Bacon Corn Salad
Bacon Corn Salad is served warm as a side dish or appetizer with chips. It’s loaded with sweet corn, crisp and salty bacon, and shallots.
It’s loaded with fresh sweet corn, crisp and salty bacon, shallots, lemon and chives, and takes only minutes to make.
We’ve been barbecuing burgers, chicken, and steak for the past few weeks. On rotation are some great summer salads, like this Bacon Corn Salad. But you may also want to try my Grilled Corn Pineapple Salad or Layered Grilled Corn Salad. This Halloumi Cheese and Grilled Corn Zucchini Salad is also amazing with summer corn.
Bacon Corn Salad
This stovetop summer corn salad may be the most addictive side dish you’ll ever make. Shallots are cooked in bacon fat and butter, with spices, sweet, crisp corn kernels, heavy cream, punchy lemon, and fresh chives to garnish.
Bacon Corn Salad Ingredients
Let’s get started with these easy ingredients:
- Bacon – of course!
- Butter – everything is better with butter.
- Shallots
- White pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Corn
- Cream (whipping cream)
- Lemon – gotta have a splash of lemon!
- Chives
Farmer’s Market Fresh Corn
In the summer months, we can’t get enough of corn on the cob from the local farmer’s markets. Whether eating it on the cob, or making a salad, this easy corn salad is the perfect side for a potluck or gathering.
The inspiration for this sweet corn salad with bacon recipe came from my daughter Abby, who is my favorite cook. Making a corn salad is one way to bling up fresh corn. Oh, and if you want to serve corn on a “board,” try my Epic Grilled Salmon Dinner Board — so good!
So to go along with our family barbecues this summer, this is just a crowd-pleasing dish (or appetizer) that we all love. We’ve been enjoying it all summer long!
How do you make Bacon Corn Salad?
- In a medium skillet, add the chopped bacon and about a third cup of water. Bring heat to medium and cook bacon, until crispy.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and remove the bacon from the pan, leaving behind only one Tbsp of fat. Add the butter and shallots and cook until softened—about eight minutes.
- Add the spices and cook for one minute, then add the corn and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream and bacon—cook until the cream has thickened, then add the lemon zest and juice.
- Serve warm with fresh chives.
Tips & substitutions:
- Adding the water to the bacon allows the fat to render out without burning the bacon in the pan. Water can also be added when you’re baking bacon in the oven.
- To make cutting bacon easier, freeze for fifteen minutes before slicing.
- To save time, if you don’t want to render out the fat of the bacon, use chopped, precooked bacon and substitute the rendered fat with an additional one Tbsp of butter or olive oil (in total, you should have about half cup of cooked bacon).
- If desired, swap out the bacon for pancetta.
- Add in grilled pineapple! YUM!
- Swap out the chives for your favorite fresh herbs, like cilantro, basil, oregano, or even rosemary.
- If using frozen corn, use about 3 cups.
My summer has been filled with daily walks.
You know, the ones where you stop to literally smell the roses. It’s true we don’t have roses here where we live, but I do stop at the water and gasp at its beauty. Nature’s colors, sounds, and smells are more vivid and alive this year. Maybe it’s because we got a late snowfall; everything is so green.
This season has also been filled with the best summer food this year. I don’t know what it is, maybe because our family has been together more. Food just tastes better!
More corn recipes to try:
Serve fresh corn on this Summer Brats and Sauerkraut Tray
Get the Recipe:
Bacon Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon, chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 5-6 ears corn, kernels removed (or about 3 cups of canned corn, drained)
- ½ c cream
- 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice, plus 2 tsp zest
- 3 Tbsp chives to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, add the chopped bacon and about 1/3 cup of water. Bring heat to medium and cook bacon, allowing fat to render for 15-20 minutes, until crispy.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and remove the bacon from the pan, leaving behind only 1 Tbsp of fat. Add the butter and shallots and cook until softened—about 8 minutes.
- Add the spices and cook for one minute, then add the corn and season with salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream and bacon—cook 12-15 minutes more or until the cream has thickened, then add the lemon zest and juice.
- Serve warm with fresh chives.
Notes
Adding the water to the bacon allows the fat to render out without burning the bacon in the pan. Water can also be added when you’re baking bacon in the oven.
To make cutting bacon easier, freeze for 15 minutes before slicing.
To save time, if you don’t want to render out the fat of the bacon, use chopped, precooked bacon and substitute the rendered fat with an additional 1 Tbsp of butter or olive oil (in total, you should have about 1/2 cup of cooked bacon)
If desired, swap out the bacon for pancetta. If using canned or frozen corn, use about 3 cups.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Can frozen corn kernels be used? And if so, how much?
Yes, about 3 cups of corn.
Corn added raw or cooked?
You use cooked corn!
I loved this recipe so much . It’s really awesome