These polenta cakes are fried to perfection so that the outside is beautifully crispy while the inside remains nice and soft. You can use leftover creamy polenta or just make the cakes entirely from scratch. Simply whip up your favorite polenta, allow it to chill and set, cut it into shapes, and fry it until golden.
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I'm always down for enjoying some homemade creamy polenta. However, sometimes I make too much and have leftovers (or want to serve this fantastic dish differently)!
These delicious fried polenta cakes can be made from scratch or prepared using some leftover polenta you may have. They are super versatile and can be served with Parmesan cheese, eggs, mushrooms, or anything else you like.
🥘 Ingredients
If you already have yellow cornmeal at home, you may also have the rest of the ingredients on hand. Of course, you can also make this recipe using leftover polenta.
- Chicken Stock - 2 cups of either chicken stock or chicken broth.
- Heavy Cream - 1 cup of heavy cream or half & half.
- Water - 1 cup of water, plus more if needed.
- Cornmeal - 1½ cups of cornmeal. You'll want to use coarse-ground yellow cornmeal (sometimes called polenta cornmeal).
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Chives - 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper, to taste.
- Olive Oil - Some extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for frying the polenta in the skillet.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Fried Polenta Cakes
Making polenta cakes is super simple. Make some creamy polenta like normal, allow it to set completely, slice it, and then pan-fry it. For this dish, you'll need a baking dish, a large saucepan, a whisk, a spatula, and a skillet for frying.
You can cut your polenta cakes into various shapes and sizes, affecting how many you end up with. Overall, however, you will have about 6 servings.
Make the Polenta
- Prepare the pan. Lightly grease an 11x7 baking dish and set it aside. *See notes about pan sizes.
- Boil. Mix 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup of heavy cream, and 1 cup of water in a large saucepan, then bring it to a boil.
- Whisk in the cornmeal. Once boiling, gradually add 1½ cups of cornmeal while quickly whisking to prevent it from clumping together. When all the cornmeal has been added, reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk. *If needed, add more water to thin out the polenta.
- Thicken. Keep cooking and stirring until the polenta has thickened, reached a consistency similar to a cake batter, and smoothed out. Then, turn off the heat and gently fold in 2 tablespoons of both butter and finely chopped chives. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper, taste, and add more as needed.
- Chill and set. Pour the polenta into the greased baking dish and use a silicone spatula to spread it into a smooth, even layer. Let it cool completely, cover it with plastic wrap, and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours (or overnight).
Cut & Fry
- Cut. Once chilled and set, cut your polenta into your desired shape (typically either squares or circles). Use paper towels to pat the polenta completely dry.
- Heat the oil. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add enough extra virgin olive oil or cooking oil to be about ¾ of an inch deep.
- Fry. Let the oil heat to 350°F (175°C) and adjust the stove top temperature to maintain the heat. Place the polenta pieces into the oil (about 3 at a time, do not overcrowd the pan) and fry for approximately 2-3 minutes per side. You'll know they are done when they are golden and crispy.
- Serve. Remove the fried polenta cakes and place them onto a wire rack over a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve immediately.
Serve with sauteed mushrooms, poached eggs, or roasted cherry tomatoes. However, this is a great base dish that can be customized however you like. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- An 11x7 baking dish holds 10 cups of batter. 9 or 10-inch round baking pans are close in size, as are 9-10 inch springform pans or a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
- For this recipe, you'll want to use coarse ground yellow cornmeal. You may find this labeled specifically as polenta cornmeal. Do not use finely ground white cornmeal, as this is more suited for making grits.
- If desired, you can swap out the finely chopped chives for Italian parsley or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Do not walk away while cooking your polenta! Keep stirring the whole time, as it could easily bubble over or stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
- The ideal consistency for polenta is similar to either cake batter or somewhat loose mashed potatoes. It should also no longer be gritty. You can add more water if needed, but you don't want the batter to be too thin as the polenta won't set properly and could fall apart while frying it.
- You can use a circular cookie cutter to cut your polenta or use a sharp knife and cut the polenta into squares.
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🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. To avoid your polenta drying out, wrap it in a paper towel followed by plastic wrap before placing it into the fridge.
Reheating
Add a little butter to a skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, reheat your polenta cakes, flipping once, until crispy and hot.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yep! These tasty polenta cakes are naturally gluten-free! They are made with cornmeal, a coarse ground flour made from dried corn.
While these dishes are both based on corn products, they have different flavors and textures. In fact, they are made with different kinds of corn! I have an entire post comparing grits vs polenta that you can check out here!
Polenta is made from corn and has a very mild and subtle flavor. However, it can easily soak up other flavors while cooking. The polenta is cooked in chicken stock for added flavor to this recipe!
🧇 More Delicious Breakfast Recipes
- Silver Dollar Pancakes - Mini, bite-sized pancakes that are fun and super yummy.
- Southern Shrimp & Grits - Creamy and rich grits are paired with perfectly cooked shrimp.
- Chorizo & Eggs - An easy 15-minute breakfast that can be eaten as-is or added to tacos, burritos, or sandwiches.
- Sheet Pan Pancakes - The best way to make pancakes for a crowd.
- Omelet Roll - A rolled-up omelet loaded with ham and cheese.
- Blueberry White Chocolate Scones - Homemade scones are packed with blueberries and white chocolate chips and then topped with a lemon glaze.
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📖 Recipe Card
Fried Polenta Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken stock (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half & half)
- 1 cup water (plus more if needed)
- 1½ cups cornmeal (coarse ground yellow cornmeal or polenta cornmeal)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon chives (finely chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- olive oil (extra virgin, for the skillet)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Lightly grease an 11x7 baking dish and set it aside. *See notes about pan sizes.
- Mix together the chicken stock, heavy cream, and 1 cup of water in a large saucepan, and then bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, gradually add in the cornmeal while quickly whisking in order to prevent it from clumping together. When all of the cornmeal has been added, reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk. *If needed, you can add some more water to thin out the polenta.
- Keep cooking and stirring until the polenta has thickened and reached a consistency similar to a cake batter and has smoothed out. Then, turn off the heat and gently fold in the butter and finely chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and add more as needed.
- Pour the polenta into the greased baking dish and use a silicone spatula to spread it into a smooth, even layer. Let it cool completely and then cover it with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours (or overnight).
- Once chilled and set, cut your polenta into your desired shape (typically either squares or circles). Use paper towels to pat the polenta completely dry.
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add enough extra virgin olive oil or cooking oil to be about ¾ of an inch deep.
- Let the oil heat to 350°F (175°C) and adjust the stove top temperature to maintain the heat. Place the polenta pieces into the oil (about 3 at a time, do not overcrowd the pan) and fry for approximately 2-3 minutes per side. You'll know they are done when they are golden and crispy.
- Remove the fried polenta cakes and place them onto a wire rack over a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve immediately.
Notes
- An 11x7 baking dish holds 10 cups of batter. 9 or 10-inch round baking pans are close in size, as are 9-10 inch springform pans or a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
- For this recipe, you'll want to use coarse ground yellow cornmeal. You may find this labeled specifically as polenta cornmeal. Do not use finely ground white cornmeal, as this is more suited for making grits.
- If desired, you can swap out the finely chopped chives for Italian parsley or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Do not walk away while cooking your polenta! Keep stirring the whole time, as it could easily bubble over or stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
- The ideal consistency for polenta is similar to either cake batter or somewhat loose mashed potatoes. It should also no longer be gritty. You can add more water if needed, but you don't want the batter to be too thin as the polenta won't set properly and could fall apart while frying it.
- You can use a circular cookie cutter to cut your polenta or use a sharp knife and cut the polenta into squares.
- To store: Keep any leftover polenta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. To avoid your polenta drying out, wrap it in a paper towel followed by plastic wrap before placing it into the fridge.
- To reheat: Add a little butter to a skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, reheat your polenta cakes, flipping once, until crispy and hot.
K says
Can i use an air fryer instead?
Angela Latimer says
Yes, definitely! Spray coat the shaped cakes and air fry at 350F until crispy. Start with about 5 minutes, and make sure not to crowd the basket.