Cheesy Bacon & Corn Fritters with Chipotle Aioli
These bacon and corn fritters are a total dream. With fresh corn, salty bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese, they're crispy, fluffy, and ridiculously delicious with a side of spicy chipotle aioli. This cozy recipe is definitely a go-to appetizer or side dish for dinner parties and BBQs.
Ingredients
Chipotle Aioli
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Bacon Corn Fritters
- 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups corn kernels (about 4 cobs)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or freshly-ground black pepper)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
Equipment
- 12'' skillet
- Food processor (or blender)
- #20 (1.5 ounce) cookie scoop
Instructions
Chipotle Aioli
- Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor.
- Blend the mixture until it's very smooth. Taste and add more chipotle peppers, salt, and pepper if desired. Spoon the aioli into an airtight container. Refrigerate the sauce while you make the fritters.
Bacon Corn Fritters
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lay the bacon side-by-side on the parchment paper. Bake the bacon for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until it's nice and crispy. Place the cooked bacon on paper towels to soak up any extra grease. Once the bacon is cool, chop it finely.
- Shuck the cobs of corn and wash them to remove any extra strands of silk. Then, place the cob stem-side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the kernels off of the cob. Repeat with all of the cobs until you have 3 cups of kernels.
- Start by whisking the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and whole milk until combined. Add the corn kernels, chopped bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese. Use a rubber spatula to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir just until the batter is combined and there are no more streaks of flour. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
- Pour the canola or vegetable oil in a 12'' skillet until it comes up about 1/8'' on the sides of the pan. Heat over medium until the oil is very hot. To test the oil, spoon a small amount of batter into the pan. If it sizzles and turns golden-brown after a minute or so, it's ready to go!
- Using a #20 scoop, spoon mounds of batter into the pan 2-3 at a time. Use a spatula to gently press the mounds into a flat circle. Cook the fritters for 2-3 minutes until they're crisp and golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the other side is crispy and golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Place the fried fritters on paper towels to soak up any extra grease. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and green onions if desired. Serve the fritters hot with the chipotle aioli. Enjoy!
Notes
I use pre-chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. If you can't find pre-chopped, use 1-2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce depending on how spicy you want the aioli.
Frozen or canned corn will also work in this recipe. If you use frozen, make sure it's defrosted! You'll also want to dry off defrosted or canned corn with paper towels to remove any extra liquid.
Make sure to properly scoop the flour. Use a fork to 'fluff' the flour, spoon it into a measuring cup, and level it off without packing it.
Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes after mixing. This will give the flour time to relax which will make for tender, crispy fritters.
Heat the oil properly! The batter should sizzle and turn golden-brown when the it hits the pan. If the batter doesn't sizzle much, it's too cold. If the batter turns dark but doesn't cook through, it's too hot.
To keep the fritters warm while you're frying the rest of the batter, place the drained fritters on a sheet pan in the oven at 200°F.
To keep the oil from burning and getting gunky, use a spider spatula to carefully remove any extra pieces of corn or batter from the oil.
You can make more or less fritters depending on the size of your scoop. I use a #20 (1.5 ounce) scoop.
Serving: 1fritter, Calories: 220kcal, Carbohydrates: 14.9g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 13.8g, Saturated Fat: 4.3g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 554mg, Potassium: 232mg, Fiber: 1.4g, Sugar: 2.5g, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 2mg
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