Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Fritters. Pickled jalapeño peppers, cheddar cheese and sour cream folded into a cornbread base and fried as a fritter.
Take popular toppings for chili such as sour cream, pickled jalapeño and cheddar cheese and turn them into a cornbread fritter. That’s where I got my inspiration: from a bowl of chili. Southern cooks can fritter anything and chili toppings are no exception. This is a perfect recipe for a crouton that rounds out a good bowl of chili. They wouldn’t be half bad with a bowl of greens or any soup or stew. Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Fritters are something you’ll want to make often.
I generously added pickled jalapeño peppers in this recipe because I used mild ones. Go up or down with the amount according to your heat tolerance.
To test your oil for the right temperature before dropping in the fritters, add a small amount of dough to the hot oil. It should immediately sizzle rather frantically.
Fry up a batch of Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Fritters soon. They’re good, y’all. Really good.
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Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Fritters
yield: approximately 24 (2 inch) fritters
Adjust the amount of pickled jalapeño peppers up or down to suit your heat tolerance. Serve fritters warm with soups, stews, chili or greens.
1/3 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices, minced or left whole
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup white cornmeal
1/3 cup buttermilk or half and half
Whisk sour cream and egg together. Add jalapeño, salt, cheese and sugar. Stir well. Add cornmeal. Stir and add enough buttermilk or half and half until the cornmeal is moistened. The batter should be the consistency of thick oatmeal.
Heat an iron skillet and add one inch of cooking oil. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the hot grease and flatten down with the back of a spoon. Work in batches and don’t crowd them in the pan. Turn after 3 or 4 minutes or when brown. Remove from pan after both sides are brown and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt while still warm.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Fritters
Ingredients
- yield: approximately 24 2 inch fritters
- Adjust the amount of pickled jalapeno peppers up or down to suit your heat tolerance. Serve fritters warm with soups stews, chili or greens.
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices minced or left whole
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup white cornmeal
- 1/3 cup buttermilk or half and half
Instructions
- Whisk sour cream and egg together. Add jalapeño, salt, cheese and sugar. Stir well. Add cornmeal. Stir and add enough buttermilk or half and half until the cornmeal is moistened. The batter should be the consistency of thick oatmeal.
- Heat an iron skillet and add one inch of cooking oil. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the hot grease and flatten down with the back of a spoon. Work in batches and don't crowd them in the pan. Turn after 3 or 4 minutes or when brown. Remove from pan after both sides are brown and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt while still warm.
Mona says
Now, THIS is in my wheelhouse! I’ve been throwing jalapenos and cheese into my corn muffins for years. Love the idea of a fritter.
Jackie Garvin says
Mona,
It worked out so well with Chili. You’ve got to give it a try.
Lane Edwards says
You know some people like some tomato with their mayonnaise sandwich, well I have gotten to where I enjoy some chili with my cornbread. Basically the plating is upside down. I cook my cornbread (recipe above should work too) in a waffle iron. Put the cornbread waffle on a good sized plate and bury it in you favorite chili. Chili is to cornbread waffles like butter and jam are to the nooks & crannys of an English muffin.
Jackie Garvin says
Lane,
Making a cornbread waffle is an excellent idea for Chili! Thanks so much for sharing that tidbit! I will have to try it. 🙂
joyce says
where are the onions…they really aren’t fritters without onions.
Jackie Garvin says
Not all fritters have onions. You might be thinking about hush puppies.
AnnadaJones says
One of my best friends married a Garvin. Her husband Stanley was a half brother of Dusty Hill of ZZTops. They were from Como, Texas. Is there any connection to you and/or your family.
Jackie Garvin says
I’ve never heard of anyone in my husband’s family mention a TX or ZZTops connection. My son has done some genealogy research on the Garvin heritage and didn’t come across a TX connection, either.
Mary Mercer says
Do you have a recipe for Mexican cornbread muffins?
Thanks!