Fried Corn Recipe
This Fried Corn Recipe embodies the soulful flavors and comforting nostalgia that defines Southern cooking. With crisp, golden kernels of corn and savory bites of smoky bacon, each mouthful is a taste of soul food at its finest.
Servings 5 servings
Calories 151kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 slices bacon Chopped into ½ to 1 inch pieces.
- 20 oz whole kernel corn Fresh, Frozen (thawed and drained), or Canned (thawed and drained)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook the bacon until it's crisp.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside. Keep the remaining bacon drippings and grease to use to fry the corn. You can drain some if you wish, but I leave it all.
- Add the corn to the pan with the spices. Don't overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Stir constantly to ensure all of the corn is browned. This can take 8-12 minutes or longer.
- Once the brown has browned, add in the heavy whipping cream and cooked bacon. Stir to combine.
- Cool before serving.
Notes
If you like sweet corn, add in sugar or sweetener and adjust to suit your taste.
If you find you need more oil/fat while frying the corn you can add olive oil or vegetable/canola oil (if you typically cook with it).
Another common way to make this dish is to use bacon fat instead of bacon fat drippings and bacon. If you want to go this route you can use 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
How to Prevent Soggy Corn
- Thoroughly Drain the Corn: Whether you’re using fresh, canned, or frozen corn, make sure to drain off any excess moisture before frying. Excess moisture will lead to steaming instead of frying, resulting in soggy corn.
- Use High Heat: Heat your skillet or frying pan over medium-high to high heat before adding the corn. Cooking the corn at a high temperature helps to quickly evaporate any moisture, resulting in crispier corn.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Fry the corn in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Overcrowding can cause the corn to steam rather than fry, leading to sogginess. Make sure there’s enough space between the corn kernels for them to crisp up evenly.
- Don’t Cover the Pan: Covering the pan traps moisture, which will lead to soggy corn. Keep the pan uncovered to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
- Cook Quickly: Fry the corn quickly, stirring frequently, to ensure that it cooks evenly and doesn’t have time to release excess moisture. Keep the corn moving in the pan to prevent it from sticking and to promote even browning.
Nutrition
Serving: 4oz | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g