Southern Fried Corn

This Southern Fried Corn recipe is an easy and delicious side dish. It’s the perfect recipe for summer when fresh sweet corn is in season!

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Whenever I hear “Southern” and “fried” in the same sentence, I expect something battered and deep-fried. Think fried chicken and biscuits, Cajun fried shrimp or these crispy fried onion rings. All of these are delicious! But this Southern Fried Corn is different.

While this Fried Corn recipe does call for a tiny bit of flour, it’s really only there to absorb any excess bacon grease. It’s not a batter like you might find with other fried recipes. Instead, this recipe is basically corn sautéed in a skillet with butter and bacon fat. The taste is nothing short of amazing!

Southern Fried Corn

Whenever we serve corn on the cob, we usually keep it simple. A bit of butter, salt and pepper. That’s it. (If I’m feeling adventurous, we’ll go all in and make Mexican Street Corn – very different, but very delicious.) This Southern Fried Corn recipe channels that same simplicity. Think buttery corn seasoned with just a bit of salt and pepper. Oh, and bacon fat. Bacon makes everything better!

The bacon fat in this recipe is optional. You can certainly just use a bit of extra butter instead. However, if you want a flavor explosion, then go with the bacon fat. Growing up, my grandpa always keep a container of leftover bacon drippings in the fridge for recipes like this one. That was just the way things were done in the country.

I don’t keep bacon fat in the fridge. I’m pretty sure my wife would give me one of those looks if she opened the fridge and found a jar of bacon fat just chillin’ in there. Instead, I cooked up some bacon before I made this recipe. We can always find a use for bacon in our house – especially during summer when it’s BLT season!

Aside from using a bit of leftover bacon fat, the other key to this recipe is the corn milk. Yup, corn milk. Have you ever noticed when you slice corn off of a cob how there is always some milky liquid? Corn milk is not really milk. Instead, it’s a creamy, starchy liquid that adds flavor and sweetness to a recipe. Bon Appétit calls it the ‘nectar of the gods,’ and I tend to agree.

In order to milk your cob (there’s a phrase I never thought I would type), just slice off the corn kernels. Then flip your knife over and scrape the corn cob with the back of the knife. That’s it. Corn milk. Your summer recipes using corn will thank you!

Nothing says summer like shucking 12 ears of corn. Speaking of shucking corn, here’s a tip I learned years ago. Place a small bowl or glass upside down in a larger bowl. Stand the shucked ear of corn on top of the small bowl. As you slice the corn, it will fall into the larger bowl rather than all over your counter. Nice and easy!

How to Store Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply place fried corn in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until heated through. I do not recommend freezing these leftovers as the texture of corn can change once frozen. (It gets chewy which I find to be rather odd.)

Can You Use Canned Corn?

Yes, this recipe will work with canned corn, however you won’t have that corn milk that we talked about earlier. It’ll still be a tasty side dish, but I recommend using fresh sweet corn if it’s in season!

Variations

There are plenty of ways to mix up this recipe if desired:

• Add crumbled cooked bacon on top before serving.
• Toss in a handful of chopped chives while the corn cooks. Or just garnish the top of this dish with fresh chives or green onions.
• Mix up the flavors and add your favorite seasonings. I suspect Mexican seasonings like chili powder, paprika, cumin and/or garlic powder would be fun in this recipe! Cajun spices would work well here, too.

This fried corn is an easy recipe that lets the sweetness of the corn take center stage. (Well, sweetness of corn combined with butter and bacon!) It’s truly a favorite in our house. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Did you make a batch of this Southern Fried Corn at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Southern Fried Corn

This Southern Fried Corn recipe is an easy and delicious side dish. It's the perfect recipe for summer when fresh sweet corn is in season!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 205kcal

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Ingredients

• 12 ears fresh corn shucked
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp bacon grease can substitute 2 more tablespoons of butter instead
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Using a sharp knife, slice kernels off of each ear of corn. After slicing off the kernels, use the back of the knife and scrape downwards to extract the “corn milk” from the cobs. (Note: I typically do this in a large bowl so that the bowl catches the kernels and the corn milk.)
• Place a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter and bacon grease.
• Once butter has melted, reduce heat to medium-low and add the corn, corn milk and flour; stir until well combined.
• Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 15-18 minutes or until corn is tender and light golden brown.
• Add salt and pepper; stir until well combined.
• Serve hot.

Looking for more summer corn recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: