These crispy corn fritters are bursting with the flavors of elote: sweet, tangy and slightly spicy! Make sure to top your mexican street corn fritters with our four-ingredient creamy chipotle sauce to get the full elote effect!
Sweet corn season is just around the corner and, as someone who grew up on farmland surrounded by cornfields, you can bet I’m pretty excited! While my preferred way to enjoy sweet corn is picked straight from my backyard and enjoyed on the cob, I’ve been experimenting with the first batches of fresh corn to pop up in our local markets. My absolute favorite creation so far are these mexican street corn (elote) inspired corn fritters. They’re savory and cheesy, but also full of fresh and vibrant flavors! And when served with this easy chipotle sauce I could definitely eat a whole stack in one sitting!
And for a visual tutorial, make sure to check out our recipe video for these corn fritters!
elote fritters
Mexican street corn or elote is generally made by smothering fresh corn on the cob with mayo and then topping it with lime juice, chili powder and cheese. To get those flavors in the fritters, I added the chili powder and cheese (cotija in this case) directly to the batter and used mayo and lime juice in the chipotle sauce (more on that in the next section).
As for the corn, I used fresh sweet corn, rinsed and then cut straight off the cob. Frozen corn will also work for this recipe, but you’ll need to let it thaw and then drain off as much excess liquid as possible.
In addition to the sweet corn, chili powder and cotija, the batter also includes flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, eggs, milk and diced jalapenos. After mixing up all ingredients to form the batter, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Then drop about ¼ cup of batter into the hot pan, smash it down to form a patty with your spatula and cook until crispy! It should only take about 2 minutes per side. Add a bit more oil as necessary and reduce the heat a bit if you find they’re browning too quickly.
spicy chipotle sauce
This might just be my all-time favorite sauce. Creamy, spicy and with a hint of zesty tartness from the lime juice — it’s perfection in my books!
You’ll need just four ingredients here: sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice and chipotles in adobo. The smoky, dried jalapenos in adobo sauce are a pantry staple for us; I use them in dips, sauces, dressings and marinades! For this recipe, you’ll generally only need one pepper from the can and a bit of the sauce. And definitely adjust that to taste — I like to add an extra chipotle if it’s just Viktor and myself, but if I’m cooking for someone who is more spice averse I tend to use just one pepper and even scrape out the seeds.
To make the sauce, just pulse everything together in a blender until smooth! And if you’re in need of a few recipes to finish up your can of chipotles in adobo, definitely check out these chipotle jackfruit quesadillas or our favorite barbacoa beef tacos!
what to serve with your mexican street corn fritters
These mexican street corn fritters are great as an appetizer or side dish, but we actually tend to make them into our entire dinner. Our favorite way to turn these fritters into a meal? Serve them on top of rice bowls with black beans and fresh veggies! And then of course we drizzle the chipotle sauce over the entire bowl. It’s pure magic!
And while the fritters are best served straight out of the pan, we’ve found that they reheat pretty well in the oven at 400 F (200 C) and retain some of that crispiness!
Looking for more delicious vegetable side dishes? Check out these recipes:
- brussels sprouts with bacon
- spicy maple glazed sweet potato rounds + garlicky thyme sauce
- roasted asparagus with horseradish aioli
- za’atar smashed potatoes + cilantro tahini sauce
- roasted radishes and potatoes + creamy dill kefir dressing
ingredients
mexican street corn fritters
- flour ¾ c (90 g)
- baking powder 1 tsp
- salt ½ tsp
- chili powder 1 tsp
- garlic powder ½ tsp
- sweet corn 3 c (420 g)
- diced jalapeno (deseeded) 1-2 small
- grated cotija ½ c (60 g)
- eggs (lightly beaten) 2 large
- milk ¼ c (60 ml)
- vegetable oil 2-3 tbsp
chipotle sauce
- sour cream ½ c (120 g)
- mayo ¼ c (60 g)
- lime juice 1 tbsp
- chipotles in adobo* 1-2 whole
- (plus 1 tbsp sauce from can)
instructions
mexican street corn fritters
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, chili powder and garlic powder in a large bowl.
- Add the sweet corn, jalapeno and cotija and combine.
- Pour in the milk and lightly beaten eggs and mix well.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoon of vegetable oil (enough to lightly cover the surface) in a skillet over medium heat.
- Drop approximately ¼ cup of batter into the skillet and flatten with a spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until crispy then flip and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil and repeat with the remaining batter. Add more oil as necessary.
chipotle sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.
notes
- Chipotles in adobo: If you don't have any chipotles in adobo on hand, feel free to substitute your favorite hot sauce to taste. Cholula especially works great!
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