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    Pink Owl Kitchen » southern recipes » Southern Hush Puppies Recipe

    Southern Hush Puppies Recipe

    Published: Feb 23, 2022 · Modified: Jan 18, 2023 by Ashley Boyd · This post may contain affiliate links

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    These classic southern hush puppies are made with sweetened cornmeal batter, diced sweet onions, and the perfect amount of seasoning and spices. These hush puppies are crispy and golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside and will become a new family favorite!

    If you are a cornbread fan, you will LOVE this hush puppy recipe! Hush puppies are a quintessential southern side dish and are served at just about every backyard fish fry.

    This hush puppy recipe is a classic southern preparation and is how I've always had hushpuppies growing up in Mississippi! If you want more authentic southern recipes, check out our Southern Buttermilk Cornbread, Soul Food Candied Yams, and Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese!

    overhead shot of Southern sweet onion hush puppies on a gray plate lined with parchment paper. plate is sitting on a wooden cutting board with a sheet pan underneath. Dipping sauce in top right corner.
    Jump to:
    • What You Need to Make This Recipe
    • How to Make This Recipe
    • What Are Hush Puppies?
    • How Did Hush Puppies Get Their Name?
    • What to Serve with Hush Puppies
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
    • Tips For Making The Best Hush Puppies
    • Recommended Tools For This Recipe
    • More Irresistible Southern Recipes You Will Love!
    • 📖 Recipe

    What You Need to Make This Recipe

    • Yellow cornmeal. This recipe calls for 1 cup of yellow cornmeal. Be sure you are using plain cornmeal and not cornmeal mix. You can also use white cornmeal if you prefer, but yellow cornmeal is typically used for Southern-style hush puppies. I recommend using good-quality cornmeal such as Bob's Red Mill Yellow Cornmeal.
    • All-purpose flour. This recipe calls for 1 cup of all-purpose flour. I've found that this ratio of cornmeal to flour gives me the best texture in a hush puppy - crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and not too dense. I recommend using good quality flour such as Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur.
    • Baking powder. The baking powder helps the batter puff up when fried so that the hushpuppies are not dense on the inside. You need 1 ½ teaspoons.
    • Granulated sugar. Southern hushpuppies are slightly sweetened to give them an almost cornmeal cake flavor that is absolutely delicious! This recipe calls for 3 tablespoons.
    • Salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cracked black pepper, and cayenne pepper. These seasonings are mixed into the batter for added flavor.
    • 1 large egg. The egg acts as a binder for the hushpuppies.
    • Buttermilk. Buttermilk gives the hushpuppies a delicious tanginess and helps the hushpuppies remain tender. You can use regular milk if you prefer but you will not need as much.
    • 1 small sweet onion. Finely diced sweet onion is mixed into the hushpuppy batter and is a classic addition in Southern hushpuppies. The flavor of the onion mixed with the sweet cornmeal batter is scrumptious!
    • Vegetable oil. The oil is for frying the hushpuppies. You can also use any other type of neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as canola or peanut oil. 4 cups should be enough to deep fry the hushpuppies in a 6-quart Dutch oven.
    overhead close-up shot of  Southern sweet onion hush puppies on a gray plate.

    How to Make This Recipe

    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and spices until combined. In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat together the egg and buttermilk until the egg is completely mixed in.
    • Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the cornmeal mixture and mix together with a silicone spatula until just combined, or no more dry cornmeal and flour are visible. Lastly, fold in the chopped onions with the spatula.
    • Heat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it has reached 365 degrees Fahrenheit (185°C). If you do not have a thermometer you can test the oil by sprinkling a small amount of cornmeal into the hot oil. If it sizzles as soon as it touches the oil, the oil is ready for frying.
    • Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop or two tablespoons, drop balls of batter into the hot oil. Fry the hushpuppies in batches, about 6-7 at a time. Cook the hushpuppies until they are golden brown on all sides and float in the oil. This only takes about 2-3 minutes.
    • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the hush puppies from the oil to a paper towel-lined plate. Allow hushpuppies to cool enough to handle and enjoy!

    What Are Hush Puppies?

    Hushpuppies are deep-fried fritters made of a cornmeal-based batter. Hushpuppies are very popular in the South and are typically served with fried fish or barbecue. You will sometimes see different ingredients added to the batter such as chopped jalapenos or corn kernels.

    side angle shot of Southern sweet onion hush puppies on a gray plate.

    How Did Hush Puppies Get Their Name?

    While there are several conflicting stories floating around about how hush puppies originally got their name, according to an article by Serious Eats, hush puppies were originally known as "red horse bread" by South Carolinians.

    Red Horse was a common type of fish that was caught in the South Carolina rivers. Cornmeal batter balls were dropped into the fish cooking oil and fried up and served alongside the red horse and other varieties of fish.

    Now, how the cornmeal fritters came to be known as hush puppies is a hotly debated topic and I cannot tell you which story is true. What I do know is that my family and countless others in the South have been enjoying hushpuppies alongside fried fish and other Southern recipes for decades.

    Hushpuppies are a Southern staple and I've been making them just like this recipe for years! Another thing to note is that "hushpuppy and hushpuppies" are also spelled "hush puppy and hush puppies" and can be used interchangeably just as I have done in this blog post.

    side angle close-up shot of Southern sweet onion hush puppies on a gray plate.

    What to Serve with Hush Puppies

    Hushpuppies can be served with any meal that you typically serve cornbread with. One of the most popular meal parings in the South is serving hushpuppies with fried fish such as catfish, bream, or crappy!

    You can also serve hushpuppies with these recipes:

    • Blackened Catfish and Smoked Gouda Grits
    • Authentic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
    • Sweet and Spicy Turnip Greens
    • Creamy Southern Coleslaw

    Variations and Substitutions

    You can add a number of different ingredients to hush puppies. Feel free to try these hushpuppies with some of these fun additions:

    • Hush puppies with crab meat
    • Chopped crawfish tails
    • Chopped shrimp
    • Hush puppies with corn kernels
    • Blackeye peas
    • Okra
    • Celery
    • Hush puppies with jalapenos

    These hush puppies are made with buttermilk to give them a subtle tanginess and make them extra tender and fluffy on the inside. You can also use whole milk but you will not need as much since it is thinner than buttermilk.

    Southern sweet onion hush puppies on a gray plate.

    Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions

    The hush puppy batter can be made up to two days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.

    Leftover hushpuppies can be stored in a ziptop bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat hushpuppies in the microwave or, for the crispiest texture, reheat them in the oven.

    Tips For Making The Best Hush Puppies

    • Do not substitute cornmeal mix or self-rising flour in this recipe. We add our leavening agent, baking powder, to the batter seperately so there is no need for added leavening agents, which are found in the self-rising varieties.
    • Make sure your oil is hot enough before frying the hushpuppies. Frying the hushpuppies in oil that is not hot enough will result in greasy hushpuppies. Use a kitchen thermometer to be sure - see my recommendation below.
    • I highly recommend using buttermilk in this recipe for the best flavor and texture. If you use regular milk you will need slighlty less.

    Recommended Tools For This Recipe

    • Dutch oven
    • Mixing bowls
    • Kitchen thermometer
    • Slotted Spoon
    detail shot of broken open Southern sweet onion hush puppies on a gray plate.

    More Irresistible Southern Recipes You Will Love!

    • Southern Soul Food Candied Yams
    • Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins
    • Southern Smothered Chicken
    • Southern Collard Greens
    • Homemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
    • Creamy Southern Cheese Grits
    • Crispy Maple Barbecue Glazed Wings
    • Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Creole Sauce
    • Cheesy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Dip

    📖 Recipe

    southern hush puppies on a gray plate on wooden cutting board.

    Southern Hush Puppies Recipe

    Ashley
    These classic southern hush puppies are made with sweetened cornmeal batter, diced sweet onions, and the perfect amount of seasoning and spices. These hush puppies are crispy and golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside and will become a new family favorite!
    4.74 from 15 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Servings 24 hush puppies
    Calories 148 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 6 quart Dutch oven

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 large egg
    • ¾ cup buttermilk
    • 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
    • 4 cups vegetable oil for frying

    Instructions
     

    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and spices until combined. In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat together the egg and buttermilk until the egg is completely mixed in.
    • Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the cornmeal mixture and mix together with a silicone spatula until just combined, or no more dry cornmeal and flour are visible. Lastly, fold in the chopped onions with the spatula.
    • Heat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it has reached 365 degrees Fahrenheit (185°C).
    • Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop or two tablespoons, drop balls of batter into the hot oil in batches, about 6-7 at a time. Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
    • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the hush puppies from the oil to a paper towel-lined plate. Allow hushpuppies to cool enough to handle and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Measure cornmeal and flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife.
    • If you do not have a thermometer you can test the oil by sprinkling a small amount of cornmeal into the hot oil. If it sizzles as soon as it touches the oil, the oil is ready for frying.
    • Leftover hushpuppies can be stored in a ziptop bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat hushpuppies in the microwave or, for the crispiest texture, reheat them in the oven.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2HushpuppiesCalories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 21.6gProtein: 3.3gFat: 5.7gSaturated Fat: 1.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 232mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 1.4gSugar: 4.9gCalcium: 65mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword cornmeal fritters, hush puppies, hushpuppies, southern recipes
    Tried this recipe?Tag @thepinkowlkitchen on Instagram! And don't forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and review!

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    Hi! I'm Ashley.

    I am a new mom, wife, and creator of all you see here at Pink Owl Kitchen. All of our recipes are influenced by my southern upbringing and are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients to encourage families to come together around the dinner table more!

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