What do you get when you cook up bacon, onion, corn, maple syrup, and whiskey? The best side dish around! Southern Fried Corn is my husband’s favorite!

A couple of years ago I bought a pork loin roast for dinner. At the time I was in a side dish rut and was so tired of making the same old same stuff. I googled “pork loin side dish” (I’m not kidding) and found a recipe for pork loin with corn relish. I made the relish and kept my fingers crossed.

Mike and our friends Scott and Shaun couldn’t stop telling me how good it was. Since Scott and Shaun are under no obligation to pander to my cooking ego, I figured they were legit. Not to mention that there were no leftovers when it came to the corn, just like when I make my creamed corn recipe. I use the term “relish” loosely because the recipe was actually fried corn and not relish.

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What is Fried Corn?

Fried corn is a dish of fresh corn that’s been cooked in butter or bacon fat with sugar, or in this case maple syrup. The corn gets soft and sweet with pops of crispy, salty bacon, tender onion, and sage.

My husband swears it’s the best side dish he’s ever had. Anytime I mention plans to make it, his face lights up.

Fried Corn Ingredients

Ears of fresh corn
Bacon
Yellow or sweet onions
Maple syrup
Whiskey (optional, but OMG so good!)
Fresh sage
Salt & pepper

Nothing fancy here. Just simple ingredients, done right.

A couple of notes to help you with this recipe depending on the time of year and cooking preference.

Canned or Fresh Corn – You can substitute use two 15-ounce cans of whole kernel corn that have been drained in place of fresh corn if needed. Reduce cooking time in step three to 5 to 8 minutes. I prefer fresh corn for this recipe, but it’s not always available at the store.
No Booze – You can omit the whiskey in this recipe and replace it with an extra tablespoon of syrup. The alcohol from the whiskey will cook-off, but you can skip it completely if you want.

How to Make Fried Corn

Use a knife to cut the corn kernels from the cob. Set aside.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until crispy. Add the onion and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until softened and translucent.
Add corn, maple syrup, and whiskey to the skillet. Stir everything together and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until corn is tender.
Remove skillet from heat. Add sage and salt and pepper, seasoning to taste. Stir in seasonings. Serve immediately.

Tips for Making Fried Corn

For Grilled Corn – Boil whole cleaned corn cobs in water for about 4 minutes. Place corn on the grill and baste it with the syrup/whiskey mixture on all sides. Cook until corn has caramelized. Allow corn to cool, remove kernels per recipe and proceed.
Kitchen Tip – Place a small bowl upside down in a large mixing bowl. Stand the corn cob on the small bowl and cut off the kernels. They’ll fall right into the big bowl instead of all over your cutting board and counter.

I love this fried corn recipe. Over the years I’ve tweaked it playing with the ingredient amounts and cooking method. Now it’s as close to perfect as I’m going to get. This recipe has become one of my go-to side dishes whenever I need to bring something to a potluck or am in the mood for the best corn side dish in history!

We love this recipe with pork dishes, but it’s great with everything! we serve it up with grilled chicken, steaks, and even put it on our burgers. You will be everyone’s favorite cook when you make this Southern Fried Corn!

More of my favorite corn recipes

Simple side dishes

What do you get when you cook up bacon, onion, corn, maple syrup, and whiskey? The best side dish around! Southern Fried Corn is my husband's favorite!

Southern Fried Corn with Bacon

Julie Kotzbach

What do you get when you cook up bacon, onion, corn, maple syrup, and whiskey? The best side dish around! Southern Fried Corn is my husband's favorite!

4.48 from 21 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 282 kcal

Ingredients

4 ears corn shucked
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons good-quality whiskey
12 ounces bacon diced
2 yellow onions diced
2 teaspoons fresh sage chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Use a knife to cut the corn kernels from the cob. Set aside.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until crispy. Add the onion and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until softened and translucent.
Add corn, maple syrup, and whiskey to the skillet. Stir everything together and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until corn is tender.
Remove skillet from heat. Add sage and salt and pepper, seasoning to taste. Stir in seasonings. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

If you prefer to grill your corn - Boil whole cleaned corn cobs in water for about 4 minutes. Place corn on the grill and baste it with the syrup/whiskey mixture on all sides. Cook until corn has caramelized. Allow corn to cool, remove kernels per recipe and proceed.
You can substitute use two 15-ounce cans of whole kernel corn that have been drained in place of fresh corn. Reduce cooking time to 5 to 8 minutes on step 3.
You can omit the whiskey in this recipe and replace it with an extra tablespoon of syrup.
Kitchen Tip: Place a small bowl upside down in a large mixing bowl. Stand the corn cob on the small bowl and cut off the kernels. They'll fall right into the big bowl instead of all over your cutting board and counter.

Nutrition

Calories: 282 kcalCarbohydrates: 9 gProtein: 8 gFat: 23 gSaturated Fat: 8 gCholesterol: 37 mgSodium: 377 mgPotassium: 181 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 6 gVitamin A: 21 IUVitamin C: 3 mgCalcium: 19 mgIron: 1 mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Keyword bacon, corn

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