This Hush Puppies Recipe is the best, easiest Southern favorite side dish. It has crispy outer edges and lightly sweetened, soft, tender centers. They are by far the best I have ever made or tried.
I love to serve them with pan-fried chicken, collard greens, and oven-roasted corn. Maybe it has been quite some time since you have had any. Maybe it feels like forever. They are so simple to mix and fry up.
I like to fry mine in my deep fryer, but you can also use a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven. They are delicious by themselves or dipped in Southern comeback sauce.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Cornmeal: both white and yellow cornmeal are good for making hush puppies. White cornmeal is slightly sweeter.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar: just a touch to suit your taste
- Leavening agents: baking soda and baking powder
- Seasonings: Cajun or Creole, salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Milk: 2% or whole
- White vinegar: or apple cider vinegar
- Vegetable oil: or canola or peanut oil
- Egg: a large one
- Onion: a sweet yellow or Vidalia grated
How to make Hush Puppies
This is the nutshell version. See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
Start by whisking the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
Add your milk and vinegar to make buttermilk in another bowl or large measuring cup. Let that sit for about five minutes. Whisk in the egg, vegetable oil, and grated onion. Then, stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix until incorporated.
Heat the oil to 365 degrees and drop the cornmeal batter by rounded tablespoons into the hot oil, working in small batches so you don’t crowd the fryer.
Cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain.
Preparations Tips
- If you like yours extra sweet, add a little more sugar.
- Mix the ingredients just until incorporated, and let the batter sit while you heat the oil.
- Try maintaining a constant oil temperature using a deep fryer or heavy pot with a thermometer.
- Drain the hush puppies on paper towels after frying.
- Use an oil with a high smoking point, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftover hush puppies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. For best results, reheat on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
Taste Variations
- Jalapeno and cheddar: add 1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno and 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
- Corn and scallion: add 1/2 cup frozen corn (thawed) and 2 scallions minced
- Gouda and chive: add 1/2 cup finely grated Gouda and 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
More Southern Recipes
Hush Puppies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal see notes
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk room temperature
- 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 tablespoons grated onion
- Oil for frying canola, vegetable or peanut
Instructions
- Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- In a separate medium bowl, add your milk and vinegar; let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in vegetable oil, egg, and onion. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix just until incorporated.
- Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a Dutch Oven or heavy skillet to 365 degrees. Using two small spoons, scoop a rounded spoonful onto one spoon and gently push it off with the second spoon. Fry for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve promptly.
Video
Notes
- Both white and yellow cornmeal are good for making hush puppies. White cornmeal is slightly sweeter.
- If you like yours extra sweet, add a little more sugar.
- Mix the ingredients just until incorporated, and let the batter sit while you heat the oil.
- Try maintaining a constant oil temperature using a deep fryer or heavy pot with a thermometer.
- Drain the hush puppies on paper towels after frying.
- Use an oil with a high smoking point, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Erica
These look delicious and cozy just in time for Fall!
Suzy
This is so good! With a touch of cajun seasoning, these were perfect in flavor!
Tammy
Made these for Christmas today as an alternate to “cornbread”. They are a major hit and now a family favorite!!! I used an ice cream scoop to get them the same portion and size. Perfect, will definitely make again
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tammy! So glad that you liked them! We love them too!!
Betsy
So hard to find restaurants that serve hush puppies here in the midwest. This is a great recipe! And I absolutely love the alternative recipes/additions that you included. These are so much better than Long John Silvers (and really, that’s about the only place that serves these anymore. Love these! Yum!
Lauren Kelly
This is dangerously delicious! My family loves this!
Toni Dash
Everyone at my house really loved it! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Jen
Excellent recipe!!! We are eating them while we are cooking them! Hope we leave enough for everybody else!
Matt Taylor
Hush puppies are awesome! Such a fun thing to make and eat. This recipe is great!!
katerina
A family favorite that’s for sure!! These will be a huge hit at our house!! YUM!
Natalie
I love the crispy coating & how they melt in your mouth on the inside! So addicting, I could eat more than my share!
Dannii
I haven’t heard of these before, but I love anything with a Cajun seasoning. YUM!
H L.McCallum
I love a good hushpuppy, the MORE onions in one the better lol! This looks like a great version and I think I will be testing it out this weekend during our fish fry. They look delish! I am supper excited to use your method.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! I sure hope you enjoy them!!
Mahy
Haha, my favorite thing about this recipe is the name – HUSH PUPPIES! Although I am sure the taste is just as great! 🙂
Shelley
Whenever I’m at the coast, I HAVE to enjoy at least one meal of fried oysters … which is perfectly completed with scrumptious hush puppies and that irresistible Southern Comeback Sauce! *SIGH* Now I can make absolutely fantastic hush puppies at home! You even linked to the sauce recipe, too – yay! So easy, too! I suppose now I just have to work on making those fried oysters, and it’ll be like a beach vacay in my house every single day LOL!
Beth Pierce
That is awesome! I love it! Maybe I need a beach vacay day!
Patty at Spoonabilities
Oh this is such a yummy snack, appetizer, whatever you want to call it! Sooooo good!
Traci
Yayyyy! I’ve found a new, reliable hush puppie recipe for my collection. Thanks for another winner! 🙂
Alexandra
These are crispy on the outside with a light and fluffy centre – perfection!