Deliciously buttery and fried to perfection — just when you thought you knew all the ways to make corn, fried corn might just surprise you!
My grandmother used to tell me stories about my grandfather and my cousin from before I was born. As my grandfather had passed before I could ever get the chance to meet him, these stories are what I hold dearest in regard to him — and a great number of them have to do with how he lovingly treated my older cousin, his first grandchild. When she was little, my cousin was given an affectionate, if odd nickname by my grandfather (as many young girls may be gifted a cute moniker by their elders) with an interesting origin: “Butters”.
Butters never seemed like a very kind nickname, but my cousin had earned it earnestly. During family gatherings and get-togethers, there would always be corn on the cob and a great big tub of butter to slather it with on the center of the table. Butters would take her knife-full of butter and smear it onto her corn cob, only to then lick all the butter off and repeat the process. She never even ate the corn! This earned her the unusual nickname that has since stuck long after Grandpa’s passing.
Corn has been a staple on my family’s dinner table for so long one of our family members is named for the way she ate it, but I bet she’d have a cuter nickname if she didn’t have to lick the butter off the cob to get the flavor! Fried corn has all the deliciousness of buttery corn on the cob with the added perk of bacon grease and your choice of seasonings to make a delicious side dish that surely won’t earn anyone at the table an unfortunate (yet lovable) nickname!
Why Fried Corn?
Fried corn tastes distinctly different from other kinds of cooking methods, most significantly because of the bacon grease we utilize in our recipe to get that delicious flavor! While seasoning corn makes it taste delicious (no matter how it’s cooked), tossing your seasonings in with your corn while it’s frying is one of the best ways to make the whole dish taste homogenous and scrumptious. I recommend using some of the classic corn seasonings from other cooking methods with fried corn just to see how different the same ingredients can taste!
Try tossing chili powder and cotija cheese into your corn towards the end of its cooking time to recreate delicious esquites, a Mexican street food, which sees delicious grilled corn smothered in fresh crema and spices. Alternatively, why not try basil, thyme, rosemary, and parsley to create an herbaceous flavor evocative of cream and cup corn recipes? If that seems like too much, our original recipe is perfect for that classic corn-on-the-cob taste with a little extra zhuzh!
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Fried corn keeps nicely in the fridge and only needs a kiss of heat from a hot pan to revive! Store your finished fried corn in a resealable container (it’ll last in the fridge for about 5 days) and toss it into a hot pan when ready to cook and serve. Stir it regularly and you’ll ensure your fried corn gets evenly reheated without turning watery.
My Corn Isn’t Quite Getting Toasty, It Kind Of Looks Like It’s Burning! What’s Happening?
If your corn is looking a little darker than desired, it might be because you don’t have enough grease (or your choice of oil) in the pan to properly coat and fry the corn. Too little, and you’ll get more direct contact with the pan, resulting in charred edges. Too much, and you might have to fish your corn out of a pool of grease.
Serving Suggestions
Fried corn is a beautifully golden, tasty side for just about any family gathering, no matter if it’s hosting pan-seared steak, roasted turkey, or shrimp and sausage jambalaya! Because fried corn is flexible with seasonings, it can be used to top bacon macaroni or pair with stuffed bell peppers; but, if you’re looking to have something like an elote-inspired street-food fair, you can use fried corn for our esquites recipe and pair it with other Mexican favorites like chimichangas and beef tamales!
Fried Corn Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ears fresh corn shucked
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Use the back of the knife to scrape the cob and collect the corn milk.
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter and bacon grease over medium heat.
- Add the corn, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender and begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
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