You’ve never tasted creamed corn like Louisiana Cream Corn Maque Choux! Sweet, spicy and lusciously creamy, it’s loaded with the rich flavors of red bell pepper, sweet onion, jalapenos, cream, a sprinkle of salty bacon and the pop of fresh sweet corn.
What is Maque Choux?
Corn Maque Choux is a classic Louisiana side dish! Pronounced “mock shoe,” it’s a fresh corn recipe that’s both Native American and Cajun at heart. Authentic Maque Choux is a simple medley of fresh corn kernels, peppers and onion cooked with bacon grease and tasso ham (a smoked cured ham).
But modern versions- like this Cream Corn Maque Choux recipe– also include a little butter or cream to amp up the creamy factor and bacon which is more widely accessible than tasso.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Think zesty creamed corn. This recipe is literally Southern sweet cream corn meets traditional Louisiana Maque Choux to create one of the best corn side dishes you will ever eat!
- Like all Louisiana cooking, it’s loaded with bold, rich flavors!
- It’s an easy one pot dish.
- It goes with just about everything and is ideal for turning into a whole meal!
Corn Maque Choux Ingredients
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- fresh corn on the cob (frozen kernel corn can be used out of season)
- red bell pepper
- sweet onion (or yellow onion)
- jalapeno pepper
- all purpose flour (thickens the recipe)
- all purpose Creole seasoning -includes basic seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper
- sugar (optional)
- heavy cream
- salt & black pepper
- bacon & green onion (for toppings)
Recipe Variations
- Whole milk, condensed milk or half and half cream can be used instead of heavy cream.
- Don’t want to use bacon grease? 2 tablespoons of butter will work!
- Skip the jalapeno and use ½ green bell pepper and ½ red bell pepper.
- To make this a full meal, add in Creole Shrimp, andouille sausage or smoked sausage or even chicken thighs to make Chicken Maque Choux.
- Adding okra, celery and diced tomatoes also makes this simple corn saute more hearty, similar to a succotash.
How To Make Creamed Corn Maque Choux
Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large skillet or a dutch oven. After draining on a paper towel, rough chop bacon and set aside. Pour half of the bacon grease out of the skillet and keep the rest (or about 2 tablespoons) of the grease in the skillet to cook the corn.
Prep the Corn. Using a sharp knife, cut the sweet corn from the cob by standing the cob upright on a plate and running the knife down the cob at the base of the kernels. After the kernels have been removed, use a vegetable peeler to scrape back and forth down the cob, pressing gently to remove bits of leftover kernels and the milk from the cob.
Mix. In a large bowl, toss together corn, diced red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, flour sugar and Creole seasoning, making sure the flour coats all of the corn.
Sautee. Add corn mixture to hot bacon grease over medium heat. Sautee 3-5 minutes to caramelize the vegetables and cook the flour.
Add the Cream. Turn heat down to low. Slowly stir in cream and continue to stir until corn mixture becomes creamy. Put on lid and allow to cook and thicken for 25-30 minutes, removing lid occasionally to stir.
Top & Serve! When corn is thick and creamy, remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped bacon, green onion and serve!
Tips for Making the Best Corn Maque Choux
- This Creole corn is best when fresh ingredients are used, making for outstanding seasonal eating. However, frozen can be used when fresh corn isn’t available.
- When using frozen corn, I like to pulse about â…“ cup of the kernels lightly (keeping the pieces coarse) in a food processor for better texture in the finished dish.
- Dicing the bell pepper, onion and jalapeno the same size as the corn kernels makes for a balanced dish where you get a little of each flavorful vegetable in every bite!
What to Serve With Creamed Corn Maque Choux
A good corn side dish goes with just about anything. Serve this over (or under) grilled pork chops or chicken. One of our favorite meals here at The Cottage is Corn Maque Choux and Louisiana Crab Cakes. You’ll also love eating these dishes with creamy Maque Choux:
- Crispy Southern Fried Chicken
- Cherry Cola BBQ Pulled Pork
- Classic Chicken Fried Steak Fingers
- Crock Pot Boneless BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Creole Roasted Turkey Breast
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
More Corn Recipes To Love
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Southern Cornbread Pudding
- Confetti Frito Corn Salad
- Fresh Sweet Corn Relish
- Green Chile Corn Salsa Dip
- Mexican Street Corn Foil Packets
- Southern Cornbread Salad
You can also visit my “Louisiana Flavor” section for more authentic Louisiana recipes.
If You Make This Recipe, I Can’t Wait To Hear About It!
Leave A Comment & Rating Below Or Snap A Photo To Share.
Louisiana Creamed Corn Maque Choux
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick cut bacon
- 4 ears of corn
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium sweet onion (or yellow onion), diced
- 1 large jalapeno, diced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons all purpose Creole seasoning, (or your favorite brand of Cajun seasonings)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- green onion, as garnish if desired
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. After draining on a paper towel, rough chop bacon and set aside. Pour half of the bacon grease out of the skillet and keep the rest (or about 2 tablespoons) of the grease in the skillet to cook the corn.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the sweet corn from the cob. After the kernels have been removed, use a vegetable peeler to scrape back and forth down the cob, pressing gently to remove bits of leftover kernels and the milk from the cob.
- In a large bowl, toss together corn, red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, flour sugar and Creole seasoning, making sure the flour coats all of the corn.
- Add corn mixture to hot bacon grease over medium heat. Sautee 3-5 minutes to caramelize the vegetables and cook the flour.
- Turn stove top down to low. Stir in cream and continue to stir until corn mixture becomes creamy. Put on lid and allow to cook and thicken for 25-30 minutes, removing lid occasionally to stir.
- When corn is thick and creamy, remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped bacon, green onion and serve!
Notes
- Whole milk, condensed milk or half and half cream can be used instead of heavy cream.
- Don’t want to use bacon grease? 2 tablespoons of butter will work!
- Skip the jalapeno and use ½ green bell pepper and ½ red bell pepper.
- To make this a full meal, add in Creole Shrimp, andouille or smoked sausage or even chicken thighs to make Chicken Maque Choux.
- Adding okra, celery and diced tomatoes also makes this simple corn saute more hearty, similar to a succotash.
Nutrition
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