Fried Corn on the Cob

Bring the state fair straight to your kitchen with crispy fried corn on the cob. This simple recipe delivers a delicious new way to enjoy corn on the cob.

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Fresh corn on the cob is already delicious, but now it’s gone up a notch by making it deep-fried. Imagine grilled corn with the addition of a crispy cornmeal crust, and you can probably begin to picture how delicious this corn will taste.

MORE RECIPES: Macaroni Salad | Corn Casserole | Classic Coleslaw

Bring the fairgrounds to your backyard or kitchen. Crispy fried corn on the cob is a delicious way to enjoy a state fair inspired food from the comfort of your home. 

Not to sound too corny, but corn is a summer produce standout. There are so many ways to enjoy corn, like Mexican street corn dip, corn pudding, corn casserole, and now fried corn on the cob.

Fried corn on the cob is a delicious side dish to serve with fair inspired food like corn dogs, chili dogs, turkey legs, or even a deep-fried dessert. A delicious way to enjoy this fresh summer vegetable, serve fried corn on the cob at your next barbecue, potluck, or family gathering.

Fried Corn on the Cob Ingredients

• Corn on the cob - fresh sweet corn on the cob, shucked and silks removed
• Buttermilk - store bought or make your own
• Cornmeal - a coarse flour ground from dried corn
• Flour - all-purpose flour
• Italian seasoning 
• Onion powder 
• Salt 
• Pepper - black pepper
• Paprika - smoked paprika
• Vegetable oil - enough for ¼ inch of oil for frying

Fried dishes use hot oil, which means that they can be dangerous to make, so be extremely careful while making this recipe. Make sure that the corn is dry before frying and keep a very close eye on the oil. Adjust the heat up or down as needed to keep the oil from bubbling over. 

To get the signature crisp on your fried corn on the cob it’s important to use vegetable oil as listed in the recipe. Don’t be tempted to substitute another oil, like olive oil or avocado oil, instead. These other oils are much denser and won’t give the same result. 

Something that you can substitute, or customize, is the spice. If you want to add a little more heat to your corn dish, you could add a dash of cayenne pepper or cajun seasoning to your cornmeal mixture. Another addition you may want to try is adding a bit of parmesan cheese for a cheesy flavor.

How to Make Fried Corn on the Cob

FIRST STEP: Place all 4 ears of corn in a gallon size Ziploc. Pour the buttermilk on top of the ears of corn and seal the Ziploc. Place the sealed bag into an 8x8 baking dish, this will help keep the buttermilk contained just in case any leaks out. Allow the corn to rest in the buttermilk for 15 minutes on one side, then turn the corn baggie over to rest for 15 more minutes.

SECOND STEP: In a small mixing bowl, whisk the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper. Pour the cornmeal mixture into an 8x8 baking dish to roll the corn in.

THIRD STEP: In a 10-12 inch skillet, pour enough vegetable oil to measure ¼ inch. Heat the oil on medium-high heat. One way to check if the oil is ready for frying is to stick the end of a dry wooden spoon into the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood and start to float up, the oil is ready. If the oil is bubbling hard, the oil is too hot. Remove the pan from the heat, let the oil cool down for a few minutes, and re-check the oil. Place the oil back onto the burner and turn the heat down to between medium-high and medium.

FOURTH STEP: Remove the soaked corn from the buttermilk, one ear at a time, and place it in the cornmeal. Roll the ears of corn to completely coat.

FIFTH STEP: Using tongs, carefully place the ears of corn in the heated oil. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 ½ minutes per side, until golden brown, be careful not to burn the corn. Keep a very close eye on the oil, making certain to adjust the heat up or down to keep the oil from bubbling over. 

SIXTH STEP: Place the cooked ears of corn onto a plate lined with paper towels, to soak up any excess oil.

SEVENTH STEP: Serve as soon as corn has drained on paper towels.

How do I know if the oil is ready?

One easy way to check if the oil is ready for frying is to place the end of a dry wooden spoon into the hot oil. If small bubbles form around the wooden spoon and start to float up, then the oil is ready. If the oil is bubbling hard the oil is too hat and you should remove the pan from the heat and let the oil cool down for a few minutes before re-checking. 

What is the best oil to use for deep frying? 

Vegetable oil is usually a blend of several plant-derived oils, producing an oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor. It's perfect because it won’t leave any extra taste on the fried food. Vegetable oil also heats to the right temperature, has a high smoke point, and is fairly inexpensive. 

What if I don’t have buttermilk?  

If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own. For this recipe, combine 1 cup of 2% or whole milk with one tablespoon of vinegar to make homemade buttermilk.

Storing Fried Corn on the Cob

IN THE FRIDGE:  Store any leftover fried corn on the cob in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers will lose some of their crunchiness, but they can be stored for 2 to 3 days.

Fried Corn on the Cob

Bring the state fair straight to your kitchen with crispy fried corn on the cob. This simple recipe delivers a delicious new way to enjoy corn on the cob.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Total Time 36 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 264 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 ears fresh sweet corn on the cob (shucked and silks removed)
• ▢ 2 cups buttermilk
• ▢ ½ cup cornmeal
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
• ▢ 2 teaspoons onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ vegetable oil (enough for ¼ inch of oil for frying)

DIRECTIONS

 

• Place all 4 ears of corn in a gallon size ziploc. Pour the buttermilk on top of the ears of corn and seal the ziploc.
• Place the sealed bag into a 8 x 8 baking dish, this will help keep the buttermilk contained just in case any leaks out. Allow the corn to rest in the buttermilk for 15 minutes on one side, then turn the corn baggie over to rest for 15 more minutes.
• In a small mixing bowl whisk the corn meal, all-purpose flour, italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper. Pour the cornmeal mixture into baking dish to roll the corn in.
• In a 10 to 12-inch skillet, pour enough vegetable oil to measure ¼ inch. Heat the oil on medium high heat.
• Remove the soaked corn from the buttermilk, one ear at a time, and place in the cornmeal. Roll the ears of corn to completely coat.
• Using tongs, carefully place the ears of corn in the heated oil. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 ½ minutes per side, until golden brown, be careful not to burn the corn. Keep a very close eye on the oil, making certain to adjust the heat up or down to keep the oil from bubbling over.
• Place the cooked ears of corn onto a plate lined with paper towels, to soak up any excess oil.
• Serve as soon as corn has drained on paper towels.

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Notes

We can’t stress enough that this can be dangerous. If you are not extremely careful to make sure that the corn is dry before frying it could result in severe burns on your skin.

TIP: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own. Use 1 cup of 2% or whole milk with one tablespoon of vinegar mixed in for this recipe.

TIP: One way to check if the oil is ready for frying is to stick the end of a dry wooden spoon into the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood and start to float up, the oil is ready. If the oil is bubbling hard, the oil is too hot. Remove the pan from the heat, let the oil cool down for a few minutes and re-check the oil. Place the oil back onto the burner and turn the heat down to between medium-high and medium.

TIP: Keep a very close eye on the oil, making certain to adjust the heat up or down to keep the oil from bubbling over.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 723mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 508IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg

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