Spicy Sausage and Manchego Pumpkin Fritters
If you’re anything like me and love to explore the savory side of pumpkin (which quite honestly, a lot of people are scared to do), I highly recommend these Spicy Sausage and Manchego Pumpkin Fritters! They’re basically like super flavorful, slightly spicy, savory doughnuts, if you will. Kind of like a hush puppy if you’ve had one of those, but without the corn. Before you think it’s crazy though, let me just say that I think this might just be your new favorite way to eat pumpkin. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Pumpkin pie who?
I hope you’ll give these fritters a try soon, especially if you’re running out of ideas on how else to use up that can of pumpkin purée sitting in your pantry. I love this recipe because it comes together rather quickly and because they’re loaded with flavor. If you want to keep these vegetarian, you can easily skip the first step of sautéing onions and garlic and sausage and just make the batter without those ingredients! Let me know what you think below!
Spicy Sausage and Manchego Pumpkin Fritters
Equipment
- Skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Dutch oven
- Deep-fry thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 spicy smoked sausages such as smoked Andouille Chorizo or Jalapeño Chicken Sausage, finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3/4 cup shredded Manchego cheese
- vegetable or canola oil for deep frying
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
Instructions
- Set a skillet over medium high heat with the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion, garlic and sausage and cook, stirring often until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
- To make the fritters, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk and butter. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined, and just moistened. Do not over-mix at this point. Fold in the cooled sausage and onion mixture and the Manchego cheese.
- Fill a large heavy-duty pot, about halfway up with oil and heat to 375°F. Once hot, carefully drop the batter into the oil by tablespoonfuls. You can use a small rounded cookie scoop to keep them all uniform in size. Do not over-crowd the pan. Only fry a few at a time so you don’t drop the temperature of the oil too much. Fry the fritters, turning often, until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a wire rack, set over a baking sheet, to prevent them from getting soggy. Sprinkle with a bit of salt while still hot. Bring the temperature of the oil back up before continuing to fry the next batch. You can keep the fritters warm in a 200°F oven.
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together the mayo, sour cream and as much (or more) of the chipotle sauce as you’d like. Serve the fritters hot with the sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!
