These lobster corn fritters with fresh corn are so light, crispy, and delicious. This recipe is a recreation of the corn fritters from Dustin Johnston’s 2021 menu at the Masters Champions Dinner. Serve up southern corn fritters as a party appetizer, first course for a meal, or even as the entree for dinner.
Each year on Tuesday before the Masters Tournament gets started, the Masters Champions dinner takes place. The menu is chosen by the defending champion, also the host for the event, and often features regional foods from their home region or country. These southern corn fritters with lobster show off Dustin Johnston's South Carolina roots perfectly.
Corn fritters have long been a staple of the south and this version takes them up a notch by adding in juicy, succulent Maine lobster meat. In addition to Lobster Corn Fritters, the 2021 menu included Pigs in a Blanket, Caesar Salad, Miso Marinated Sea Bass and Peach Cobbler and Apple Pie with ice cream for dessert.
You can create Dustin's champions dinner menu in your home, with this Champion Dinner Menu 2021 (coming soon). It will give you all the recipes you need to make the dinner plus plenty of tips for hosting your own Masters champion dinner in your home.
If you love golf party themes this dinner menu makes a great way to host a dinner party inspired by the Masters Tournament. Don't forget to serve up some fun drinks for a golf-themed dinner party such as the Azalea Cocktail or Transfusion Cocktail.
For a simple meal at home in the summer, serve up these crispy corn lobster fritters with a Green Jacket Salad. And these Masters Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwiches make the perfect dessert.
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😊 Why This Recipe Works
- The natural sweetness of fresh lobster perfectly complements the sweet corn flavor.
- Crispy southern corn fritters everyone will love whether you serve them up for a family dinner or for a dinner party.
- A lobster fritters recipe made with simple ingredients and easy to follow instructions.
🛒 Corn Fritters Ingredient Notes
An easy recipe made with relatively simple ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store or order easily online.
- Butter: Cooking the corn and green onions in butter makes it more flavorful.
- Green onions: For making lobster corn fritters you will use both the white and green part of the green onions.
- Corn: Use fresh corn trimmed from the cob for the best flavor.
- Lobster meat: Use fresh whole lobster cooked in your home using my Seafood Boil Seasoning Pack. Or you can use frozen lobster meat to save time.
- All-purpose flour: The flour binds the ingredients together in the batter.
- Baking powder: Gives the fritters a little bit of lift.
- Paprika: Adds a light peppery flavor.
- Old Bay Seasoning: This seasoniong blend is an easy way to flavor these homemade corn fritters.
- Eggs: Adds liquid to the batter and keeps the fritters from falling apart while cooking.
- Half-and-half: Works with the eggs to moisten the batter for a delicate texture in the finished lobster corn fritters.
See the recipe card for a complete list and quantities.
🔪 Step by Step How To Make Southern Corn Fritters
Here’s a preview of how to make lobster and corn fritters. For the full instructions, see the recipe card towards the bottom of the page.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the melted butter is heated, add the green onions, and fresh corn to the pan. Saute for 3 minutes or until the corn is softened.
2. Stir in the cooked lobster meat and cook for 1 minute.
3. Mix together the flour, baking powder, paprika, Old Bay seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg and half-and-half to the hole. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth. It will be like pancake batter. Stir in the corn and lobster mixture.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Drop a heaping spoon full (about two tablespoons) of batter into the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, check to be sure they are not getting too brown. Flip the fritter and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. You want them to be golden brown and firm when you push on them. When they’re ready, remove the pan and allow to drain on a paper towel. Repeat until all the fritters are cooked.
6. Top with green onions and a little lemon zest. Spread some aioli sauce on the plate for dipping.
⭐ Hint: For evenly sized and shaped southern corn fritters, use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the fritter batter and place them in the skillet.
🛒 Ingredient Notes Aioli Dipping Sauce
- Garlic: Chopped fresh garlic gives the best flavor.
- Saffron threads: This aromatic, pungent spice provides flavor and color to the aioli.
- Sriracha chili sauce: For just a touch of spice.
- Lemon juice: Only use fresh squeezed.
- Mayonnaise: It’s important to use a good quality mayo for aioli.
- Freshly cracked black pepper: Tastes the best.
- Salt: The ingredient that brings everything together.
⭐️ Where to get golden saffron threads. It's not as expensive as you thought.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions Spicy Aioli
This one-step aioli is so easy to make using a food processor!
1. Add the garlic, saffron, sriracha, lemon juice, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper to a small food processor and process with the steel blade until smooth.
2. Process with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Then serve it up with lobster corn fritters.
✔️ Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions you can use to make when making these old-fashioned corn fritters with lobster.
- Lobster: You can also make these crab or shrimp corn fritters by swapping out the lobster with equal amounts of them.
- Fresh corn: Swap out with thawed out frozen corn or canned corn. Just be sure the corn is drained well to remove all the liquid.
🔀 Variations
Here are a few ways you can change southern-style corn cake fritters for variety or satisfy certain allergies or sensitivities.
- Vegetarian: Eliminate the lobster and make a simple crispy corn fritter or add in 1 cup of squeezed grated zucchini for a vegetarian corn fritter.
- Gluten-free: Swap out the all purpose flour for your favorite 1-to-1 flour alternative.
- Dairy-free: Swap out the half and half with canned coconut milk and replace the butter with a healthy oil.
- Without seafood: Drop the seafood and add in crispy cooked bacon instead for bacon corn fritters.
💭 Tips for Making the Recipe
Let the lobster corn fritter cook fully on one side before flipping it.
Serve up with lemon wedges and green onions for garnish.
Lobster corn fritters taste best when freshly cooked, so you should serve them immediately or keep them warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
❓ FAQ
The top two main culprits for soggy fritters are cold oil and not cooking long enough. Be sure to allow the oil to completely heat. You can test it by dropping just a tiny bit of the batter in the pan if it sizzles right away then it’s ready to start. Be sure to cook the fritters all the way through. They should feel firm to the touch and be golden brown after cooking.
Also, it can help to drain the fritters on a paper towel after cooking and serve right away so they are at their best.
If your corn fritters feel like they’ve lost some of their crispiness, you can reheat them in the oven on both sides until they crisp back up. It can also help to keep the finished fritters in a warm oven while you cook the rest of the batch so they don’t have a chance to lose their crispiness.
Yes, you can freeze cooked lobster corn fritters. Be sure to store them in an airtight container and label them. They will last 1 month stored in the freezer.
The most common cause of fritters falling apart is that they get stuck to the pan or you flip too early. To keep them from getting stuck to the pan, use a non-stick skillet when possible and make sure you have enough oil in the pan. To avoid flipping too early, let the fritters cook until the edges start to dry up and the side in the oil is nicely browned. It’s important to not flip them too much. Aim for just one time and let them cook without moving so the batter firms up.
I prefer using avocado oil to cook them because it has a high smoke point making it a tasty and healthy alternative for frying. Other oils that work well for frying include peanut oil, safflower oil, and canola oil.
A fritter is a small sweet or savory cake made with chopped vegetables and/or meat in a thick batter that’s deep-fried. Corn fritters are one of the most popular varieties of this fried cake.
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Recipe
Southern Lobster Corn Fritters
Equipment
Ingredients
Fritters
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 green onions chopped, white of onion and green
- 1 cup corn cut fresh kernels off of the cob.
- 12 ounces lobster cooked, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs large, lightly beaten in a bowl
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
Aioli Sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic fresh minced
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice Only use fresh squeezed
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise Be sure to use a good quality mayo
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper Finely, fresh cracked is best
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Fritters
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-size fry pan over medium heat. Add green onions and fresh corn. Saute for 3 minutes or until the corn is softened.
- Stir in the cooked lobster meat and cook for 1 minute.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, paprika, Old Bay seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the egg and half-and-half to the well. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth. It will be like pancake batter. Stir in the corn and lobster mixture.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Drop a heaping spoon full (about two tablespoons) of batter into the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, checking to be sure they are not getting too brown. Flip the fritter and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. You want them to be golden brown and firm when you push on them. Repeat until all the fritters are cooked.
- Top with green onions and a little lemon zest. Spread some aioli sauce on the plate for dipping.
Aioli Sauce
- In a small food processor, place the garlic, saffron, sriracha, lemon juice, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper.
- Process with the steel blade and puree until smooth.
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