July is one of those tricky months when you have to be careful to not completely run out of chile, but to use enough of it, so you can have freezer space for this year’s chile. It’s not quite chile season here in New Mexico, but it’s just around the corner. I still have some small bags of both roasted green and red chile from last year as well as sweet corn. So what better way to use corn and chile than to make corn cakes with a little green and red chile.
Corn cakes are very easy to throw together (no pre-cooking required) and only take about 6 minutes to pan fry; therefore, you don’t heat up the kitchen. Add a little seasoning and binding ingredients and you have a nice snack, light lunch, or light dinner. This batch I served with a dinner salad, but we’ve been known to have them for lunch with a little avocado cream (see Kitchen Notes).
I hope you enjoy!
A light corn cake with sweet corn, roasted green and red New Mexico chile and a mix of seasoning. Serve with salsa, avocado cream or a dollop of sour cream.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information and related links.
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for frying the corn cakes)
- 2 whole green onions, diced
- 1/4 cup roasted green chile*, diced
- 2 tbsp roasted red chile or sweet pepper*, diced
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced (optional)
- 1 cup corn, fresh, frozen, or canned, thawed/drained
- 1 wedge lime (about 1/4 tsp lime juice)
- 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
- 2 tbsp fine ground cornmeal
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup milk or milk substitute
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup avocado cream* (1 avocado + 2 Tbsp sour cream)
- 1/2 cup salsa or pica de gallo*
Put of the chopped vegetables in a small bowl or measuring cup. Squeeze the lime over the vegetables. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, add the dry batter ingredients. Whisk to combine.
Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the egg. Whisk lightly.
Pour in the milk and whisk together the dry and wet ingredients until just combined.
Fold in the vegetables. The batter should be thick.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
Once the oil is hot, scoop about 1/4 – 1/3 cup batter into the skillet. If the batter runs out into the skillet, the skillet isn't hot enough. Let the skillet heat more and add another scoop. The batter should sizzle when dropped in the skillet.
Fry the cakes for about 3 minutes per side (turn only once). They are done when you press gently in the center of a corn cake and it's firm against the touch.
Transfer to a rack to cool. Enjoy!
Roasting Fresh Chiles – Since chile can range from mild to hot, you’ll need to be the judge of how much you add to the recipe. I mostly use a medium hot green chile with a mild roasted red. The type of chile can also vary. In this recipe you can use everything from jalapeno to a roasted green bell pepper. There wouldn’t be any heat in the latter, but the flavor would be quite good.
Red Pepper – Use a mild to spicy red chile or a sweeter, roasted red bell or pimiento.
Whole wheat pastry flour – This is my go to flour because it’s light and healthier than unbleached, white flour. However, if you don’t have any, then substitute with a white whole wheat flour or sifted unbleached flour.
Avocado Cream – Combine a smashed avocado with a couple tablespoons of sour cream or 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Add a touch of salt and lime juice.
This recipe only makes about 6 – 7 corn cakes, just enough for 2 people. However, it’s easy to double or triple the recipe. If you want to serve as an appetizer for a party, then make the cakes about half the size by using 2 tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup, then cook for 2 minutes per side or until firm. Serve with a dip or salsa for a different type of chip and dip.
If you like these corn cakes, then you’re going to love these other pan fried cakes I make:
It’s July so chile season is just around the corner. If you can’t get green chile locally, order online! You can have New Mexico green chile from throughout the state shipped directly to your front door. Suppliers like our friends at The Hatch Chile Store are taking orders now. Click Sources of New Mexico Chile for a variety of options and products.
Dear MJ, I was sure I had commented on these beauties but apparently I spent too much time looking at your photographs and imagined I had written something too! Sorry.
I remember though when I first saw them I thought immediately of my Japanese Korean-style fresh corn pancakes because I make them now all the time (fresh corn is available for a quick period and I’ve never seen it frozen here) and I often tweak them adding fresh green chile from my balcony! Maybe I should freeze now some corn and roasted chile too… then I could prepare your pancakes any time of the year!
Corn freezing SO well! Each year I buy an excess, cut it off the cob and freeze. You can get frozen corn here, but I find the commercially processed frozen corn to be tough. The corn I freeze is like having fresh corn when you thaw it. And isn’t it just wonderful to be able pick a chile or two from the balcony for a dish? What fun!!! You need to write a book on how to plant a productive balcony garden. 🙂
I’ve so bad since I’ve never had a corn cake. And I’m originally from Iowa. What a sinner, I am. And I adore corn, especially in July and August when it’s like biting into a bowl of sugar, only on a cob. I’m sure that these are amazing and they’re on my ‘must make’ list….sort of like my ‘bucket list’ for recipes! Oh, and the three additional ‘cake’ recipes at the end of your post look fantastic too. And I just lost weight! Story of my life!
Hugs,
Roz
Well if you have never had a corn cakes, then you need to change that. Bobby bought a bunch of sweet corn a couple of weeks ago and it was like eating candy, but I couldn’t resist making some more cakes. Talk about sweet & spicy. Don’t worry about putting on weight with any of these cakes/patties. They are actually pretty actually as long as you share. 🙂 Thanks Roz!
I love corn cakes. I’ve made them plenty of times, but your recipe is quite different from mine. I love all the ingredients list – esecially the wheat flour.
Thanks Jeff! The whole wheat pasty flour is as light as AP flour and I use it in almost everything now.
I can’t keep my eyes of this stack… Absolute beauties! I need to get (way) more creative with my pancakes – so much inspiration here and I love how the edges crisp up with that golden sear and all those colorful plant yums poking through. Since discovering Mexican oregano through you, it’s the only one I buy!
Thanks so much Kelly. Crispy edges are a must on savory pancakes IMO. 🙂 I’m thrilled that I’ve turned you onto Mexican oregano. It’s good stuff isn’t it? Hope you’re doing well.
Your corn cakes look delicious. I used to make a recipe very similar to this except that it was called corn pancakes. It was from the old Chili Pepper magazine. You make it clear to me that I should go back to this recipe soon!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
When I was growing up in Louisiana, my mother use to add jalapeno. Spicy corn cakes have been around for a long time and there is a reason for that. They are SO GOOD! Ha Ha. Thanks Mae!
I love corn cakes, but yours are definitely taken up a notch of yumminess with all those southwestern flavors in there! They look super!
Thanks Amy! A little green chile always takes a dish up a notch or two IMO. 🙂
MJ, these look wonderful! Corn is one of my favorites and I love how you add chilis to make them extra, extra delicious! The avocado cream would be fantastic on these!
Thanks so much Kelly! Yep, the avocado cream is pretty awesome with these. 🙂
MJ, these sound fabulous! I could see serving them with a little street corn sauce for an appetizer. Goin on the list!
Thanks so much Judy! A little street corn sauce sounds perfect!
Oops! Thanks for the reminder. I have a lot of chili that I keep meaning to use but that I do need to get out of the freezer! 🙂
You are welcome Debra. 🙂
These are a must try. And your photos are gorgeous. Pinning.
Thanks so much Lea Ann for the nice comments and the sharing!
What a fabulous way to enjoy summer corn! The sides/toppings, really make this a flavorful vegetarian meal.
Thanks Deb! One can never get enough summer corn nor chile. 🙂
The corn cakes look perfect and love how crispy they look. I would do with a side of avocado cream and probably a leafy salad 😛
Thanks Taruna! Oh Yes, the side of avocado cream is our favorite. 🙂
These corn cakes look absolutely perfect!!! I have the same summer and space issues with cherries and berries of all sorts, got to use them all before the new harvest. 🙂 I wish I had some chilies too, but you would not believe how difficult it is to buy some chilies in pots around here! I had one last year, but could not find one this time… And I am so untalented when it comes to growing my own plants from a seed, I have never managed…
Thanks Adina! I have to admit that I buy small plants. I don’t have much luck starting from seed. I did plant bean seed this year and they took forever to come up. They are coming up now that the temps have gone up, but they took forever!
They look so fluffy and tender. I would love a few of them for the lunch with avocado cream :-)) Thanks, MJ, for sharing another delicious recipe.
Thanks so much Angie! The avocado cream with these is awesome. Hope you enjoy!
These look really good! We prefer to eat our heavy meal at lunch and nosh on something light in the evening. This would fill that bill, chili corn cakes instead of a sandwich. Have you ever made them with some kind of meat, like crumbled bacon or sausage?
These definitely would work for a light dinner. We had some the other night with just a small dinner salad. Haven’t added any meat but I can’t imagine that bacon wouldn’t be great. I mean afterall, when has bacon ever NOT worked in something. 🙂 Enjoy! Thanks Darlin!
Corn cakes remind me of growing up on the farm. Corn was always plentiful and my Mom would make corn cakes regularly throughout the summer. I could never turn down a corn cake and the addition of chiles just enhances the flavor. Can’t wait to try out your recipe!
My mom used to make corn cakes as well. We’d get sacks of corn from granddad’s farm and she did all sorts of remarkable things with it. This is a nostalgic recipe. 🙂 Hope yu enjoy and thanks so much for your comments.
Really, really good recipe. Love corncakes but rarely put green chilies in mine. How silly of me! Luckily I do have some frozen green chilies, yet. Guess what I’ll be using some of them for! 🙂
thanks John! You still have chile? Good for you!!! Have you place your order for this year? It’s just around the corner. 🙂
Delicious looking fritters.
Thanks Darlin!
Oh my goodness I am looking forward to making these soon! Thank you for the recipe and idea. I am also thinking about possible substitution of blue corn flour. I love the comments about taking into account how much chile is in the freezer and how long until chile season. Chile is important in New Mexico!
Thanks so much Angela! Blue corn flour would work great in these. That’s funny that you mentioned it, because I almost used it for this batch, but had to think about the color. Yep, running out of chile can be devastating. 🙂
Love eating seasonally and the sweet corn are super sweet right now. The family would love this recipe with the little kick of chilis. Just pinned to our favorite boards!
Thanks Bobbi. One of my most favorite things about summer is the sweet corn. I could eat it everyday. Thanks for pinning!
Oh dear, you are so right; it is so important to prepare healthy lunch / dinner as quickly as possible since the heat came to stay but also to plan freezer space ! Keeper definitely !
Thanks Darlin! I love summer because the grocery bills drop. I’m either eating from the garden, the growers’ markets or the freezer. 🙂