My homemade corn nuggets are golden and crispy on the outside, and packed with sweet corn in every bite. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or side dish, they’re easy to make and incredibly delicious!
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until they're well combined.
Add the egg, half and half, and melted butter to the dry mixture. Stir everything until a batter forms.
Fold the drained corn into the batter. Place the batter in the refrigerator while the oil heats.
Pour oil into a large cast iron skillet. Add enough oil so the nuggets will float as they cook. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F, using a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
Carefully spoon the batter into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes on each side. If the nuggets are not golden brown, add an additional minute of cook time. Do not overcrowd the pan—cook in 2 to 3 batches if needed.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the nuggets from the oil. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Serve the nuggets on their own, or pair them with ranch dressing or hot honey for dipping.
Notes
Drain the corn super well. Any excess liquid will thin out the batter, which could cause the nuggets to fall apart as they fry.
Don’t skip that refrigeration step! It helps firm up the batter slightly before frying. The nuggets come out much crispier!
A spoon works great for dropping the batter into the oil, but a cookie scoop is even better.
Keep the oil at a steady temperature throughout frying. If it gets too hot, the outside will burn before the inside even gets a chance to cook!
Fry in batches. Adding too many nuggets at once will cause the oil temperature to drop, meaning they won’t cook evenly.
Store leftover sweet corn nuggets in an airtight container lined with paper towel on the bottom in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.