These easy corn fritters are crispy, savory, and filled with plenty of fresh flavors. Serve with a cool and creamy honey jalapeño yogurt dip and enjoy as a summer appetizer or satisfying dinner.
Golden brown, loaded with sweet corn, and exploding with fresh herbs and spices, these easy corn fritters will steal the show of any summertime meal. They’re completely and unapologetically packed with corn—very corny, if you will! Paired with a creamy and refreshing yogurt dip, these fritters are a must make this season.
These Corn Fritters Are:
- Made in 1 bowl
- Bursting with fresh flavors like corn, cilantro, green onion, and more
- Delicious as a side dish or main dish—as a side, they always outshine the main meal because they’re just that good
- Versatile and adaptable, just like these zucchini fritters and these zucchini sweet potato fritters
- Freezer-friendly
- A favorite summer dish that’s always on our menu of Memorial Day recipes
The Details
- Texture: Light and crispy.
- Flavor: The star flavor here is corn, of course, but it’s been amped up with fresh herbs and lively seasonings. And the creamy dip/sauce makes a winning accompaniment.
- Ease: This a fairly simple recipe with few steps. Combine the fritter ingredients, then cook them in batches on the stove.
- Time: Set aside over 30 minutes to complete this dish. There’s a good amount of batter, so you’ll need to cook the fritters in 2-3 batches.
Overview: Ingredients You Need for These Corn Fritters
While they’re made with simple ingredients, these corn fritters pack a flavorful punch. They’re incredibly versatile, so customize them to your taste preferences.
- Corn. We can’t have corn fritters without corn, and you’ve got options. Canned corn, frozen corn, fresh corn—whichever is easiest! For even more flavor, I recommend using roasted fresh corn or the grilled corn on the cob. It’s an extra step, but it adds excellent flavor.
- Whole wheat flour. The flour helps bind the ingredients together. You can use whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or even gluten-free flour.
- Bell pepper. Fresh bell pepper adds color and flavor. Use your favorite color: red, green, orange, or yellow.
- Jalapeño. Leave out the jalapeño if you don’t like spicy foods, or increase the amount for more spice. I don’t love spicy food, and I prefer a medium heat—1/2 jalapeño is the perfect amount.
- Seasonings. Cilantro, green onions, jalapeño, honey, and garlic work so well together. Sometimes I add a little more cilantro just because I love it, but customize the ingredients to your liking. And don’t be afraid to add a lot of herbs and spices because that’s what makes these taste so special.
- Spices. You have complete control over the spices in these fritters. I love the combination of smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Eggs. Eggs keep the fritters intact and bind everything together.
- Oil. Use your choice of oil such as olive oil or vegetable oil. We usually use olive oil.
- The dip/sauce. The cool, creamy honey jalapeño Greek yogurt dip—packed with garlic, honey, jalapeño, and lime—makes a refreshing accompaniment to warm corn fritters. The fritters are prepared with a lot of the same ingredients, which makes it even easier and more convenient to prepare. You can easily adjust the spiciness and flavors to your liking, just like with the fritters. Dunked, dipped, or scooped on top, I love the flavors in this.
Overview: How to Make Corn Fritters
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.
- Make the yogurt dip. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Season with salt. I like to make the dip first so the flavors have a chance to mingle and settle before serving.
- Make the fritters. Mix your ingredients in a large bowl, then refrigerate until needed.
- Cook the fritters. It’s best to cook the fritters on the stove in a little oil. I do not recommend baking them because they tend to over-spread and you will lose all that delicious crisp.
I usually serve the corn fritters with fish or on a hearty salad for a meatless meal. But let’s face it, they always steal the show. The recipe yields a large batch, and the leftovers make perfect quick lunches and dinners during the week (plus, they freeze beautifully). I just reheat them in the microwave or the oven until they’re warmed through. However, you can easily halve the recipe if you don’t need quite as many fritters.
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Print
Easy Corn Fritters
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: about 20 fritters (can easily be halved)
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Crispy, savory, and easy corn fritters are all mixed together in 1 bowl. Serve with a cool and creamy honey jalapeño yogurt dip!
Ingredients
Honey Jalapeño Greek Yogurt Dip
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use nonfat)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- juice from 1 lime
- 1/2 jalapeño, finely diced (or more if you want more heat!)
- salt, to taste
Fritters
- 3Â cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)*
- 1 cup whole wheat flour*
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red or green pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
- 1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
- 2Â teaspoons honey
- 2Â teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- couple pinches fresh ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
For Cooking
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil or vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Make the yogurt dip:Â Whisk all of the yogurt sauce ingredients together except for the salt. Taste, then add salt to your taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Make the fritters: Mix all of the fritter ingredients together in a large bowl. Set in the refrigerator, uncovered, as you heat the oil.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, use a large spoon and scoop 3 Tablespoons of the fritter mixture (I always eyeball the amount). Place the mixture onto the hot skillet and form into a circle as best you can. Repeat with a few more, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate until finished.
- Serve warm fritters with yogurt dip.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: These fritters make great leftovers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat by placing on a lined baking sheet under the broiler for a couple minutes or pop into the microwave for a minute or until heated through. You can freeze fritters for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as directed.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Skillet
- Corn: If using frozen corn, thaw and drain well. If using canned corn, drain well.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works too, as would a gluten free flour.
- Herbs & Spices: Get creative with your herbs and spices. Feel free to sub in any of your favorites.
- Stovetop or Baking: I recommend cooking these on the stove. You don’t need too much oil, only 2 Tablespoons as listed in the ingredients. I do not recommend baking these fritters because you will lose all that crispy texture and they will over-spread.
These were edible, but not great. We thought the fritters were a little stodgy, and really hated the dip. I didn’t make any changes or substitutions and used fresh summer sweet corn, so maybe our tastes are different than others’. The whole family thought this was a waste of good corn.
Made the mistake of halving recipe, don’t do it. Love them
I made these today. They were really delicious. I did a few substitutions (syrup for honey, dried cilantro for fresh). Everyone loved them.
Hi Sally!
I’m excited to try this recipe for Thanksgiving. Is it possible to make the fritter batter the day before and refrigerate until ready to fry?
Many thanks!
Jo
Hi Jo, That should work – however the cooked fritters reheat beautifully under a broiler for just a few minutes which may be easier! See the recipe notes for details.
With online recipes it’s a hit or miss, so honestly I was a bit skeptical at first. But they were yummy!!! I added very little jalapeno (maybe a quarter of a small one — not a lover of spicy food), and really loved the slight piquant taste it gave together with cilantro. Will add more jalapeno next time. Thank you for a tasty and simple recipe!
Can you bake these?
Can I use almond flour instead of wheat flour?
Hi Jenny, we haven’t tested the recipe with almond flour but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
These were a total hit! Thank you!
Wondering if you have ever added sweet potato into these? I saw that your zucchini fritters have shredded sweet potato and was thinking of trying it in these…
Hi Andrea, I haven’t. But you can certainly add 1/2 – 3/4 cup shredded sweet potato if you’d like. No other changes to the recipe.
What if I can’t ‘t eat jalapenos. How can I modify this recipe and still have it taste good?
Hi Susan! You can simply leave out the jalapeño in both the dip and the fritters. Still plenty of flavor.
First time making these, and they were a big hit. All gone in one sitting. Will definitely make these again.
These. Are. AMAZING. They are so flavorful — the balance of flavors is spot on. The recipe itself and the direction was great. My husband and I love them. Perfection. Thank you for sharing this killer treat.
Just made these with half corn and half black beans, every single part is absolutely delicious!
How far ahead of time can the batter be made and stored in the frig?
I’d say 24 hours. Make sure you cover it tightly.
Holy moly, I made these yesterday and they are SO GOOD. I added some chili canned tuna to add a bit more sustenance (I was looking to make them into a super easy pack and go lunch) and shoot I had trouble saving some in the fridge! That dipping sauce though… definitely need to double it 😉 I like my dipping sauce with a bit of corn fritters 🙂
I made these and the family inhaled them. Â I used a 1-1/2″ cookie scoop to scoop the batter which made 15 beautiful fritters. Â The yogurt sauce sent them over the top. Â Thank you, Sally for your super recipes and lovely pics. Â Â
This Recipe is sooooo good! The dipping sauce really makes the recipe and is delicious. Instead of jalapenos I put cilantro and it tasted just as good for someone who doesn’t like spice in their. Defiantly recommend it! Thanks!
This is probably the quickest I have ever made a recipe! In my defense, who doesn’t have a can of corn in their pantry or a bag in their freezer? Thus, corn fritters were easy to make for a quick and simple dinner tonight! I halved the recipe and found that one egg wasn’t really enough. Maybe it was too small…so I added a second and that really helped the corn kernels adhere to each other better. These were SO TASTY! I topped them with Greek yogurt but also a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and hot sauce (because that is how I like to eat corn on the cob) and they were perfect♥ Also, this is a bazillion times better than those oily dough balls that we know as conventional corn fritters–especially because these could arguably pass for a meal 😉 I’d been hoping for a recipe like this from you so thanks a bunch, Sally!! 🙂