These easy to make Cheesy Corn Fritters are loaded up with jalapeno, onion, cilantro, plenty of cheese and a flavorful seasoning blend. All fried in a small amount of oil to get a perfect golden crust. This easy vegetable side dish recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes and can also double as a light meal!
ALL ABOUT THESE CORN FRITTERS…
Fritters are small fried cakes, corn fritters are of course, made of corn! The corn and chopped vegetables are held together by a thick batter. They are fried in a small amount of oil, this makes the exterior crispy and the inside is soft, loaded with melty cheese, and fresh bits of juicy corn.
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is ready in under 30 minutes! Making this a great recipe for a side dish, or a light meal or lunch.
- Flavorful: thanks to loading these fritters up with diced jalapeño, green onion, chili powder, a bit of fresh lime juice, and cheese these fritters are bursting with flavor.
- Perfect side dish, appetizer, or light meal: this is a multi-purpose recipe that can fill many roles.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
- 3 cups corn kernels approximately 4 corn cobs
- ▢¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ▢¼ cup green onion chopped
- ▢1 jalapeno deseeded, membranes removed, diced
- ▢juice from 1/2 a lime 1 tablespoon
- ▢1 cup all purpose flour
- ▢1 tsp baking powder
- ▢½ tsp salt
- ▢¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ▢¼ tsp chili powder
- ▢2 large eggs beaten
- ▢¼ cup milk
- ▢1½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- ▢2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
NOTES ON SOME INGREDIENTS:
- Corn: Fresh corn is always best just because it has the best flavor. However, this recipe can be made with canned or frozen corn also! Just be sure to have any corn thawed, and patted completely dry before continuing with the recipe.
- Jalapeño: this adds just a bit of heat to the fritters. To reduce the amount of heat remove the white membranes from the inside of the pepper. You can always substitute a poblano or green bell pepper if you are concerned about the heat. Or if you want more heat, try a serrano pepper instead.
- Oil: Use a high smoke point cooking oil to fry up the fritters in. We are just doing a shallow fry in a skillet, the oil ensures the fritters don’t stick. My favorites to use are avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Monterey Jack Cheese: this is a classic option for cooking Tex Mex thanks to it’s mild flavoring. If you would prefer to use a cheddar, or sharp cheddar cheese feel free to make that swap.
HOW TO MAKE (STEP BY STEP)
- Step 1: prepare the corn, instructions are included below to include canned and frozen. For fresh corn cut the kernels off the cob.
- Step 2: add in the diced jalapeno, green onion and cilantro.
- Step 3 & 4: Add in the dry ingredients and stir together to coat the corn mixture.
- Step 5: Add in the cheese and beaten eggs.
- Step 6: Stir this together to create a thick batter.
- Step 7: Spoon the batter onto a hot skillet or pan that has been heated with oil. Fry until both sides are crisp and golden and the inside is warmed through.
EXPERT TIPS:
- Hot oil: allow the oil to heat up before adding the fritter batter, this will help ensure a nice crispy exterior to the fritter.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: work in small batches of three or four fritters at a time when frying, this gives room for the fritters to cook in the oil, without steaming. Again, this gives a nice crispy outside to the fritters.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter: mix the wet ingredients into the corn mixture just until combined. As the batter sits it will thicken.