If you’ve ever indulged in elote, AKA Mexican street corn, you know it’s a total mouth party – sweet corn + spicy jalapeño + tangy queso fresco + fresh lime = tastebud fiesta. 🥳 As I was enjoying some elote-style Mexican Corn Salad over the Fourth of July, I thought to myself “what if this was deep fried?”

So I rolled into a perfect bite-sized treat: deep fried elote balls. These delectable morsels capture the essence of elote, combining it with the crispiness of deep frying and the smoothness of avocado crema. Let’s dive into the world of elote balls and discover why they might just become your new favorite way to enjoy corn.

So, What Exactly Are Deep Fried Elote Balls?

The Elote Experience

Elote, or Mexican street corn, is served on the cob and slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, chili powder, and lime juice. Just like you’d guess from the name, it’s a popular Mexican street food. I wanted to take things another direction – think State Fair food. So these deep fried elote balls have all of the elements of Mexican street corn, in bite-sized, deep-fried, appetizer form.

Essentially, these are nuggets of Mexican corn salad, deep-fried into fritter form. The corn salad mixture, typically made with grilled or roasted corn, cheese, and spices, is shaped into balls, coated in a crispy batter, and fried until golden brown. The result is a crunchy exterior that gives way to a creamy, flavorful center. Paired with a luscious avocado crema, these elote balls are a delightful twist on a classic dish.

Why Elote Balls?

A Perfect Appetizer

Elote balls make an excellent appetizer for any occasion. Their bite-sized form makes them easy to serve and enjoy, whether you’re hosting a casual get-together, a festive celebration, or a family dinner. Arrange them on a platter with a bowl of avocado crema in the center for a visually appealing and delicious spread that will impress your guests.

Flavor Explosion

The beauty of elote balls lies in their ability to pack a punch of flavor in every bite. The combination of sweet, smoky, and spicy flavors from the corn, chili powder, and cheese creates an irresistible taste sensation. Each bite offers a delightful contrast between the crunchy exterior and the creamy interior, making them incredibly satisfying.

The Ingredients That Make It Special

Corn: The Star of the Show

This goes without saying, but the heart of any elote dish is the sweet corn. 🌽 It’s usually grilled or roasted to bring out the natural sweetness and add a smoky flavor. To keep things simple and make this recipe easy all year-round, I sauté the corn in a skillet with seasonings. This is just to brown the corn and amp up the flavor.

Cheese and Creaminess

Traditional elote features a combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, and crumbled cheese, such as cotija or queso fresco. These ingredients create a rich, creaminess that pairs so well with the sweetness of the corn. In these deep fried elote balls, all of the good stuff is in the filling, which means every single one is a bite-sized version of elote.

Spices and Zest

One of the most important components of elote is the spice situation. Chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne are used to add heat and smokiness. Fresh lime juice is essential for its tangy brightness, cutting through the richness of the other ingredients. These spices and flavors are mixed into the corn salad filling, giving elote balls their signature kick.

Deep Frying…? Yes, You Can Do It

The Perfect Crunch

Deep frying is what makes these elote balls magical. The corn mixture is shaped into balls, rolled in breading, and fried until crisp. This process creates a perfectly crunchy exterior and a savory, creamy interior. We’re going to achieve the perfect fry to create balls that are light and crisp, not greasy.

Deep Frying Isn’t Scary

If the idea of deep frying intimidates you, just know that you’re not alone. This was my first time EVER deep frying anything at home. (I’ve worked in food service before, so I’ve used an enclosed deep fryer approximately 237,874 times.) But I did it and you can too! 🙌🙌🙌 And I didn’t get burnt, it didn’t make a huge mess, and it turned out flawless. You got this!

With a few simple tips, you’ll find that deep frying at home is easier and safer than you might think. Make sure your oil is at the right temperature with a thermometer to achieve that golden brown crust. Avoid overcrowding the pot or basket to allow for even cooking. Finally, drain the fried balls on paper towels to remove excess oil and keep them nice and crispy.

What Is The Best Oil for Deep Frying at Home?

When it comes to deep frying anything, choosing the right oil is crucial. It affects the flavor, the texture, and the nutritional profile (I avoid seed oils at all costs). Peanut oil is my personal favorite, especially for these elote balls, because of its high smoke point and neutral taste. This allows the flavor of the elote balls to come through while you still get a golden, crispy fry on the outside. Peanut oil’s stability at high temperatures makes it great for deep frying, delivering consistent results every time.

You can also save your used oil in a large mason jar once it’s completely cooled and it can be used for frying other things in the future.

The Magic Sauce – Avocado Crema

A Creamy Complement

In my humble opinion, the deep fried elote ball experience is simply not complete without this avocado crema. This smooth, tangy sauce is made from ripe avocados, blended cottage cheese or sour cream, lime juice, and a touch of garlic and salt. The crema gives a cool, refreshing balance to our spicy, savory elote balls.

What’s The Occasion?

Elote balls are versatile enough to be enjoyed in various settings. Serve them as an appetizer at your next summer soiree, bring them to a cookout, or simply enjoy them as a delicious treat at home. I promise you they’re going to be a hit and people will be asking you for the recipe.

While elote balls shine as an appetizer, they can also be a fantastic addition to a meal. Add them to a fresh salad for a light lunch, or serve them alongside grilled meats or fish for some crunch with dinner. They’re also great as a snack for game day or movie night.

Your New Favorite Appetizer

These deep fried elote balls are the leveled up version of everyone’s beloved Mexican street corn. By combining the creamy, tangy, and spicy flavors of elote with the irresistible golden brown crunch of deep frying, we’re making an out of this world appetizer.

These are perfect for any occasion, from a fun weeknight dinner appetizer to special hors d’oeuvres. Leave a comment below telling me what you think of these! 😊

Elote Balls

This elote balls recipe is a rockstar appetizer that's easy to make at home. It has all of the flavors of traditional elote, but it's deep-fried to golden perfection.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 6 hours hrs

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 15 balls

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups frozen corn
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons mayo or vegan mayo
• Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
• ¼ cup crumbled Cotija or feta cheese
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper diced*
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Peanut oil for deep frying

Avocado Crema

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tbsp blended cottage cheese or sour cream
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

 

• Heat a skillet to medium and add oil. Then add corn and seasoning. Saute 10-15 minutes, until corn starts to brown.
• In a food processor, combine corn, mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, cotija, cilantro, jalapeño, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Quickly pulse a couple of times. Just enough to make the mixture able to stick together.
• Line a baking sheet with wax paper or foil and scoop into balls about 2 tablespoons in size. I used a small cookie scoop/melon baller for this and it worked great! Place into the freezer for 6 hours to overnight.
• In 2 medium bowls, mix eggs for egg wash and combine breadcrumb mixture. Drop elote balls into egg wash, then breadcrumbs and set aside.
• Preheat the cooking oil to 350º. Carefully lower each elote ball into the oil and fry for 4 minutes. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
• Once they're cool and you've made your avocado crema, dip and enjoy!

For the Avocado Crema

• In a medium bowl, mash avocado. Add blended cottage cheese or sour cream, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Keyword appetizer, corn salad, deep fried, elote, mexican corn salad