the healthiest – is spread with avocado then topped with streaky bacon and a dollop of sour cream.
We eat corn fritters often. They make a quick and easy lunch, but we just put butter on them. Will try some of your suggestions, but I’m surprised the cheese doesn’t melt all over the place?
I was surprised, too. It didn’t. I took the advice of a comment on another website for a similar recipe and let the batter sit in the bowl for 15 minutes before I started to cook them.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe and the listed variations. I read through the comments and see other variations mentioned, and am glad to see so many taking this as an inspiration. I do have to comment on your using the term “street-ish” for the variation you mention using lime and cojita cheese. A descriptor like Hispanic or Latin or Mexican might have fit as well for that version, or even lime-cojita, given the other appellations you’ve given for your versions list. I worry that sometimes our languaging communicates un-meant biases about cultures and their foods. Sure, roasted corn with butter and cojita is often served on the street, but so too are all kinds of corn fritters throughout the world. Thank you as always for keeping us well fed and sharing your journey with us. I hope you take this comment lightly – it is not meant to criticize a lovely post but rather open discussion about unintended communication. Blessings. – Dianne
Thanks. It is the opposite of my intention. I usually feel uncomfortable calling things Latin or Mexican because I’m not an expert on the food, cannot speak to authenticity just because I’ve visited or read a few cookbooks. So, instead of calling it Mexican Corn Fritters* I try to instead focus on what is actually present or how it’s found, in this case shortening Mexican Street Corn…
* a pet peeve of mine, see also, like, Mexican Pasta Salad — because it has, cumin and lime or cilantro in it, maybe this doesn’t bother other people as much?
In case anyone cares to know – I made these in the air fryer today, and they were made to be cooked that way! So good.
Nice! Do you have any photos? Curious how they look!
I do, but I can’t see a way to attach them here? Teach me your ways 😂
I made these last night, and oh my goodness they were delicious. Thank you for sharing a terrific — and easy — recipe!
Made these without the cheese last night and they were awesome!!! Added basil in addition to green onions.
This was a fabulous recipe that highlighted the corniness of the corn. (How’s that for corny?) I like that these fritters weren’t loaded with too many additions that masked the corn flavour. I only used four stalks, which came to four cups of corn, so I added a dash more flour. I dropped each fritter into the pan using an ice-cream scoop, then pressed down with a fork. Not too much oil splatter, but I would keep kiddies and dogs away from the stove while making these delicious babies. Served them with tzatziki, which was nice. The next day we had them with hummus. Also lovely.
Gonna make these this weekend, but with a korean twist (similar to your miso ones).
Instead of miso, going to whisky a few tsps of gochujang into the egg and then also embrace all the scallions. Will serve with a korean broiled tofu and a kimchi slaw for what I hope will be an awesome meal!
If you add zucchini to these, as some are suggesting, would you have to tweak the recipe at all?
Okay. They’re amazing.
I made these as written, cheddar/chives, and they were amazing! Even as leftovers the next day. I think my farmer’s market has giant corn, though. I got just over 3 cups from just 3 ears of corn!
Next up I’ll be making the street corn version–and don’t feel bad about calling it that, I live in LA and that’s what chili/lime/cotija corn is called in Mexican (and other) restaurants here.
they were delicious. Thank you for sharing a terrific — and easy — recipe!
Just made these on a whim, as I had everything on hand. Only alteration was cutting the recipe in half. I got 7 3-4″ fritters, and they were great!
I will definitely experiment with making fritters in the future using different herbs and add in. Great new (to me) way to eat the fresh local corn. I love it!
Deb, this recipe sounds great, but I, as a Midwesterner, have to tell you that the thing you are shucking and standing in a bowl is an *ear* of corn. A *stalk* of corn is about 7 feet tall!
Lol, thank you!
Our variation…. Delicious! Two cups corn and one cup shredded red potato. The herbs were what was ready in the garden; chives, oregano and cilantro, heavy on the cilantro. Tossed in some chilli flakes, too. Voted into the exclusive club known ‘round here as, “Go-To Top Ten Emergency Suppers.” Served with garden greens, especially spicy arugula, strawberries and blueberries, with orange-sesame dressing. Mmmmm. Truly mmmmm.
just found this after I posted my comment! thank you for sharing! I was thinking of a similar variation! will try!
Note to future self: Make this again and follow the recipe. Let’s not get fancy here.
I did add a green chilli (I think people outside of Colorado call them “Anaheim” peppers) and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Once again proving my theory that if you add enough cheese, kids won’t notice that it’s vegetarian.
These were very good! I had four large ears of corn and worried that I would have to scale the recipe to 2/3rds. But I must have cut pretty close to the cob, because I got about 4+ cups of kernels. I used 4 eggs and a cup of flour and that was perfect binding. I dropped heaping tablespoons (the flatware kind) of batter in skillet and got 24 fritters. With a salad this recipe fed my family of four two meals.
Beware! These are habit forming! I couldn’t stop eating them! They were easy to make and, like so many of the Smitten Kitchen recipes, it is easily adaptable. I used a bit more spice than the recipe called for and I had 8 ears of corn on-hand so I needed to adapt a little. This recipe is now a part of my regular rotation!
yum!!
I made these last night and loved them! I needed the extra 2T of flour, and also used 3 ears of corn to get 3 cups. DELICIOUS!
Ooo how about with basil and cream cheese??
I made the street corn version but with queso fresco instead of cotija because that’s what I had on hand. They were outrageous! I topped with a bit of mayo mixed with a few dashes of hot sauce. Absolutely amazing. I will be making them over and over again. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
I just found Smitten Kitchen. What to try first!?!?!
Welcome! What are you craving?
The lasagna bolognese is in our regular rotation. Homemade pasta is totally worth it and I make the entire thing in one day, giving me several freezer meals to enjoy when time is short.
I loved these:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/quick-pasta-and-chickpeas-pasta-e-ceci/
https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/01/chocolate-chip-cookies/
but there’s so much great stuff all around
These sound so simple and delicious. I hope to make them this week and add a little spice to them for sure! I plan to try to omit the cheese, as our youngest daughter is dairy-free. Wish me luck!
I like this corn recipe. I think it will be an appetizer for my weekend party.
We were in Ithaca last weekend and had brunch at Moosewood. They made a zucchini-corn fritter w/ a chipotle aioli, which my picky daughter loved. Tried to replicate it last night w/ only moderate success–maybe I’ll try combining a couple of your fritter recipes instead!
Just to clarify, you made a half recipe which yielded 12-16 fritters? But the recipe as given would yield 24 or more?
Yes. Tiny ones. I use a little scoop.
It’s corn season! These fritters are a tasty way to enjoy fresh corn. I had most of the ingredients in the fridge and added some minced onion to the recipe — delicious! Tx Deb!
Made these this morning and had to make a second batch because we ate them as fast as they came out of the skillet. Just be sure to not use herbs that will overwhelm the subtle sweetness of the corn.
This is a fabulous recipe! I used 3 ears of corn and I actually had more than 3 cups of corn! It made so many fritters, my neighbor came over to help eat them…now she makes them! Good as they were, next time I’d add some minced jalapeño for a kick. We ate them with a dollop of sour cream, but that would be even better if you spiced and herbed up the sour cream too.
This recipe is now definitely in the family rotation. Delicious!
I am confused. Are you using uncooked corn? Or shucking cooked corn? TY
It goes into the batter uncooked; it cooks on the stove in the pancake.
SO GOOD! Made last night with grilled pork (loosely based on this Bon Appetit recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-pork-tenderloin-sandwiches). And then of course ate two with eggs for breakfast today….
These paired perfectly with a chicken avocado salad I made for a dinner picnic date with my toddler. I had 4 large ears of corn and had a little over 4cups of corn (didn’t need to adjust the egg/flour amounts). Also, fried them in bacon fat (leftover from the chicken salad), and they were so damn good.
Oh, and Deb, Global is my absolute favorite knife brand. I feel like a pro whenever it’s in my hand!
Every time I make Corn fritters or even include corn in my zucchini fritters, the corn begins to explode. What am I doing wrong? Thanks
Corn often pops in a pan; you’re not doing anything wrong. Get a splatter screen if you can, will make things easier!
Can you used leftover corn on the cob – already cooked?
Probably, but it won’t be as crisp once cooked.
These were a crowd pleaser in my family! So easy to make and a perfect summer dish. I made them twice, the second time I added cilantro and jalapeños and made a lime sour cream to dip them in. Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t know what your corn cobs look like in New York, but out here in California, my 6 cobs yielded 6 cups+ of kernels! Regardless, I trusted you, used the quantities you provided, and they were amazing! I was, however, still cooking fritters until 10 last night because I had so much batter. But now I have lots in the freezer for later! Followed your directions to a T, including “double cutting” the kernels off the cob as suggested by several commenters, and I wouldn’t change a thing! Served with shrimp sautéed in butter and garlic. So much tastiness. :)
I’ve made these several times now to bring to get-togethers where an appetizer is appreciated and they’ve always been a hit – have directed many people to Smitten Kitchen! I’m surprised at so many comments on popping kernels. I just turned the heat down and bit and the popping was minimal with no splatters. Could just be that I used less oil in the pan.
I tried these with two cups of corn/1 cup carrots, and I didn’t have any scallions. They were delicious and easy, and the extra batter kept overnight just fine in a covered bowl.
This may be dumb. But should I cook the corn first? It seems like in the instructions I should cut it off the cob raw?
I asked the ssme question. Raw.
It cooks in the pan. You mix the batter with raw corn.
My wife has a dairy allergy. Would these work without the cheese or totally fall apart and be too bland?
I haven’t made them without the cheese, but I suspect you’d be just fine.
I just tried them without cheese and they were great. I didn’t change the batter at all and they stayed together in the pan.
Delicious. Holding together well as I cook them right now. What should I dip them in? Embarrassed to say I like to dip fritters… suggestions? Thank you!
Anything you like! Mayo, sriracha mayo, a yogurt dip, etc.
Made these tonight with local corn that had been hanging out in my fridge for a few days. These are SO good. I’m sure I had way more than 3 cups of corn from my 6 ears but didn’t measure and soldiered on. Thank you for the “egg salad” description as that was so helpful. I also had some popping but totally worth it….yum!
These were excellent. Subbed parsley for chives because I couldn’t get any at my farmers market, but I bet they’d be even better as the recipe is written. Served with frittata and heirloom tomatoes for a perfect summer meal.
Next time, I’d make a simple sauce of greek yogurt and sambal olek (chili sauce — sriracha would work too) to serve on the side. We had some sriracha mayo but I didn’t think they needed any extra fat.
So delicious! I got 3 ears of corn in my CSA basket this week: perfect for a half recipe. I made the miso riff on them, because I’m avoiding gluten and dairy, and didn’t miss either. I used a Bob’s Red Mill flour substitute, a ton of scallions, and whatever herbs I snipped from the plants on my deck. My favorite thing is that the corn gets cooked, but just barely: it still has that summer sweet corn taste. Thanks, Deb!
Made these with corn from this morning’s farmer’s market and ate far too many of them. Delicious. Thanks, Deb!
Please go back to that last step, squeezing the milk out with a knife, and use the curved side of a serving spoon instead. Otherwise, you are still leaving behind the most important element of the corn, the germ. Seriously.
These are delicious! I missed the part about getting as the milk out of the corn so I just added a splash of regular milk. I used chives & basil for the herbs and topped the fritters with whipped ricotta (recipe from the Six Seasons cookbook). So good and easy; will definitely make again!
Can I make the batter a couple of hours ahead of time?
I’d expect it to hold up okay.
The second time I made these, I only cooked half the batter the first night for dinner, and was too tired to finish making the leftovers. Popped the batter in the fridge overnight and cooked them the next night with no issues with quality!
Had them for dinner tonight using the four ears of corn from the CSA. Delicious!!!
These are delicious! I had them for lunch with black beans all week and I never got tired of them.
wow this was good! i didn’t add any salt, and i didn’t miss it. i only used 4 ears of corn but it seemed like enough.
These are easy and delicious! I had more than enough corn from only 3 ears, otherwise the recipe worked perfectly for me as written. Thanks for another winner, Deb!
Anyone tried with almond flour?
Deb, tonight, after devouring these, I’m wondering what my family would eat without you?
Wow — these are my first fritters and they are amazing! I made a quarter recipe and subbed cream cheese for the cheddar and used mustard greens as the herb. They made a fabulous lunch for one.
These were good and easy. I accidentally made a higher ratio of batter to corn, but they were still good. I couldn’t tell in the finished product. Used parsley for the herb.
FINALLY made these this summer and we’re addicted.
Our favourite way is to use green onions, cheddar, bacon bits, garlic, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and season salt.
Also used gluten free flour and have no issues with it!
Second time making these, and went for a Thai twist this time! Increased the scallions to 6, skipped the cheese, and added 2+ tbsp of spicy red curry paste. They were fantastic, and can’t wait to keep riffing on this recipe!
made these, exactly as written, and they were PERFECT! a great way to use some delicious end-of-summer corn from the farmers market. yummy with a dollop of sour cream as well!
I’ve made this a bunch of times this summer using all the fresh corn that we have. They’re wonderful. I serve them with a plain yogurt dip with some fresh garlic in it.
Found your website looking for something different to cook with some fresh corn.
This will be in my list this week for sure. I can even feel the crispiness in my mouth.
These are life changing! So amazingly delicious! I think I made them 3 days in a row. Whoever I fed them to got so addicted. Thank you!
I’d never made corn fritters, so was excited when I found your site and all the different recipes for them. I liked the idea of your “Street Corn-ish” fritters. I wasn’t able to find cotija cheese, so used grated parmesan with finely chopped Maui onions. It was very yummy and was a big hit with my company. THANKS!
Suggestion: for the second pass, use the side of a spoon instead of a knife to get all the milk and, most important, the germ.
I would probably add chopped bacon.
Saw this on Instagram. Had to make it. As usual recipe was spot on. It was yummy. Made everyone in the house very happy! Thank you :)
Grew up eating corn fritters, but ALWAYS served simply with maple syrup!!
Fritters were a great hit, and a delight to pull them from the freezer for a last minute treat.
One question: any other flour possible for these who prefer less wheat?
Loved this. Ultimate cheat/recipe mash…I used leftover Ina Garten’s fresh corn salad recipe (1/2 the vinegar) as the base because I had made it for a picnic but then couldn’t go. So feel free to flavor with a small amount of vinegar, finely diced red onion, fresh basil chiffonade, and salt and pepper!
For kicks, I formed these into patties, and baked them in a hot oven (about 400, I think), on a well greased sheet pan. Twenty minutes total, flipping half-way thru.
These were great. But the corn popped violently in the skillet. Next time, I’ll use a splatter guard to avoid the exploding kernels!
is the corn supposed to be raw or cooked?
Raw
I was blanching corn for the freezer when this site came in, I only had one fresh cob left which I cut up and then made up the 3 cups with the cut off the cob blanched corn. They were delicious, we ate the fritters for two days. (They reheated perfectly). Just a caution those fresh kernels pop like popcorn, jumping out of the pan.😁
Great way to use up summer corn! So easy to make. I only had one lonely egg, so I added some ricotta cheese as “glue.” I also used chickpea flour for some added protein.
After frying I popped these in a 350 oven for about 7 minutes to fully cook the centers – were a bit too gooey for me straight from the pan.
Served over garlicky lemony yogurt and drizzle of pesto with a tomato salad to lighten everything up – a perfect early summer meal!
Butter and maple syrup. Yum!
So good! I used four ears of corn, basil and feta. Then we topped with sour cream and cherry tomatoes. Side of sauteed zucchini. Perfect summer dinner. I consider this the summer version of latkes.
I need a pressure cooker so i just found out from the Hundred plus
https://www.100plusmall.com/category/pressure-cookers_77
How is it? Worth the money?
I loved this one. It will definitely be on my rotation list.
My oh my. Delightful stuff. Whipped up a batch using parsley as the herb and olive oil for the frying. Very satisfying and tasty. Didn’t really notice the cheddar but perhaps it blends in as a part of the whole. The picky husband approved.
sooooo delish! but I definitely felt like it was the fourth of july and I was too close to the fireworks when i lit them. i’ll be walking away from this recipe with some burns. #worthit
What I didn’t know was how much these fritters popped up sizzling hot tiny corn kernels like shrapnel going in all directions. (Hint: wear glasses.) (Hint #2: even though it is a lot of maneuvering off and on as you check your fritters, use a mesh screen to cover your pan.) It was like a war zone on our stove. Meanwhile, thanks, Deb – the fritters are perfect and I am glad I survived Operation Corn Fritters.
Help! I’m about to make this but I’m really confused by the corn measurement! The recipe states, “6 ears of corn (3 cups)”, but 6 ears of corn is closer to 6 cups of corn, eek! And I know Deb halved the recipe when she made it so now I’m thinking the 3 cups was a typo? I don’t know what to do! 6 ears or 3 cups?
I find corn yields per cob to vary wildly, but this recipe is flexible. The cups, however, are exact, so you can use that as a measurement.
I made these corn fritters last night. The recipe is easy, does not require lots of ingredients and quick to make. Fritters were delicious. Full of fresh corn flavor with added depth from the scallions and chives. They cook in minimal oil with little splatter although I did have a few corn kernels that thought they were popcorn. Perfect summer fare.
SO GOOD Deb!! I didn’t expect these to be as delicious as they are. A little dab of mayo is also unexpectedly perfect. Worth turning the stove on in the summer for.
These sound so good, but I cannot find a print button?
There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:” You can also click CTRL or ⌘ + P from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template. We will definitely make it easier to find when we next redesign.
These corn fritters are one of the most amazing things I’ve ever put in my mouth. We did a weeknight BBQ rib dinner and the fritters were the best part of the meal. Basically a one-bowl recipe that I will incorporate into future dinners until the end of time!
Great recipe! I made these last night with leftover grilled corn on the cob. I had fresh parsley for the herb, otherwise, followed to a T. Someone posted your link in the comments of another recipe for “the best corn fritters”. Happy to have clicked on it!
Deb, this mixture makes awesome waffles as well. I make with frozen corn
The only thing wrong with this recipe is that it should definitely be doubled! This is a fabulous fritter and I can see many iterations, all which would be fabulous. We used cheddar, red onions, chives but next I may try throwing in a few peas and feta for fun. This is a superior recipe for using corn that isn’t in and of itself amazingly tasty (for those of us living far from the excellent crops in the northeast). I highly recommend this recipe for dinner tonight!
Has anyone ever made the fritter batter the night before and put it in the fridge overnight to fry the next day? Maybe it is better to just fry them and follow the provided directions for reviving them.
Made these as a “portable” side for a 4th of july picnic! Perfect as written with NJ summer corn. Made a sriracha lime aioli dipping sauce to go with, so good!
Not a huge cheddar fan. Thoughts on Parmesan instead?
Absolutely!
Hi,
Could I make the batter and refrigerate and then make the fritters 2 days later?
It might get watery. Could you keep the corn and batter separate until before you fry them?
Made these tonight, had no issue with splattering. I added oil as I went so didn’t ever have that much in the pan, so maybe that helped. They were so easy and so good.
Made this gluten free by using a GF baking and pancake mix I had on hand… Worked great!
does 4 eggs as a binding agent give this an eggy taste? has anyone tried adding a couple of mashed, boiled potatoes to bind these together in place of eggs? and I’m thinking maybe with potatoes, one could nix or reduce the flour too? anyone tried anything like that?
I haven’t found it to be eggy, no.
Thanks!
I don’t know what kinda corn they are selling you in NYC because 6 ears yeilded
7 ! cups of corn. I know this recipe frezes well so as I say it is like money in the bank
Wow!!! I made these tonight and they are a dream. I was skeptical about the cheese but I think it was a lovely binding agent as they cooked. Yum yum yum. Thanks Deb!!
You had me at fritters! These are irresistibly delicious if you like savory summer sweet corn via a frying pan. I made them per the recipe. The comment about the batter looking “precisely like egg salad” was very helpful and the other comment about “try to get them to the table before finishing them” – says it all. I’m from the south. We fritter things. This recipe is really good.
Thank you for this recipe. Today I had an emotional, cry-in-the-bathroom-at-work kind of a day and when I had 2 of these for lunch they absolutely restored my soul. I’ve never had a corn fritter before and these are just so amazingly glorious, I don’t know how I went this long without them. I did the Mexican street corn-inspired version and topped with crema & tajín. I made loosely 2/3 of a recipe (4 corn ears, 3 eggs, 3 scallions, etc) and got 13 palm-sized fritters out of it.
💕 Glad they could help.
These are so delicious. It’s corn season up in Ontario and I was looking for something fun to do with our farmers field corn. My kids have requested I make them again!
Let me start by saying this, our corn looked to be medium sized and we had way more than three cups of corn from 6 ears. that being said we wound up using one more egg, a tiny bit of water to loosen the mixture a touch more flour. I used cilantro for our fresh herb fas that is what we had in the house. I would say that these were missing a big corn flavor I was looking for and I almost wished we had cooked the corn first so It was less starchy tasting and more sweet. Also, it was a little bland ( I used the original recipe) so for the second half of the batch I added chopped fresh Hatch chile and that helped. I think if I we to make these again I would use frozen corn (as recommended below) and add a bit of smoked paprika and or chopped jalapeno.
So this wasn’t my favorite thing to have made.
I did about 1/2 cup APF, a few boiled potatoes, and some rice flour for binding: it was completely fine, didn’t fall apart. Oh, I also chill whatever I need to fry, that always helps: must have chilled this for about two hours.
I just didn’t like the egg in the fritter. . . it wasn’t eggy but the custardy sort of binding is just not to my taste. I’m going to have re-jig this to suit my tastes.
Oh, and the 2nd round tasted much better when I served it with a slightly spicy harissa sauce and a slightly spicy with a kick of heat to it cilantro chutney. The spiciness offset the sweetness really well.
Ugh, and three eggs. I did add three eggs too!
Made these as written — were my corn cobs huge? I used 4 and had way more that 3 cups (more like 4-5? I froze the extra). No matter! They were DELISH and I’m trying not to eat the lot of them before the fam gets back for lunch.
I thought Jacques Pepin’s recipe was best with corn, flour and beer. This recipe is equally as good. I used cheddar and smoked Gouda. Just excellent.
I’ll try this, corn season is coming soon in Iowa and wonderful as corn on the cob is, fresh from farms, there is leftover. What would work in place of Cheddar? one household member with medical reasons not to eat aged cheeses–mozzarella ok; Parmesan and feta if not much. (deathbed, she says she’ll ask for really sharp old Cheddar and a beer[also on the No list]). thanks.
Use an angel food cake or bundt pan to catch your kernels–stand the cob up in the center and cut away!
Made the street corn-ish version of these last night–delicious, especially with sour cream! The one downside was that it seemed like it took *forever* (over an hour) to get through cooking a full batch of these, but that might just be me. Next time I will make half a batch (only cooking for two here) and start prepping them earlier than 7PM!
I love these so much. I made these with your zucchini fritters for a dinner party (cooked two days in advance then reheated in a 350 oven for 15 minutes). I used sharp cheddar and cotija because it’s what I had and the spicy momofuku seasoning salt. Perfect summer food.
I have already made these twice in a week they’re amazing! I find this recipe easily adaptable, I one time made it with 2 cups corn and 1 cup fresh peas, and I’ve never really used the proper amount of cheese. On one occasion I used about 1/4 cup chopped halloumi, and the other I used about 1/2 c grated parm. In both cases I reduced the egg to 3 eggs and also used only about 3/4 cup flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill all purpose GF mix and it worked just the same. I definitely want to try a variation with cilantro, lime, finely chopped red onion and cotija cheese. Keeper!
amazing, hot, cold, as-is, with fake aioli (Hellmans mayo mixed with garlic straight from the garlic press)…planning on some jalapeno jam (jalapenos grow for me, most things don’t). Our tweak: a bunch of fresh basil, chopped. Basil grows for me too, some years.
I should add: we tend to use whole wheat flour (or white–whichever canister is in front that day). And substitute about half shredded Parmesan, half shredded mozarella, splendid mix. Can’t do cheddar; my daughter has a med that Cheddar doesn’t play nicely with.
I realise this is an old post, but I never understood what the ‘toddler years’ had to do with fritters. Well, now I have a toddler and the fritters are the best thing on earth, thank you for having so many of them!
What would be the best substitute to make them GF?
Do you think there’s any way to make these in an air fryer? Just got a Breville one and trying to find interesting recipes…
I made this recipe a while back in my daughters air fryer. While they didn’t get as crispy as if they had been fried in oil; they were sooo yummy !!!
I also made them in an air fryer. No spatter, no mess. Not quite as fritter-y, but delicious!
Just delicious . I used the cilantro and taijin version and the were so delicious. I got 15 out of two ears of corn and I think they’d be delicious with maple syrup in the morning. Served with Cap’n Crunch oven baked drumsticks.
What about corn flour? :) or buttermilk? :)
I love the idea of a breakfast with poached egg and hollandaise, with siracha
Summer and sweet sweet corn right off the cob, half into my mouth and then fritters for everyone else. Yummmmmy!
Deb nailed it, 10/10 no notes (other than will have a splatter guard on hand or do the cut kernels in half trick). Burn me once…
THESE CORN FRITTERS ARE AMAZING!!! I made the recipe as it and wow, honestly. Life changing! Thank you for this crisp gift of a recipe. Paired with avocado lime ranch from chic fil a.
These were amazing! I made the Mexican Street Corn version and added a few jalapeno peppers that I had lying around and it gave a nice spicy kick to them. I started out making the half batch but ended up going with a full batch so I could share. My friends all raved about how delicious they were and I can’t wait to try some of your other varieties! Thanks so much!!
I made this tonight and it’s a winner! Easy to assemble and cook and very tasty. I added some shredded zucchini (squeezed to rid of extra moisture), which added extra texture. Thank you for a great recipe!