Hush Puppies combine corn meal, buttermilk, butter, and other ingredients into a thick batter that fries up golden on the outside and deliciously moist on the inside.
What are Hush Puppies?
Not to be confused with the shoe brand, Hush Puppies are crispy cornbread fritters that are golden brown on the outside and soft and tender on the inside thanks to the addition of buttermilk in the batter.
This is a favorite side dish in Southern cuisine, and Hush Puppies are often served with fried seafood and either tartar sauce or Comeback Sauce on the side.
There are many variations ā some with a simply seasoned batter, or with some yellow onion or scallions added (like our recipe today). Other recipes include adding cheese to the batter, and you can vary the spices and seasonings to suit your tastes or to complement the food you plan to serve with these crispy treats.
Where did Hush Puppies get their name?
Serious Eats has an extensive article here about the history of Hush Puppies with lots of different āstoriesā behind how this recipe got its name.
Cooking Tips to Make the Best Hush Puppies
As we attempted to perfect our Hush Puppy recipe, we played around with different types of cornmeal, different size scoops, and different frying temperatures.
- We found that a finely ground corn meal works best for this recipe. Both coarse and medium grain corn meal did not fry up as well. The outside got dark too quickly, and the texture of the finished hush puppy was grainy. We also discovered that adding corn flour and all-purpose flour enhanced the batter to help get a smooth outer crust with a nice soft interior.
- In many other versions, added fat was not part of the recipe, and the original recipe probably didnāt include it either. But we found that adding melted butter to the batter helped it stay moist, plus it had great taste.
- Full fat buttermilk works best in this recipe. The tartness and richness made for a very tasty hush puppy.
- The kind of cooking oil is also very important. We tested peanut oil and vegetable oil and found that the peanut oil held up the best and stayed neutral in flavor.
- Frying temperature was also critical to achieve the perfect golden color and still cook the fritter all the way through. A temperature of 350 degrees F or slightly below was perfect ā if the oil temp drifted higher than 350 degrees F, the outside of the hush puppy got too dark and the inside stayed undercooked. Use a deep fry thermometer to ensure your oil is at the proper frying temperature.
- Lastly, we tried frying up several different sizes of fritters and found that a half ounce of batter was the perfect amount to ensure even cooking and a nice golden color. We used a one-ounce scoop and filled it halfway.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Corn Meal ā As noted above, a fine cornmeal works best for this recipe.
- Corn Flour Ā
- All-Purpose Flour
- Yellow Onion ā The mild flavor of yellow onions doesnāt overpower the batter. You could substitute with sweet onion or scallions, but avoid white or red onions.
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Eggs
- Unsalted Butter ā Melted before adding to the batter.
- Buttermilk ā Buy full-fat buttermilk or make your own from whole milk following this recipe.
- Seasonings ā Kosher salt, garlic powder, granulated sugar, and cayenne pepper.
- Oil ā Peanut oil is the best choice for frying your Hush Puppies.
Special Tools Needed
- Cutting Board and Sharp Knife.
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Small Bowl ā To whisk wet ingredients together.
- Medium Bowl ā To whisk dry ingredients together.
- Wire Whisk
- Deep Heavy-Bottomed Pan ā For frying the Hush Puppies. A wok, cast iron skillet, or Dutch oven would work.
- Candy or Deep Fry Thermometer, or a Heat Temperature Gun ā To measure the cooking oil.
- Large Sheet Tray lined with Paper Towels
- Wooden Spoon or Firm Rubber Spatula
- Small Scoop ā We used a 1-ounce scoop and filled it halfway with batter. If you have a 1/2-ounce scoop, use that.
- Spider Strainer ā To remove cooked fritters from the oil.
- Small Sheet Tray ā To keep batches of fried Hush Puppies warm in the oven.
How do I make Hush Puppies?
- Whisk wet ingredients together.
- Whisk dry ingredients together.
- Add wet ingredients to bowl with dry ingredients.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
- Heat oil and maintain it at a steady 350 degrees F.
- Turn oven to warm. Ā
- Fry Hush Puppies in batches. Remove each batch to the sheet tray lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Once drained, place them on the smaller sheet tray lined with paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest of the Hush Puppies.
- Serve with Comeback Sauce.
More Cooking Tips & Tricks
- Only cook 8-10 Hush Puppies at a time and flip as they cook so all sides get browned.
- Note that the total cooking time is only 3-4 minutes per batch.
- To test for doneness, pull one Hush Puppy out of the oil and cut open to make sure it is cooked through. Gauge the rest based on that cooking time. Smaller fritters will cook faster; larger ones will need extra time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Hush Puppies ahead of time? Ā You can measure out the dry and wet ingredients, but only mix and fry just before serving. You will need about 20 minutes to fry all the batches.
- How do I store leftovers? Ā Store refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Heat briefly in the oven or microwave. Note that the Hush Puppies will get soft in the microwave.
- Can I freeze the cooked Hush Puppies? Ā Yes, these freeze well. Freeze in a zipper seal bag so you can thaw only what you need for your meals.
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Hush Puppies
Hush Puppies combine corn meal, buttermilk, butter, and other ingredients into a thick batter that fries up golden on the outside and deliciously moist on the inside.
Prep: 30 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 1 hour
Ingredients
Instructions
- Turn oven to warm (200 degrees F or so) ā youāll hold the fried hush puppies to stay warm between batches.
- Place four inches of oil in a wok, fry pan or Dutch oven. Donāt heat yet.
- In a large bowl, whisk corn meal, corn flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
- In a smaller bowl mix onion with egg, melted butter, and buttermilk.
- Turn the burner on under the oil and monitor to 350 degrees F. Do not let the oil go higher.
- While the oil heats, stir wet batter into dry batter with wooden spoon or firm rubber spatula.
- Lay out a small pan with paper towels and a second pan to be used to hold batches in the oven.
- Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, use a one-ounce scoop to scoop out half-filled scoops with batter and drop into hot oil. Fry 6-8 at a time. When you put the batter in, the temperature of the oil will drop which is fine. But as the oil recovers, do not let it get higher than 350 degrees F.
- Fry the hush puppies for about 3-4 minutes, turning them over so both sides get browned. Test one by removing and cutting it open. If fully cooked, use that timing to cook all future batches. Ours took about 3 Ā½ minutes per batch.
- Use a spider to remove all hush puppies to the paper towel lined tray then transfer to the second tray to keep warm in the oven.
- Let the oil recover to 350 degrees F before cooking the next batch. Repeat until all the batter is used and serve about 4-5 per person with the Comeback Sauce on the side.
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