Hush Puppies Recipe
Southern hush puppies with a crispy, golden-brown exterior and tender, fluffy centers. Grated onion, green bell pepper, and Cajun seasoning add savory flavor to every bite.
Servings: 12 makes about 24 hush puppies
Calories: 123kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal fine or medium grind
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Natural Ancient Sea Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning click for my recipe
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 large Eggs
- 2 tablespoons Butter unsalted, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup Yellow Onion grated, including its juices
- ½ cup green bell peppers finely diced
- Neutral oil such as canola or peanut oil, for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the oil: Add 2 inches of oil to a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat to 340°F. Set a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
- Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Fold in the grated onion, including its juices, and the diced bell pepper.
- Rest the batter: Let the batter rest for 5–15 minutes to allow the cornmeal to hydrate. It should be thick and scoopable, holding its shape on a spoon.
- Fry in batches: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, carefully drop portions of batter into the hot oil. Fry 5–6 hush puppies at a time, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent the outsides from browning too quickly.
- Cook until golden: Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Drain and serve: Transfer the hush puppies to the wire rack using a slotted spoon. Allow the oil to return to and stay at 330°F-340°F before frying the remaining batches. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Oil temperature: Heat the oil to 340°F before frying. The temperature drops when you add the batter. Reduce the heat if the hush puppies brown too quickly so the centers cook through without the outsides becoming too dark.
- For light, fluffy hush puppies: The batter can rest for as little as 5 minutes, but I prefer 15 minutes. This gives the cornmeal more time to absorb the liquid and produced light, fluffy centers.
- Sweeter hush puppies: Increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons if you prefer them slightly sweeter.
- Scoop size: Use 2-tablespoon portions so the centers cook through before the outsides become too dark.
- Keep warm: Place cooked hush puppies on their wire rack in a 200°F oven while frying remaining batches.
- BBQ Aioli (the sauce pictured): Stir together 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, 2 teaspoons pickle juice, and 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning until smooth. Serve alongside the warm hush puppies for dipping.
Nutrition
Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
