Southern Hush Puppies
Hush puppies are a very famous Southern comfort food. They are small, golden, and crispy cornmeal balls. They taste amazing with fried fish, barbecue, or any weekend meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika optional
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Mix the dry ingredients
- Put cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk gently until combined.
Add the wet ingredients
- Add the egg and buttermilk to the dry mix. Stir slowly until everything looks smooth and thick.
Add the chopped onion
- Fold in the onion using a spoon. Make sure the onion spreads evenly through the batter.
- Heat the oil
- Pour oil into a deep pot. Heat it to 350°F. Keep the oil hot but not smoking.
Scoop the batter
- Use a small spoon to scoop the batter. Drop small balls of batter gently into the hot oil.
Fry until golden
- Cook the hush puppies for about 3–4 minutes. Turn them gently so they fry evenly.
Remove and drain
- Take them out using a slotted spoon. Place them on paper towels to remove extra oil.
Serve warm
- Serve the hush puppies while warm. Enjoy their crispy outside and fluffy inside.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter, or the hush puppies may become heavy.
- Keep the oil temperature steady for best results.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for spice.
- Add chopped jalapeños or green onions for extra flavor.
- Use fresh buttermilk because it gives a soft and airy texture.
- Make mini hush puppies if you like small, bite-sized snacks.
- If you want sweeter hush puppies, add one more teaspoon of sugar.