This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.
This corn fritters recipe is quick and simple! Pan fry the batter into golden, savory patties and serve with a creamy dipping sauce.
Anything fritter always captures our imagination, since they’re essentially fried dough balls—who could resist? Try this irresistible easy corn fritters recipe! They come out crisp-edged and golden, with a savory sweet batter of cornmeal and spices and big sweet pops from the kernels.
Dip them into a creamy sauce and there’s nothing better! They’re great as an appetizer, though we also love them warm from the stovetop as a simple dinner with some summery salads.
Ingredients in corn fritters
A fritter is a food where vegetables, fruit, meat, or seafood are coated in batter and fried. Fritters are eaten all over the world, but corn fritters were most likely invented in the American South, where they are a popular food today.
There are lots of tasty dessert fritters (like apple or cherry), but we prefer frying up savory ones like these zucchini fritters. This corn fritters recipe is similar but even simpler. The batter uses both all-purpose flour and cornmeal to give it a nuanced corn flavor, along with fresh or canned corn, eggs, green onion, and spices.
Using fresh corn vs canned
The best way to make corn fritters is using fresh, in-season sweet corn on the cob. Of course, it’s only available certain months of the year, so canned corn is a close second! It has added sugar and salt and a more mellow flavor (it’s partially cooked, so the texture is softer).
We prefer canned corn instead of frozen corn or out of season corn on the cob here (the type packed in plastic). If you do want to use these substitutes, make sure to boil them first so that the texture is softer.
Tips for frying corn fritters
This corn fritters recipe is pan fried instead of deep fried. Deep frying submerges a fritter in oil, and with this method you can make them into ball shapes. Pan frying uses less oil and cooks each side of the fritter, so a pancake shape is needed to get everything cooked to golden brown. Here are a few tips for cooking corn fritters:
- Add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. The corn fritters are pretty thin, so you can get away with a moderate amount of oil.
- The timing depends on the heat of the oil. All stoves and pans are different, so the timing varies. Cook until just golden on each side (likely 2 to 3 minutes, but you can judge by eye).
- Add more oil for the second batch, and keep in mind the pan will be hotter. The fritters will cook differently for the next batch since the pan is already very hot.
- Remove the fritters to a baking rack, then sprinkle with salt. This helps them cool without getting soggy on the bottom. We like an extra sprinkle of flaky sea salt to really make the flavors pop!
Storing leftovers and make ahead tips
Corn fritters are best hot from the pan, so you’ll want to eat them as close to cooking as possible. But leftovers do store refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. They become more soggy when stored, so reheat them in a pan with a drizzle of oil before serving.
To make them ahead, you can prep some of the batter ingredients in advance. Cut the corn from the cob and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator, then mix up the dry ingredients and store them separately at room temperature. The day of making, whisk together the batter and fry the fritters.
Sauce ideas for corn fritters
How to serve corn fritters? They taste great as is, but you can dunk them into a creamy sauce for a next level experience. Here are a few top ideas for dipping:
- Sour cream
- Garlic aioli, a punchy, pungent creamy sauce
- Remoulade sauce, a French sauce made with mayo, capers and spices
- Ranch dressing, that classic American dip
- Cilantro sauce, a creamy, bright green sauce
- Pesto aioli, bursting with basil
- Sour cream sauce, a spiced, saucy version
- Chipotle aioli, a dip with a little kick
This corn fritters recipe is…
Vegetarian.
Easy Corn Fritters
This corn fritters recipe is quick and simple! Pan fry the batter into golden, savory patties and serve with a creamy dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh corn kernels* (about 4 ears; or 2 cans corn, drained)
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (1 ¼ teaspoons for canned corn)
- Olive oil or neutral oil, for frying
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish (or more kosher salt)
- Parsley, for garnish
- Sour cream or garlic aioli, for serving (or see Sauces section above)
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to cut the corn from the cobs (or drain the canned corn). Thinly slice the green onion.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. When then whisk in the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder and kosher salt until a thick batter forms. Fold in the corn kernels and green onion using a spatula.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom. Add the fritters by dropping from ¼ cup measure, then spreading them out to be thin with the back of the measuring cup. Fry the fritters in batches that fit the skillet, about 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden. Add more olive oil when necessary. Make sure the heat is not too high or the fritters will become browned on the outside but stay gooey in the middle.
- Remove and place on a a baking rack to cool slightly (so they don’t become soggy on the bottom). Immediately sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt (or more kosher salt) to allow the flavor to pop and if desired, garnish with parsley and serve with sour cream, aioli or another dipping sauce. Finish cooking the remaining batches of the fritters. Serve immediately. The fritters are best the day they are made, but you can store leftovers refrigerated for 1 to 2 days if desired and reheat them in a pan with a drizzle of oil before serving.
Notes
*Boil the corn if it’s not the freshest, in season sweet corn, or if you prefer to eat cooked corn versus fresh. It’s perfectly safe to eat fresh corn without cooking it! Or substitute canned corn (we don’t recommend frozen corn here).
More corn recipes
Want more with fresh or canned corn? Try these corn recipes to feature this seasonal ingredient:
- Mix up a zingy corn salsa or go for creamy corn dip.
- Try classic creamed corn or easy skillet fried corn, or mix up a corn salad.
- Make soup like corn chowder or chicken corn chowder.
- Fire up the grill for grilled corn or elote.
I’d like to make these over the weekend. Does the thinly sliced green onion get mixed in the corn fritter batter or are you using it as garnish? I’m thinking it goes in the batter.
Thanks!
Great catch! You are correct: I have updated the recipe accordingly! Thank you.
This corn fritters recipe was simple to follow. My family and I enjoyed it. Very delicious!
HI!
Planning to make these for the weekend! Do you think there would be a problem subbing a non-dairy milk (almond, soy, etc)?
Thanks!
There should be no problem at all — non dairy would work great! Our preference is oat but almond and soy will work here too!
These look tasty. Can they be air fried?
We have not tried it! We don’t have experience with air fryers so can’t speak to that. Great question — I just Googled air fryer corn fritters so it looks like there are some recipes specifically formulated for that.
these are a fun change from corn on the cob, tasty too, thank you