Southern Hushpuppies
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Southern Hushpuppies are a classic side dish made with cornmeal batter and onion, deep fried until they are golden brown and perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
This easy recipe for Southern Hushpuppies comes straight from my grandma’s recipe box, and man, does it bring back a lot of memories. When we would visit Memphis in the summer, my grandma and grandpa would always have a fish fry. Grandma would make cornmeal-crusted fried fish, homemade French fries, and these amazing hushpuppies. Life was good!
Needless to say growing up eating homemade hush puppies from a southern grandma’s kitchen has set my standards pretty high and after all of these years I still think her hush puppy recipe is the best.
What are Hushpuppies?
Hushpuppies are made with a mixture of cornmeal, flour, onion, egg, and buttermilk and deep fried until cooked through on the inside and crispy on the outside.
It’s said the hushpuppy got its name from hunter and fishermen who would toss their dogs bits of the fried cornmeal as they cooked their catch for the day to “hush” the puppies. I don’t know if that’s true but it’s my favorite theory!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for hushpuppies are very similar to the ingredients for our southern cornbread except we add just a little bit of sugar to the hushpuppies to help balance the onions.
- Self-rising cornmeal – You’ll need self-rising cornmeal so the hush puppies puff as they cook in the oil.
- Self-rising flour – You need to use self-rising flour for the same reason. It helps the hushpuppies puff up as they cook.
- Sugar – Just a little bit of white, granulated sugar.
- Salt – this helps bring all of the flavors together.
- Egg – egg is a binder that holds the batter together as it cooks in the oil.
- Onion – The onion will need to be coarsely grated. I like to use the largest holes on a box grater. In my opinion this is the key to getting that classic hushpuppies flavor. Grating the onion ensures it is fine enough that you don’t bite into crunchy bits of onion while letting the flavor permeate the cornmeal batter.
- Buttermilk – this gives the cornmeal batter a little bit of a tangy flavor.
- Canola oil – this us used for frying the cornmeal. Canola oil has a high smoke point so it is perfect for the job.
How to Make Hushpuppies
- Place self-rising Cornmeal, self-rising flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk the dry ingredients together until well combined.
- Add grated onion, egg, and buttermilk to the flour mixture and whisk together until the mixture comes together. Don’t over mix.
- Place batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Pour oil into a Dutch oven or large pot until it is filled with 2 inches of oil, and heat oil to 350-375 degrees F.
- When the oil reaches the correct temperature drop batter by the tablespoon into the hot oil and fry. Cook for 2 minute per side or until golden brown.
- Remove cooked hushpuppies from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove the excess oil.
- Work in batches to cook all of the batter, making sure not to crowd the pot.
- Serve hot with tartar sauce or ketchup, and enjoy.
What Temperature Do You Fry Hushpuppies?
The oil temperature for frying hushpuppies should be between 350 – 375 degrees F. I suggest using an instant read thermometer to test the oil temp. Heat it to 375-385 degrees F because as the cold cornmeal batter is added it will lower the temperature of the oil and you want to make sure it stays in that sweet spot between 350-375 degrees F.
Tips for Making the BEST Hushpuppies
- Grate the Onion – Grating the onion is the key to making amazing hushpuppies. I know there are recipes out there that just say to chop the onion but I think using a box grater to finely grate the onion makes all the difference!
- Chill Your Batter – Chilling the batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before beginning to fry makes it easier to scoop the batter and drop it in perfect little balls.
- Scoop Your Batter – I find that it is easiest to use two spoons scooping the batter up with one spoon and using the other spoon to slide the batter off of the spoon and into the oil. This keeps the shape mostly round (they will never be perfect!)
- Heating the Oil – To help the oil reach a steady temperature of between 350-375 degrees F. I suggest heating it over medium heat. There is a delay between shutting off the stove’s heat and the oil stabilizing so if you turn it to high heat it often overheats and you have to wait for it to cool. Use a thermometer to watch the temp and go slow.
Can You Freeze Hushpuppies?
Yes. If you want to make a bunch of hushpuppies ahead of time you can keep the in the freezer for up to three months. To do this cook your hushpuppies and let them cool completely, then wrap them in foil and store in a sealed container or plastic storage bag in the freezer.
When you are ready to use them, place the frozen hushpuppies on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
What to Serve with Hushpuppies
This classic Southern side dish can be served with just about anything. You’ll most often see it served alongside BBQ dishes such as St. Louis-Style Ribs, BBQ Pulled Pork, or BBQ Pulled Chicken. It’s also really popular at a fish fry alongside fried catfish and collard greens.
I like to make them to serve along with my Maryland Crab Cakes, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, and Instant Pot Shrimp Boil too!
There are no rules, though, so make them anytime you like and serve them with whatever you want. They are guaranteed delicious every time!
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Southern Hushpuppies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Self-rising cornmeal
- ½ cup Self-rising flour
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 medium Onion, coarsely grated
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- Canola oil , for frying
Instructions
- Place self-rising Cornmeal, self-rising flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk together until well combined.
- Add grated onion, egg, and buttermilk to the flour mixture and whisk together until the mixture comes together. Don’t over mix.
- Place batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Pour the canola oil into a dutch oven, or large pot, until it is filled with 2 inches of oil and heat oil to 350-375 degrees F.
- When the oil reaches the correct temperature drop batter by the tablespoon into the hot oil and fry. Cook for 2 minute per side or until golden brown.
- Remove cooked hushpuppies from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove the excess oil.
- Work in batches to cook all of the batter making sure not to crowd the pot.
- Serve hot with tartar sauce or ketchup and enjoy.
Nutrition
Oh wow! These look amazing! I love hushpuppies. I’m in the Northeast so we don’t get them often- but any time we go to the southeast coast for vacation I make sure I eat them every day. I’ll have to try making your recipe to get my fix at home.
I love in the Northeast now too so I know how hard it is to find good hushpuppies up here. I hope you enjoy these!! 🙂
Can I add something to regular cornmeal and flour if I don’t have self rising?
Check out this simple recipe for homemade self-rising cornmeal https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244696/self-rising-cornmeal/
Yes! Perfect! The KEY to flavor is the grated onion.
Surprised they turned out like the fish camp !!
I felt they needed more salt and sugar
Tried this recipe as we love hush puppies. I did add more salt and sugar than recommended , overall happy with the result.