Our pumpkin bonanza is still going strong on the blog and on my Instagram account. I hope you’ve been following along, because this week has been all about out-of-the-box non-sweet pumpkin recipes. On Tuesday, I shared these Seeded Pumpkin Breadsticks that I’m still dreaming about. I’m going to make them for Thanksgiving and I think you should too. 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?
Let’s start by browning some of the tasty add-ins! 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.
**Note: I’m using a smoked habanero chicken sausage for this, but you can really use any smoked sausage you like. Andouille, chorizo or even something like a chicken apple sausage would be great in these as well!**
To make the fritters, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices until evenly combined.
**Tip: I like these spicy, which is why I used a spicy sausage, I’m adding spices to the batter and I’m dipping them in a spicy sauce. If you like things more mild in flavor, feel free to cut back on some of the spice level at any point of this recipe and adapt it to your liking!**
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. You want to make sure you don’t over-mix the batter at this point or else you’ll end up with tough fritters. You want this as light as possible. (Light in texture not in fat).
Lastly, gently fold in the cooled sausage and onion mixture and the shredded Manchego cheese.
**Note: Manchego is a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese that goes so well with the spice in this recipe along with the slight sweetness from the pumpkin. If you can’t find it for some reason, really any cheese would be great here!**
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.
**Tip: Do not over-crowd the pot with too many fritters at once. Only fry a few at a time so you don’t drop the temperature of the oil drastically because that’ll cause the fritters to cook longer, absorbing more oil.**
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. Again, this all depends on your desired level of heat. You can add very little for just a small kick, or you can really go for it if you like to live on the wild side.
Serve the fritters hot with the chilled sauce on the side for dipping and dunking. If you want to garnish them before serving, you can sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese on top along with fresh chopped parsley or even scallions!
As with most fried recipes, these are really best eaten right away. You can probably get away with serving them at room temperature, if you plan on making them for a party or something. I wouldn’t recommend making them too in advance because the texture will change the longer they sit out.
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!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 spicy smoked sausages (smoked Andouille, Chorizo or Jalapeño Chicken Sausage all would be great), finely diced
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin purée
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup shredded Manchego cheese
- vegetable or canola oil for deep frying
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
- 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 1½ 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!
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