My very favorite way to eat corn is right off the cob and that will never change. But when you have too much corn, it’s not the season for fresh corn, or maybe you just want to do something a little different, there are fritters to be made. Fritters are a delightful way to get that fix of fresh juicy sweetness when corn on the cob isn’t in the cards and these ones are a little bit cheesy (it says it right in the name!) and full of flavor, with crispy outsides and soft and sweet insides. (In other words, they’re very hard to resist. And easy to make too!)
A fritter is such a great option for a quick use-it-up dinner option. You can tuck pretty much any kind of veggie into fritters, be it zucchini, carrots, green onion, broccoli… You can fritter nearly anything, but I think corn is the ideal choice. See, corn adds the right amount of moisture to a fritter because of the way it pops in your mouth, but it doesn’t make for a watery batter and a soggy fritter the way some other moisture-heavy veggies do.
It’s also a great flavor option because of its sweetness. A fritter is the perfect place to play around with sweet and savory combos and here, the sweetness of the corn plays off of savory cheddar and green onion. Yum. (It’s also a fritter that can handle a bit of heat if you’re into that kind of thing.)
And they take mere minutes to make. The batter is just a matter of stirring everything together and then they take a few minutes in the pan to get nice and crispy. Easy peasy and delicious too.
Cheesy Corn Fritters
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 cups corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or canned (thawed, if frozen)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- Vegetable oil, as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large bowl, combine the corn kernels, flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add eggs and milk and stir until mixed. Add green onion and cheddar cheese and stir gently until combined.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the skillet.
- Once oil is shimmering, drop fitter batter in 2 tablespoon portions, then flatten them.
- Cook until golden brown and crispy, 3-4 minutes per side.
- Work in batches with remaining batter, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Recipe adapted from Eat Well 101.