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Home » Side Dishes » Fried Corn with Bacon

May 30, 2019 By Sara 43 Comments

Fried Corn with Bacon

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This fried corn is cooked with bacon and chives until golden brown and caramelized. The ultimate easy summer side dish that pairs well with grilled meats, fish and hamburgers. A Southern classic that never goes out of style!

You can never go wrong when you serve corn as a side dish; some of my favorites include black bean corn salad, slow cooker creamed corn, and this simple yet flavorful fried corn.

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Fried corn topped with bacon and chives in a pan.

There’s nothing better than fresh, sweet corn in the summertime. While corn is obviously delicious enjoyed on the cob with a little butter, it’s even better when made into Southern fried corn. That combination of caramelized corn and savory bacon just can’t be beat!

How do you make fried corn?

This recipe starts with bacon, which is cooked in a skillet until crisp. The bacon is removed from the pan and corn kernels and onions are fried in the bacon grease, along with some seasonings and a bit of sugar. The sugar helps the corn to get those flavorful caramelized bits. The final step is to stir the bacon back into the corn and add a sprinkling of chives. I always serve my fried corn alongside grilled chicken, and it’s the perfect easy side dish for a summer gathering.

Cooked crumbled bacon in a skillet.

Tips for Fried Corn

  • You can use fresh or frozen corn kernels for this recipe. I don’t recommend using canned corn because it has added sodium and the texture isn’t as good. Yellow and white corn work equally well here.
  • You’ll want to drain off some of the bacon grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon left in the pan to cook up your corn.
  • If you’re concerned about adding sugar, you can omit it. That being said, the sugar doesn’t make this dish overly sweet, it just makes the corn kernels brown better in the pan.

Corn, onions and garlic in a skillet.

How do you cut corn off the cob?

If you’re using fresh corn for this dish, you’ll need to remove it from the cob before you can proceed with the recipe. There are a few simple ways to remove corn from the cob without making a huge mess. One option is to buy a corn stripper, which is a tool designed for this exact use. If you’d rather not buy another kitchen tool, lay an ear of corn flat on a cutting board and carefully slice the kernels off. You can also stand the ear of corn inside a large bowl, then cut the kernels off so that they’re all contained within the bowl.

A spoonful of fried corn made with bacon and onions.

Fried corn variations

Traditional Southern fried corn has just a few ingredients to really let the corn flavor shine through. That being said, there are many different flavorings you can add to your corn to make it your own.

  • Vegetables: You can add diced red bell pepper, fresh tomato, or a can of green chiles to the mix.
  • Herbs: Instead of chives, try parsley, green onions, basil or thyme.
  • Meat: Swap out the bacon for diced ham.

A serving bowl of Southern fried corn with bacon.

Once you taste this dish, you’ll find yourself making it all summer long! It’s the absolute best way to enjoy fresh corn.

More delicious side dishes

  • Roasted Mushrooms
  • Israeli Salad
  • Roasted Green Beans
  • Sauteed Asparagus
  • Bacon Fried Cabbage
Fried corn topped with bacon and chives in a pan.
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5 from 17 votes

Fried Corn with Bacon

This fried corn is cooked with bacon and chives until golden brown and caramelized. The ultimate easy summer side dish that pairs well with grilled meats, fish and hamburgers. A Southern classic that never goes out of style!
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword fried corn
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 184kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon diced
  • 1/3 cup onion finely diced
  • 4 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen (thawed)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chives sliced

Instructions

  • Place the bacon in a large pan. Cook over medium high heat until browned and crisp.
  • Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel to drain.
  • Drain grease off pan until approximately 1 tablespoon remains.
  • Add the onion to the bacon grease. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
  • Add the corn, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan.
  • Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn starts to caramelize and brown on the edges.
  • Stir the bacon back into the corn. Top with chives and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Side Dishes Tagged With: Bacon, Corn

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Comments

  1. Sheila says

    October 24, 2019 at 10:17 am

    I’m going to make this for work. Would it be good if kept warm in a crock pot?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      October 24, 2019 at 2:54 pm

      It will be fine except the bacon will soften!

      Reply
  2. Sandra York says

    September 19, 2019 at 5:58 am

    5 stars
    We tried this last night and it was great! I didn’t have fresh corn, so I used canned, but it was still great. I can imagine it’s better with fresh and I’ll be trying that when corn comes in.

    Reply
    • Sandra says

      September 22, 2019 at 9:54 am

      5 stars
      I have made this at least three times over the summer – and everyone loves it! It is simple to make and a great side for summer BBQs. Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Larry says

    September 1, 2019 at 4:49 pm

    When using frozen corn, do you thaw it out first or fry it frozen?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      September 2, 2019 at 1:33 pm

      I thaw it first!

      Reply
  4. Patricia says

    August 19, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    I have some picky eaters. Can you omit the onions or substitute them for minced onion seasoning and still have a tasty dish?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      August 19, 2019 at 10:43 pm

      Yes you can omit them!

      Reply
  5. Debbie says

    July 14, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    5 stars
    OMG was this good! the smokey bacon gives it such a good flavor!

    Reply
  6. Sebastian says

    July 14, 2019 at 10:09 am

    Can you make ahead and warm up when ready to serve

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 14, 2019 at 10:49 am

      You can, but the bacon won’t be as crispy that way!

      Reply
  7. Patty says

    July 13, 2019 at 12:24 pm

    Roughly how many ears of corn did you use.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 13, 2019 at 1:29 pm

      6-7 ears should be fine depending on their size!

      Reply
  8. Cathy says

    July 13, 2019 at 7:06 am

    So do you use cooked corn off the cob? Or do you cut it off the cob before cooking it?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 13, 2019 at 11:59 am

      I cut it off the cob then cook it in the pan!

      Reply
  9. Rani Gronau says

    July 8, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    Does this freeze well?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 9, 2019 at 3:38 pm

      It would freeze ok if you use fresh corn, I wouldn’t try to freeze it if your’re using frozen or canned corn.

      Reply
  10. Beth says

    July 4, 2019 at 8:57 am

    I make this just like my grandmother did. Pretty much the same but she never put onions in and most important if you are using fresh corn ou need to milk the cobs and add that liquid to the corn while cooking. Milking cor is very easy, after you cut the corn off the cob run your knife dull side against the corn staring at the top and run it down going all around the corn. This takes the liquid (or milk) from the cob.I do it all o a sheet pan then scrape the corn and milk into the hot pan .

    Reply
  11. Travis says

    June 6, 2019 at 3:32 pm

    5 stars
    I don’t always comment on recipes I find online, but your blog is my new favorite go-to for dinner. This fried corn dish was really top notch; I’ll be back for more!

    Reply
  12. Jacque says

    June 6, 2019 at 3:03 pm

    5 stars
    PERFECT side salad with our barbecue chicken dinner last night! Delicious!

    Reply
  13. Margo says

    June 5, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    Do you serve warm or cold

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 5, 2019 at 9:43 pm

      Warm!

      Reply
  14. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    June 2, 2019 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    Looks like a perfect weeknight dinner! Yum! Definitely a must try!

    Reply
  15. Beth Pierce says

    June 2, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    5 stars
    This was an awesome side dish with our barbecue dinner last night! So flavorful and easy to make too! Excited to have this again tonight!

    Reply
  16. Chrissie Baker says

    June 1, 2019 at 7:03 am

    5 stars
    This looks like a great side dish for any gathering!

    Reply
  17. Krista says

    June 1, 2019 at 6:32 am

    5 stars
    The sweetness of the corn paired with the salty of the bacon? Salad genius!

    Reply
  18. Catalina says

    June 1, 2019 at 4:39 am

    5 stars
    What a great idea for an easy and delicious side dish. My family loves corn a lot!

    Reply
  19. Michelle says

    May 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm

    5 stars
    This is a recipe my family would devour and then ask me to get up and make more.

    Reply
  20. Kim Seghers says

    May 31, 2019 at 7:40 am

    5 stars
    This recipe for Fried Corn with Bacon looks AMAZING! Can’t go wrong with this easy side dish for dinner.

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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