These Best-Ever Hush Puppies are crispy on the outside and light 'n tender on the inside. They have a delicious sweet cornbread, fresh jalapeño, and onion taste. Plus, the easy prep and cooking instructions make these fried golden rounds a 'best ever' quick bread recipe!
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Why Do They Call It A Hush Puppy?
It's been said that Hush Puppy got its name and origin from way back when. While fishermen were cooking their fresh catch of the day, they would fry up pieces of dough and feed them to their dogs to silence their annoying barking. Thus naming the fried cornbread rounds hush puppies. Cute, huh?
I thought so!
Somehow, humans began consuming these little snacks, too. These little fried dough balls are so versatile. They aren't just for serving with fried fish but can be a delicious snack, appetizer, or side dish for other main meals.
However, getting a decent hush puppy can be a hit-and-miss adventure. Not every restaurant and fast food place offers consistent results. But you can get them with this recipe. Part of the success is using corn meal mix, or the substitution for it highlighted below.
The ingredients
- white cornmeal mix - already contains leavening ingredients for easy prep
- granulated sugar - just the right amount of sweetness
- onion - flavorful small bits
- fresh jalapeno pepper - seeded to rid most of the heat
- egg - it moistens and holds things together
- buttermilk - adds moisture and tenderness to the dough
- canola oil - pleasant light taste and high burning point safe for deep frying
Instructions For Best-Ever Hush Puppies
We are talking easy to prep here with only six ingredients plus oil for frying. Whenever my husband asks for them, I don't hesitate to stir up a batch. The thought of biting into a hot, tasty, crunchy, fried piece of cornbread urges me to do so.
Before making the batter, finely chop the onion and jalapeño pepper. You can use a knife, but a food chopper makes it easy to achieve a fine texture.
Now you're ready to make the batter. Combine the white cornmeal mix, sugar, onions, and peppers in a bowl. Then add the egg and buttermilk and stir to blend well.
At this time, you can add extra ingredients such as corn, chopped okra, cheese, seafood, or anything you can think of that's fitting.
Be careful not to overmix the batter. The cornmeal batter sits in the refrigerator for about a half-hour for best results, then the frying begins.
Fry the hush puppy batter with rounded teaspoonfuls on each side for 2 - 3 minutes. Drain them on a paper towel and let them cool some before biting into one.
Here's help from a few of my favorite appliances!
My first helper is this KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper. The starter button is on the lid for easy access, and it has a powerful chop for such a little fella'. It's also light, easy to clean, comes with a BPA-Free bowl, and the cord wraps around it in a hidden slot for easy storage. I use it to process the onion and the jalapeno pepper for these quiet dough rounds.
Next is the T-Fal Ultimate EZ Clean Deep Fryer. It's the ultimate fryer made of stainless steel for easy cleaning, with an inner basket and an oil filtration container on the bottom. This fryer makes storing and reusing oil a simple task. And clean-up is a breeze! I just set the fryer to 375 degrees and the oil reaches the perfect temperature for frying. It's just right for consistent cooking results with these Best Ever Hush Puppies.
I love a right-handy tool, and these are two of my favorites. They often get used in our house, especially the Food Chopper. They make great gifts, too!
Hints
- Before handling the jalapeño pepper, use gloves, especially when removing the seeds and veins. You won't burn your skin with the hot oil in the pepper. I speak from experience! s
- To substitute 2 cups of White Cornmeal Mix, use 1 ½ cups regular white cornmeal, 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Top Tip
Part of the success is using corn meal mix.
What to serve with hush puppies
Below is a list of recipes that pair well with these Best-Ever Hush Puppies. But there are also condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and a variety of dipping sauces on the market.
At our house, we like this creamy Remoulade Sauce recipe. It has a slightly sweet taste made with fresh herbs and a bite of horseradish and spicy mustard. This creamy, smooth-tasting Homemade Ranch Dressing is also easy to make.
And if you like a good southern Come Back Sauce for dipping, you'll love my Louisiana Comeback Sauce. This Simple Cajun Aioli : The Spicy Garlic Mayo Sauce is another great dipping sauce for hush puppies and other fried foods.
Here are a few more recipes to enjoy with these Best Hush Puppies:
- Easy Crab Salad
- Fish In Red Gravy
- Saucy Pork And Beans
- Barbecue Shrimp Bowl
- Shrimp and Corn Soup
- Classic Cabbage Rolls
- Shrimp And Crawfish Pasta
Best-Ever Hush Puppies
These hush puppies are crispy on the outside, tender on this inside, and full of flavor. Mix up the basic quick bread recipe, refrigerate, cook them as is or with added ingredients, then fry them in a flash!
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 32 hush puppies 1x
Ingredients
Basic Recipe
- 2 cups white cornmeal mix
- 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup onion, processed in a food processor into small bits
- 3 tablespoons jalapeno pepper, chopped fine in a food processor (1 pepper)
- 1 egg
- ¾ cups buttermilk
- 64 ounces canola oil
Instructions
- Place cornmeal mix into a medium-size bowl.
- Mix in the sugar.
- Add onion and jalapeno pepper into the cornmeal mixture and stir until well combined.
- Add egg and stir in milk just until all of the ingredients are incorporated, don't over mix.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil to 375 degrees in an electric fryer.
- Fry hush puppy batter by rounded teaspoonfuls for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through.
- Drain on paper towel.
- Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
To substitute 2 cups of White Cornmeal Mix, use 1 ½ cup regular white cornmeal, 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
After the batter is mixed, stir in a half cup of a favorite ingredient such as cut corn, seafood, cheese, chopped okra, and more.
Serve alone or with butter or a dipping sauce such as Homemade Ranch Dressing, Remoulade Sauce, or Louisiana Come Back Sauce.
The batter can be made up to 12 hours in advance.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: side dish/appetizer
- Method: frying
- Cuisine: American
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Christopher Columbus"By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination."
The West Laine Wanderer
These look awesome! I've never tried a hush puppy but I'll have to now! Thanks for sharing. Greetings from London.
Louisiana Woman
Well, hello from America! You should try these with you fish and chips. It’s traditional to eat them with fried catfish over here. Let me know how you like them.
The West Laine Wanderer
I certainly will! Thanks for the tip!
Louisiana Woman
My pleasure!
Jenny
Is "white cornmeal mix" something different than just cornmeal? Is there salt or baking powder or something else in there? I LOVE hushpuppies but have never made them.
Louisiana Woman
Yes, Jenny. The white cornmeal mix already has flour, salt, and baking powder added to help save a few steps in preparing the hush puppies. I think you’ll find this recipe very helpful since this is your first experience in making them. ?
Katie
Do you know what amounts of flour, salt, and baking powder would need to be added if you only had cornmeal? I currently have a huge bag and would love to try your recipe!
Louisiana Woman
No I don’t, but there are plenty of recipes on the internet if you google cornmeal mix substitutes. Thanks for asking and I hope this helps.
Gabrielle A Riihimaa
Glad I reead the notes about white corn meal mix. I don't think we have that in Michigan. I added some flour and baking soda at the last minute. I guessed on the amount.
Louisiana Woman
Thanks for letting me know. I just updated the post and added a recipe to substitute white corn meal mix. This should work.
Christy
These look amazing! I love hush puppies, but never tried to make them, but now I'm going to.
Louisiana Woman
Oh, good! I used to make them from a packaged mix, but not any more. These are much better. ?
Lars Thomas
Can need to be cooked in the air fryer
Louisiana Woman
I haven’t tried them in the air fryer.
ERNEST GUZMAN
these are so so so good my wife and i ate them all. i caped frying them and eating along the way
a best with hot/ranch , ummm-um!. i got a new batch for nfl sunday thank you very much
we love them.
Louisiana Woman
Thank you, Ernest for letting me know! I will try them with the hot/ranch next time I make some which reminds me it’s time for a fresh batch soon. 😁
Kimberly A Manard-Henkelman
Can I substitute milk plus something instead of buttermilk? I am kind of in a time crunch and I needed to go ahead and prepare them and get them in the fridge. Thank you so much have a blessed day!
Louisiana Woman
Hi, Kimberly! Yes, to substitute 1 cup of buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup and fill with milk to measure 1 cup. Stir and let stand 5 minutes. Then use as buttermilk.