Bacon Fried Corn is an easy side dish your family will love! Fried corn with bacon can be served at summer BBQs and holiday dinners as well!
Boiled corn on the cob is one of our favorite things to eat during the summer. But there are so many other ways to enjoy sweet corn, and what could be better than combining fried corn with bacon?!! In this recipe, the fresh sweet corn is cooked in bacon grease, and it also has crispy, crumbled bacon in it.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No matter what you choose for a main dish, it’s always nice to have something to eat alongside it. Pan fried corn is popular in the summer because of the availability of corn on the cob. But it is also served year-round, with canned and frozen corn taking the place of fresh corn.
- You only need four ingredients to make Southern fried corn!
- It is easy to prepare and goes with most main dishes.
- The bacon adds flavor and a crunchy aspect.
- You can serve it at backyard cookouts as well as holiday dinners!
Bacon Fried Corn Ingredients and Substitutions
- Corn: Fresh corn on the cob is the best choice for this recipe! Look for it at farmer’s markets and farm stands when possible or in the produce section of the grocery store. When sweet corn isn’t in season, you can use frozen or canned corn.
- Bacon: You’ll need 5-6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon and some of the grease from frying it. We do not recommend using store-bought bacon bits for this recipe.
- Oil: This recipe uses both butter and bacon grease to fry the corn!
- Pepper: We felt that this skillet fried corn had enough salt from the butter and the bacon, so we only added black pepper for seasoning.
How To Make Fried Corn with Bacon
First, shuck the corn on the cob and remove the silks. Then, rinse the peeled cobs of corn and then cut the corn off of the cob. This can be a little messy, and a few kernels are bound to go flying. If you don’t want to cut the kernels off, we suggest making air fryer corn on the cob instead. Otherwise, here are a few suggestions for cutting the corn off of the cob:
- Bundt Pan: Stand one end of the cob on the center cone of the bundt pan. Cut the corn off of the cob, allowing it to fall into the pan.
- Roasting Pan: Use a roasting pan instead of a bundt pan since it is bigger and may catch more kernels.
- Corn Peeler: Try a corn peeler like the one above to peel the corn from the cob.
Melt the bacon grease and butter in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet. We cooked our bacon in the oven (it’s our FAVORITE way to make bacon) and reserved some of the bacon drippings. You can fry the bacon on the stovetop and then discard all but two tablespoons of drippings if you prefer.
Add the fresh corn kernels and stir to coat them with the bacon grease and butter.
Cook and stir the corn for 4-6 minutes until it is tender.
Then add the cooked, crumbled bacon bits and the black pepper. Continue frying the corn until the bacon is heated through.
More Ways To Make Fried Sweet Corn
Cajun Fried Corn
Give your bacon fried corn New Orleans-style flavor with cajun seasoning! Simply add 1-2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning to the fried corn with the bacon bits and black pepper.
Creamy Fried Corn
Creamy fried corn is a delicious variation of this recipe! To make a creamy version, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and four ounces of softened cream cheese. Stir over medium heat until the cream cheese is melted.
Spicy Fried Corn
With a few additional ingredients, you can turn this Southern fried corn into spicy fried corn! Add more or less of the spicy ingredients depending on your family’s preferences.
- Saute 1/4 cup of diced onions and 1/4 cup of diced bell peppers in the butter and bacon grease for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Then, add the corn along with 1-2 teaspoons of seeded, minced jalapenos. Stir fry for 4-6 minutes.
- Finally, add the bacon bits and black pepper, along with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a couple of dashes of hot sauce.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: Bacon fried corn is best when you eat it right after making it. We do not suggest cooking it ahead of time since the bacon won’t stay crispy. Instead, to prep the recipe ahead of time, cook and crumble the bacon and cut the corn off the cob. Store the prepared ingredients in the fridge until you are ready to prepare the dish.
- Storage: Allow leftovers to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to two months.
- Reheating: You can reheat fried corn with bacon in a skillet or in the microwave.
What Others Want To Know
There are so many things you can add to bacon fried corn besides just bacon bits! Other popular ingredients to add are diced bell peppers, diced onions, minced jalapeños, minced garlic, and chives.
It’s made the same way! Simply substitute canned corn for corn on the cob. You’ll need two 15.25-ounce cans of whole-kernel corn. Drain the corn beforehand.
Since fresh corn on the cob isn’t always available, frozen corn is a great alternative. You’ll need about 3 1/2 cups of corn to replace six ears of sweet corn. You can either thaw the frozen corn beforehand or cook it longer.
Fried corn is made with corn on the cob, bacon, butter, and black pepper.
More Corn Recipes
- You can freeze corn on the cob so that you can eat sweet corn year-round!
- Grilled corn in the husks is a super easy way to make corn on the cob!
- This Corn Dip is our favorite summer appetizer!
- Make Corn Salad with Doritos for a tasty side dish!
- Corn Fritters are crispy balls of dough with corn kernels inside.
Bacon Fried Corn
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn on the cob about 3 1/2 cups kernels
- 2 tablespoon bacon grease
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup bacon crumbles about 5-6 slices
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel the corn and remove the silks. Rinse the corn on the cob and cut the corn kernels off the cob.
- Melt the bacon grease and butter in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the corn and stir to coat. Cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring often, until tender.
- Stir in the bacon crumbles and season with black pepper.
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