Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (2024)

Hush Puppies are the perfect addition to accompany your Southern-inspired meal from fried chicken to shrimp and grits. Bites of corn batter fried until crisp on the outside and tender and fluffy inside!

Of course Hush puppies are great for snacking too! Slather them in a sweet Honey Butter, dip them in soups or even in a spicy mayonnaise.

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (1)

Bites of Heaven

Small little handheld bites of heaven.

What Are Hush Puppies? Hush puppies are small bits of deep fried cornmeal batter. Unlike soft cornbread, they are crunchy and golden brown on the outside and melt-in-your mouth light on the inside. Typically, you’ll find them in golf ball sized globes or fingers, depending on how the cook drops them in the oil.

The main ingredient in hush puppies is always going to be cornmeal, we also add buttermilk, egg and a leavening ingredient, usually baking soda.

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (2)

These homemade hush puppies most often served with those other Southern classics: fried fish, shrimp boil, fried chicken and collard greens.

Can you freeze them? Sure you can! If you have leftovers or want to make extras, let them cool, and place them in a freezer bag for up to four months. The next time you’re hungry for some hush puppies, let them thaw and spread them out on a foil-lined cookie sheet, and warm them in a hot oven for 10 minutes to restore some of the crunchiness.

So Why are They Called Hush Puppies? It’s a much-debated question! It’s speculated (among many other stories) that fishermen would fry up the batter they used for fish fries, and toss them to yapping dogs to “hush” their barking. The true origins may be lost, but that doesn’t mean we enjoy this iconic Southern staple any less!

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (3)

How To Make Hush Puppies

This is one time when you’ll want to get out your deep fryer. True hush puppies are golden crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Here’s how to make this easy hush puppy recipe:

  1. Heat up your deep fryer. (If using a pan on the stovetop, you’ll need several inches of oil so the hush puppies will float as they fry.)
  2. Mix your ingredients and drop by spoonfuls into the fryer. Allow to cook until golden on the outside and tender in the middle.
  3. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Peanut oil holds up well to intense fryer heat and doesn’t produce any off flavors. You can also use canola oil, vegetable oil or corn oil.

More Southern Favorites

  • Corn Casseroleperfect for potlucks
  • Biscuits and Gravyserve with hush puppies!
  • Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuitseasy and flavorful
  • Dirty Riceanother delicious side
  • Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplingsperfect main to serve with hush puppies!

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (4)

4.91 from 55 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Easy Hush Puppies Recipe

If you need a side of bread to accompany your Southern-inspired meal, you won’t find anything more delicious than hush puppies.

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Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (5)

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (7)

Author Holly Nilsson

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup buttermilk you may not use all of it
  • oil for frying

Instructions

  • Preheat oil to 350°F.

  • Combine dry ingredients.

  • Beat egg. Add to dry mixture with most of the buttermilk adding more as needed to create a dough that is moist but not runny.

  • Drop mixture by teaspoon in hot oil.Cook 3-5 minutes until golden, turning once during cook time.

  • Place on paper towel to cool. Serve with honey butter.

Notes

If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can make abuttermilk substitute!

Optional: add a tablespoon of minced onion.

4.91 from 55 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 124 | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (8) Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (9) Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (10)

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Easy Hush Puppies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in hush puppies? ›

Image of What are the ingredients in hush puppies?
Cornmeal is a meal ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but it is not as fine as wheat flour can be. In Mexico, very finely ground cornmeal is referred to as corn flour.
Wikipedia

How was hush puppies made? ›

He published the "famous recipe" of Mrs. J. G. Cooper, "an expert on hush-puppies." It called for one quart of white water-ground cornmeal, two eggs, three teaspoons of baking powder, and one teaspoon of salt, which were mixed into a batter and cooked in the same pan as the fish.

Why are my hush puppies dry? ›

If your hush puppies are falling apart in the frying oil, there is probably too much flour or cornmeal in the batter. Try adding a little more buttermilk to the batter. Why are my hush puppies dry and tough? There are two main reasons: either the batter is over-mixed or they have been fried too long.

Why do my hush puppies fall apart? ›

If your hush puppies are falling apart, you may have used too much cornmeal. Try adding a little more (but not too much) flour. If you add too much flour, they'll become dense. For healthier hush puppies, try baking them.

What are original hush puppies? ›

In fact, the Carolinas can proudly claim to be the birthplace of this now-iconic American food. A hushpuppy is a simple treat—thick cornmeal batter dropped in spheres (or nuggets or fingers) into hot oil and fried till crisp and brown.

What are hush puppies made of Long John Silver's? ›

ingredients
  • 14 cup milk.
  • 1 egg.
  • 12 cup cornmeal.
  • 14 cup flour.
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder.
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt.
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder.

Did hush puppies come from slavery? ›

I also have heard a similar story in which runaway slaves would use this favorite food to hush the dogs. The characters change but the story is the same. If slaves created the hushpuppy, it was most likely based on a common fried cornmeal from parts of South Africa called "mealie pap."

What is the black history about hush puppies? ›

Well, it appears that Confederate soldiers would use. hush puppies along the trail. to distract the dogs of Union soldiers. while they got away. In slavery, slaves would use hush puppies to also distract the dogs.

Where did the name hush puppies come from slavery? ›

So, escaping slaves used to throw balls of fried cornmeal out to distract the hounds from tracking them. The hound stopped barking and tracking thanks to the cornmeal which later adopted the name "hush puppies.” We know this is true because it's popping up all over Facebook, right?

How do you know when hush puppies are done? ›

When the hush puppies turn golden brown, start temping them with your Thermapen. If the lowest temp you see is 165°F (74°C), the hush puppies are done! Remove the hush puppies to a paper towel-lined pan, bring the oil back up to heat, and fry the rest in batches as above.

Why are my hush puppies greasy? ›

If oil is not hot enough, the puppies will be greasy. I usually put 1 or 2 spoonsful of batter in the hot oil to test it before making a whole batch of these tasty little Southern treats. Adjust oil temperature as needed.

Why are my hush puppies so greasy? ›

The reason is that the hush puppies tend to be greasy if cooked at too low a temperature. Also, the outside tends to overcook if they are cooked at too high a temperature.

Are hush puppies a Southern thing? ›

Hushpuppies are strongly associated with the Southern United States. A southern hushpuppy championship is held annually in Lufkin, Texas, and they are also available throughout the United States at restaurants serving deep-fried seafood.

Do Hushpuppies need to be refrigerated? ›

Temp the oil.

You can store leftover southern hush puppies in a container or sealed bag in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, put them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350°F (177°C)for about 3 to 5 minutes or until hot.

What meat goes with hush puppies? ›

What do you eat hush puppies with? Besides fried catfish, shrimp, chicken, crab cakes, or bbq, you might want to serve a dipping sauce for you hush puppies. We like honey or ranch, but ketchup, tartar sauce, remoulade sauce, or Outback sauce are all great options that go well with the savory-sweet fried cornmeal dough.

Does hush puppies use pig skin? ›

Hush Puppies was founded in 1958 by Wolverine, who wanted to develop a casual and soft shoe, using pig skin.

Do hush puppies contain milk? ›

Typical hushpuppy ingredients include cornmeal, wheat flour, eggs, salt, baking soda, milk or buttermilk, and water, and may include onion, spring onion (scallion), garlic, whole kernel corn, and peppers.

Are hush puppies healthy to eat? ›

Hushpuppies can be a modest source of essential vitamins and minerals. They often contain small amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron, which play vital roles in supporting overall health and well-being.

What is the flavor of hush puppies? ›

These heavenly bites boast a perfectly crunchy exterior, a soft and fluffy interior, and are bursting with rich, corn flavor. Bet you can't eat just one! Hush puppies are a beloved Southern dish that pair perfectly with seafood or BBQ.

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