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This Hush Puppy Recipe makes the crispiest, most golden little cornmeal fritters, crunchy outside and fluffy inside just like the ones at your favorite fish fry. I first fried these up on a lazy Saturday when we were doing a big Southern seafood spread, and the kids ate them faster than I could fry them. If you love our Southern fried catfish, these hush puppies are the perfect partner.
With just a handful of pantry ingredients and ten minutes, you can fry up a whole batch of golden, crispy hush puppies at home.
Hush Puppy Recipe Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 5 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 27 hush puppies
- ⚡ Calories: 49kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crispy, savory, Southern
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our fried potato wedges
Quick Answer
Stir together cornmeal, flour, and seasonings in one bowl, and whisk buttermilk, egg, and grated onion in another. Combine the two, stir in melted butter, then drop tablespoon dollops into 350 degree oil and fry 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden. Drain and serve warm.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cornmeal gives the classic crunch. Yellow cornmeal is what makes hush puppies crispy on the outside with that signature golden color.
- Grated onion adds flavor and moisture. Finely grated onion melts right into the batter for savory flavor without big chunks.
- Buttermilk keeps them tender. The tang and acidity of buttermilk reacts with the baking soda for a light, fluffy center.
- 350 degree oil is key. Oil at the right temperature fries the hush puppies crisp and golden before they can soak up grease.
- Small dollops cook through. Keeping them just under a tablespoon means the centers cook fully before the outsides get too dark.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They fry up in just minutes for a quick, crispy side everyone fights over.
- A handful of simple pantry ingredients is all you need.
- They are the perfect partner for fried fish, seafood boils, and barbecue.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this hush puppy recipe so good. Simple Southern pantry staples.
- Yellow Cornmeal: The base of the batter and the source of that crispy, golden crunch.
- Buttermilk: Adds tang and reacts with the leavening for a tender, fluffy inside.
- Grated Onion: Melts into the batter for savory flavor in every bite.
- Melted Butter: Adds richness and helps the hush puppies brown beautifully.
- Cayenne Pepper: Just a pinch adds a subtle warmth that balances the sweetness.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This hush puppy recipe is easy to customize to your taste.
- Cheesy: Stir in a handful of shredded cheddar for cheesy hush puppies.
- Spicy: Add diced jalapeno or extra cayenne for a kick.
- Sweet: Add a little extra sugar or a drizzle of honey butter for sweet hush puppies.
- Corn studded: Fold in some fresh or canned corn kernels for texture.
- Herby: Add chopped green onion or fresh chives for a fresh, oniony flavor.
How to Make Hush Puppy Recipe
- In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and grated onion.
- Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth and combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Stir until there are no dry patches left.
- Add the melted butter and stir it in until combined.
- Your hush puppy batter is now ready to fry.
- Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 350 degrees, then drop just under tablespoon sized dollops into the hot oil.
- Fry 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown, then drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a thermometer to keep the oil at a steady 350 degrees. Too cool and they soak up grease, too hot and they burn.
- Grate the onion finely so it blends into the batter without big chunks that can burn.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until combined for the lightest texture.
- Fry in batches so you do not crowd the pot and drop the oil temperature.
- Use a small cookie scoop for evenly sized hush puppies that cook at the same rate.
- Serve them warm with softened butter or your favorite dipping sauce for the best flavor.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These hush puppies are a Southern classic next to anything fried. Serve them with our fried catfish or a big seafood boil for the full experience.
They are also fantastic alongside barbecue, fried chicken, and chili. Set out softened butter, honey butter, or a remoulade for dipping and watch them disappear.
Round out a Southern spread with our Louisiana fried chicken and a side of fried potato wedges.
Hush Puppy Recipe FAQs
A classic hush puppy recipe is made of cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, egg, grated onion, and seasonings, all fried into little golden fritters.
Hush puppies turn out raw inside when the oil is too hot or the dollops are too big. Keep the oil at 350 degrees and use just under a tablespoon of batter so they cook through.
It is best to fry hush puppies right after mixing, since the leavening starts working immediately. You can measure the dry and wet ingredients separately ahead and combine them just before frying.
Peanut oil is traditional and great for this hush puppy recipe, but any neutral high heat oil like vegetable or canola works well.
Yes. Freeze cooked, cooled hush puppies in an airtight bag, then reheat in a 350 degree oven or air fryer until hot and crispy.
Hush puppies are classically served with fried fish, seafood boils, barbecue, and chili, with softened butter or a dipping sauce on the side.
Hosting a fish fry? Pair these with our crispy Southern fried catfish next.
Serve these crispy panko fried shrimp alongside hush puppies.
Love Southern fried bites? Our fried green beans are golden and crunchy.
Add our cheesy homemade corn dogs to your fried platter.
Hush Puppy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup buttermilk or whole milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup grated onion
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- Peanut oil for frying
- softened butter for serving
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet with deep sides, add peanut oil or oil you are using about 3-4 inches up the side of the pan. Bring the oil up to temperature over medium heat to 350°F.Peanut oil for frying
- While the oil is heating up, make the batter. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne to a large bowl, stir to combine.1 cup yellow cornmeal, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, Pinch of cayenne pepper
- In a separate medium-sized bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and grated onion. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir them in so there are no dry patches.¾ cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, ¼ cup grated onion
- Add the butter and stir it in until combined.3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Once the oil is to temp, add just under 1 tablespoon-sized dollops into the hot oil, be very careful at this step. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown on the outside. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain while you fry the remaining hush puppies. Serve with softened butter on the side for dipping, optional.softened butter for serving
Notes
- Buttermilk is best for this recipe, you can see how to make your own above.
- Other additions can be added to this, see above for what you can add.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people or to keep for later.
- Using a thermometer really helps keep your oil at a constant temperature.
Nutrition
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