Love corn? Get ready for a flavor explosion with these easy Corn Fritters with Jalapeno & Applewood Smoked Cheddar. They’re so amazing – light, filled with corn, and with a tasty kick from the chili and cheddar, these aren’t your everyday fritters! Hungry? Read on and I, Chef Jenn, will show you how to make these amazing corn fritters perfectly every time!
Corn Fritters are a fall favorite but they can be enjoyed all-year long. They’re also a quick and tasty dish that’s perfect as a side dish or an appetizer. I’ve included some of my favorite ways to use corn fritters down further, if you feel like getting creative.
This Corn Fritters recipe gets a flavor bump from the jalapeno and the cheddar, but there’s another secret ingredient: cornmeal. These corn fritters with cornmeal have even more corn flavor, and the cornmeal gives them a bit more structure, letting them hold up to big flavors. I think that they’re the best corn fritters, and I hope you agree!
What You Need To Make Easy Corn Fritters with Jalapeno and Applewood Smoked Cheddar
- Corn niblets – see my notes below
- All purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- Milk
- Eggs
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Jalapeno
- Applewood smoked cheddar – see notes below\
- Green onion
- Butter
And to top these tasty fritters, I make a delish sauce using:
- Sour cream
- Chipotle powder
- Lime juice
What Kind of Corn to Use in Corn Fritters
I love using freshly cut off the cob corn niblets in this recipe, but I’m the first to admit that doing that is a level of food geekdom that not everyone loves. So, if you don’t want to mess with cutting corn off the cob, use frozen corn! Simply thaw the frozen corn thoroughly and make sure there’s no moisture in it. Drain it on a few layers of paper towels if it is moist or it will throw off the recipe.
Applewood Smoked Cheddar in Fritters?
Heck yes! This full-flavored smoked cheese can be found in most deli sections of your grocery store, and it adds a lovely flavor to the fritters.
Alternatively, you can use smoked gouda, or even smoked mozzarella. If you can’t find a smoked cheese, go for extra-sharp cheddar.
How To Make Corn Fritters with Jalapeno and Applewood Smoked Cheddar
- Mix the milk and eggs until well combined.
- Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt and mix well.
- Add the diced jalapeno, corn niblets, green onion, and shredded cheese. Mix to combine, but don’t over-mix.
- Melt some butter in a skillet and drop in 2-3 tablespoons of batter at a time. Fry until golden brown, then flip and continue until cooked in the middle.
- Serve with the sauce which is the sour cream mixed with the chipotle powder and lime juice.
How To make Corn Fritters on a Blackstone Griddle
Corn fritters can be made easily on a Blackstone griddle. Simply prepare the batter as instructed, then preheat your griddle to medium high. Add a few tablespoons of butter and then drop large spoonfuls (about 2-3 tablespoons worth) of batter onto your Blackstone griddle top.
By the time you get all griddle surface loaded with fritter batter, the first ones will probably be ready to flip. Flip them when they’re golden brown on the bottom, then serve and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Be careful cutting those jalapenos – wear gloves if you have them. Remove the seeds – they have an unpleasant texture in this recipe. To control the heat further, cut out the white membrane before chopping the jalpeno.
- Like it spicier? Opt for a serrano or habanero chili instead of jalapeno.
- Don’t want the spice? Diced red bell pepper is a nice spice-free alternative in this corn fritters recipe with cornmeal.
- These old fashioned corn fritters get a flavor bump with the applewood smoked cheddar. It should be shredded before going into the batter.
- Butter makes everything better! These tasty fritters fry up golden-brown and delicious in the butter, but you can also use olive or vegetable oil.
What To Serve With Corn Fritters?
I love serving corn fritters for dinner with steaks, anything off the BBQ, or even smoked goodies like Smoked Meatloaf and Smoked Meatballs. These tasty fried corn fritters also make a tasty snack that’s perfect on game day or any day.
Other Uses for Corn Fritters
Sweetcorn fritters make an interesting and tasty canape. Top them with caramelized onion, bacon, bacon jam, pulled pork, shredded cheese, or your favorite toppings. Try corn fritters and smoked salmon – yum!
Corn fritters can be made into tasty taco tortilla-like wraps, too. Simply thin the batter a bit more with an additional 1/4 cup of liquid, then fry the fritter tortillas like a thin pancake. Fill with your favorite taco fixings and enjoy!
WHat To Dip Corn Fritters in
You can dunk corn fritters made with fresh corn (or frozen corn) into your favorite BBQ sauce, try them with Horsey Sauce, or my favorite is a combination of chipotle powder, sour cream, and lime juice.
How to Store These Easy Corn Fritters with Cheese
After frying all the vegetarian corn fritters, allow them to thoroughly cool. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Can corn fritters be frozen? You bet! Freeze them in a zipper-top bag for about three months.
How To Reheat Corn Fritters
Can you reheat this corn fritters recipe in the air fryer? You bet! Simply put them in a single layer and heat them at 350-F for about 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Or, you can reheat corn fritters in a skillet on the stovetop, or in the microwave.
Are Corn Fritters Healthy?
Corn fritters are heavier in carbs (flour, corn niblets), and they are a bit higher in fat with the addition of whole eggs and cheese. However, you can trim down on the fat but using cooking spray and a non-stick skillet, and avoiding the butter.
Not particularly healthy from a low-carb or low-fat standpoint, but everything in moderation, right?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! There is dairy (butter and milk and cheese) in these vegetarian corn fritters, but no other animal products.
You can substitute your favorite gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour in this recipe, but as the recipe is written, the corn fritters are not gluten-free.
If you can make pancakes, you can make corn fritters! You can even make the batter a few hours ahead of time so that it’s ready to go when you are! So yes, corn fritters are easy to make – just mix everything up and you’re good to go!
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Step by Step Process
Corn Fritters with Jalapeno and Applewood Smoked Cheddar
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups corn niblets
- 1/4 cup applewood smoked cheddar shredded
- 2 tablespoons green onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons jalapeno finely chopped
- 1/4 cup salted butter
Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Use a whisk to blend the milk and eggs in a large bowl.
- Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt to the eggs and milk mixture. Use a spoon or spatula to mix it well.
- Add the corn niblets, cheddar, green onion and jalapeno to the batter and mix until combined.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a skillet and heat it at medium-high. When the pan is hot and butter is melted, drop spoonfuls of about 2-3 tablespoons of batter into the butter. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, then flip.
- Work in batches, adding more butter as needed, to fry all the fritters.
- To make the sauce, combine the sour cream, chipotle powder, and lime. Mix well and serve with the fritters.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
These corn fritters turn out amazing on a griddle!! I was able to make a large batch and cook in just 15 minutes on my Blackstone Griddle. My hungry crowd devoured them all!!
I’m so glad you loved them! I like making them on the griddle, too, a whole batch cooking at once is a thing of beauty! ~Jenn
I love Applewood smoked cheddar. I bet these corn fritters taste amazing!
My family is going to love this, tLove how easy this recipe is. Can’t wait to try it this weekend.thank you for the recipe!
Such a delicious way to use up summer sweet corn! Love these fritters alongside some steak on the grill.
This is a great recipe for making and taking to a get-together. My husband really likes the jalapeno in it.
These are scrumptious. I encourage everyone to try to find the applewood smoked cheddar as it really takes these fritters over the top.