Southern
Hush Puppies
Cornmeal batter with onion drops into hot oil and fries until the centers are set and golden. The oil stays shallow in the pot and comes off the heat if it smokes.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 16 min
- Total
- 31 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- The oil is only about 2 inches deep and stays below the halfway mark of the pot.
- 350°F cooks the center before the crust burns.
- If the oil smokes, the burner turns off. That oil is too hot to fry in.
- A split hush puppy should be steaming and fully set inside, not pasty or wet.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- 2
Stir in the onion, egg, and buttermilk until just combined. The batter should be thick, not pourable like pancake batter. Do not eat it raw.
- 3
Let the batter rest 10 minutes.
- 4
Pour the neutral oil into a heavy pot until it is about 2 inches deep. Stop well below the halfway point of the pot.
- 5
Heat the oil over medium to 350°F. Stay at the stove. If the oil smokes, turn the burner off and let it cool before you fry.
- 6
Drop rounded tablespoons of batter into the oil, 5 or 6 at a time. Do not crowd the pot.
- 7
Fry 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Split one open. The center must be steaming hot and fully set, with no wet batter.
- 8
Drain on a rack. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches. If the oil flares, turn the burner off and cover the pot with a metal lid. Do not splash liquid into the pot. This makes about 6 servings.
Pro tips
- A thermometer is the difference between a cooked center and a raw one with a dark crust.
- If the batter spreads into flat discs, stir in another spoon of cornmeal.
- Onion cut very fine disappears into the crumb. Big pieces stay raw in the middle.
Easy substitutions
- buttermilk
- 3/4 cup milk plus 2 tsp lemon juice, rested 5 minutes
- cayenne pepper
- a pinch of black pepper if you want them mild
- neutral oil
- canola oil or peanut oil
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days. They lose their crispness.
Reheating
Heat on a rack in a 375°F oven for 8 minutes, until the center is hot again. A microwave makes them tough.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 258
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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