Crispy Corn Cakes with Jalapeno and Bacon

These Crispy Corn Cakes are made with simple ingredients and ready in about 15 minutes! Add cheese, bacon and diced jalapeno for extra flavor.

Summer is on the way and that means that fresh sweet corn will make it’s reappearance! We’ve made a few efforts of buying fresh corn in the store this spring, and it’s still too early. It’s just not good, yet! Luckily, while I’m waiting for summer sweet corn to arrive, I can use canned corn to put together these Crispy Corn Cakes (or Corn Fritters, if you will)!

Whipping up these corn cakes is super easy to do. Frying them can be a little tricky, mostly because they are prone to falling apart before you achieve crispiness on one side. When you first put the corn fritters in the pan, it’s very important to have sizzling hot oil, so that the cake will quickly brown. 

Want to check out more easy corn recipes? I love my The Best Esquites Recipe (Street Corn Salad) | Smoked Corn on the Cob | Grilled Corn on the Cob in Foil (Garlic Butter) | The Best Esquites Recipe (Street Corn Salad)

Corn Cake Ingredient Substitution Ideas

This corn cakes recipe is customizable, as is any recipe. I think it’s always best to use up the ingredients you have on hand!

I’ve put together some suggestions below!

• Omit the jalapeno peppers if they are too spicy. Consider adding a dash of hot sauce or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes instead. Or, dice up about one quarter of a red bell pepper and add in place of the jalapeno. It’s delicious! 
• Switch up the cheese! Cheddar is what I call for and it’s excellent, as is colby jack. Consider a blend of mozzarella and parmesan. I would NOT recommend doing 100% Parmesan, since it’s a harder cheese, but it tastes great sprinkled on the top with some freshly diced green onions.
• Feel free to omit the bacon if you’re avoiding meat. 
• I love to top these with fresh green onions/chives. They are also great added to the batter!

Serving Suggestions

Serve this crispy corn fritters recipe as a side dish with Brown Sugar Smoked Salmon, Smoked Chicken Quarters or Cavatappi Mac and Cheese!

A good non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet is essential for this recipe. This one is my go-to! 

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Crispy Corn Cakes with Bacon and Jalapenos

Yield: Makes 8-10 cakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 16 minutes

These Crispy Corn Cakes are made with simple ingredients and ready in about 15 minutes! Add cheese, bacon and diced jalapeno for extra flavor. I love to top with sour cream or ranch dressing and fresh chives.

Although I normally make these corn fritters as a side dish, it'd be a great appetizer, too! Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.

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Ingredients

Step 1:

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon corn starch

Step 2:

• ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 15 ounces corn (drained, roughly 1.5 cups)
• ¼ cup bacon, cooked, crumbled
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, diced

For pan frying:

• 3 tablespoon olive oil

For garnish (optional):

• sour cream, fresh herbs

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder. Once combined, add flour and cornstarch. Stir into egg mixture until incorporated.
2. Add corn kernels, shredded cheese, bacon and jalapeno and gently fold into the mixture.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat.
4. Once the oil starts to sizzle, add scoops of the corn mixture using ice cream scoop or large spoon.
5. Once in the pan, flatten the dollops out slightly, pressing very gently, careful not to break them apart.
6. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the first side has browned, then flip and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
7. Once browned, remove the cakes on a paper towel lined plate to drain before serving.

Notes

Garnish with ranch dressing, sour cream and/or chives.

You can substitute up to half of the flour with corn meal for a crunchier texture.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1 corn cake
Amount Per Serving Calories 185Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 56mgSodium 432mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 7g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

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If you love this corn cakes recipe, I think you’ll also love:

• Smoked Corn on the Cob
• Grilled Corn On the Cob in Foil
• Crockpot Corn Chowder
• Sweet Corn Spoon Bread
• Fresh Mexican Corn Casserole
• Cream Cheese Corn Casserole with Green Chiles
• Jalapeno Bacon Wrapped Corn on the Cob