Southern Skillet Fried Corn

Southern Skillet Fried Corn combines the savory flavor of bacon with the sweet crisp corn to make an easy side dish. This easy delicious side dish is sure to become a new favorite you’ll make again and again!

Corn is a great side dish anytime of year but in the summer it’s so amazing. Corn right off the cob is crisp, fresh and delicious. Early on when I started blogging I posted a recipe for Southern Style Skillet Corn and it’s been popular for many years. That’s not the only corn recipe I’ve shared over the years one of my all time favorites is Confetti Corn which is a combination of corn, onions and red bell peppers. More recently I shared a recipe for Sautéed Zucchini and Corn. With the combo of fresh zucchini and corn I consider to be the ultimate summer side dish. 

How to make Southern Style Fried Corn:

Ingredients: 

• Corn Kernels (fresh or frozen) 
• Bacon 
• Onion 
• Green Bell Pepper
• Garlic
• Cracked Pepper
• Sugar (optional) 
• Scallions for garnish (optional) 

Instructions: 

1. If using frozen corn kernels remove them from the freezer and sit on the counter to thaw. 
2. Chop the onion, bell pepper and mince the garlic then set them aside.
3. Chop bacon then cook in a large skillet over medium high heat until crispy.
4. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. 
5. Reserve a tablespoon of bacon grease then drain remained grease from pan.
6. Add the onions and bell peppers to the skillet and and cook until tender and onion is slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, or about one minute. 
7. Add in the corn and sugar (if using sugar) to the skillet then season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
8. Cook stirring occasionally until the corn is cooked through about 10 minutes.
9. Stir the bacon back into the skillet garnish with scallions if desired.

Substitutions and Variations: 

Make it Vegetarian: Leave out the bacon and use Olive Oil or Avocado Oil to sauté the onions, peppers, garlic and corn.

Add Tomatoes: Add fresh diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Add the tomatoes when cooking the onions and peppers or leave them raw and add just before serving. 

Bring on the Spice: You can add jalapeños either fresh or pickled to add some heat to this dish. To add jalapeños to the recipe add them in when cooking the onions and peppers.

Garnish for More Flavor: I used scallions, but you can garnish this fried corn with chives, fresh thyme, or even try a little cilantro.   

Notes and Tips:

To make chopping the bacon easier use your kitchen shears. This is a great time saver.

I do not recommend using canned corn for this recipe. It is not as crisp and some of the texture will be lost in the cooking process.

A cast iron skillet it great for this recipe. Cast iron tends to heat evenly. Because this recipe cooks fast the even dispersement will ensure even cooking.

Storage: 

Refrigerator: Leftover will remain fresh for three days when kept in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Reheating: Reheat in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring between each until heated through. Or reheat I a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat stirring occasionally until heated though. 

Looking for more side dishes you’re going to love these!

Jalapeño Lime Corn

Southern Style Green Beans

Chopped Salad

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Still hungry? Follow New South Charm on Pinterest! for more recipe ideas!

5 from 4 votes

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Southern Fried Corn

Southern Fried Corn combines the savory flavor of bacon with the sweet crisp corn to make an easy side dish. This easy delicious side dish is sure to become a new favorite you’ll make again and again!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Corn Side Dish, skillet fried corn, Southern Recipe Favorites

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 140 kcal

Susanne Susanne

Ingredients

• ½ cup onion diced
• ½ cup green bell pepper diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 5 slices bacon chopped
• 4 cups corn
• black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar optioinal

Instructions

1. Chop the onion, bell pepper and mince the garlic then set them aside.
2. Chop bacon then cook in a large skillet over medium high heat until crispy.
3. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
4. Reserve a tablespoon of bacon grease then drain remained grease from pan.
5. Add the onions and bell peppers to the skillet and and cook until tender and onion is slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, or about one minute.
6. Add in the corn and sugar (if using sugar) to the skillet then season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
7. Cook stirring occasionally until the corn is cooked through about 10 minutes.
8. Stir the bacon back into the skillet garnish with scallions if desired.

Recipe Notes

 

1. If using frozen corn kernels thaw the corn first. 
2. I do not recommend using canned corn for this recipe. It is not as crisp and some of the texture will be lost in the cooking process.
3. Nutritional information is estimated. Amounts will vary based on ingredient choices and serving sizes.

 

Nutrition Facts

Southern Fried Corn

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 140 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 0.02g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 9mg3%

Sodium 93mg4%

Potassium 229mg7%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 242IU5%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 8mg1%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post was originally posted Aug. 7, 2016 and updated with new pictures and information on Aug. 3, 2023