Hush Puppies

Delicious, super easy, bite-sized cornmeal fritters with a beautiful crunchy exterior and a moist inner texture. Enjoy this fun appetizer or side, perfect for gatherings and special occasions.

Makes 20-24 hush puppies

Course Main

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 215kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (138g) cornmeal
½ tablespoon (6g) baking powder
2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
1 tablespoon (10g) garlic powder
⅓ cup (75-76g) buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, softened
2-3 tablespoons (12-18g) chopped or grated onion
oil for frying

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, and garlic powder.
In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk and lightly beaten eggs until well combined.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated, and then add the grated onions and butter.
Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat (375℉/190℃) until hot but not smoking.
Scoop the batter with a spoon and gently drop it into the hot oil. Fry in batches, turning once, until golden brown (about 5 minutes per batch). Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, as it will absorb excess oil, resulting in soggy hushpuppies.
Remove the hush puppies with a slotted spoon, letting the excess oil drain back into the skillet. Place them on paper towels to absorb more oil.

Notes

Avoid overmixing the batter so they don't get tough. Stir around 8-10 times or until the dry and liquid ingredients are barely combined.
Let the batter stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before forming the balls.
A Dutch oven and deep cast-iron skillet both work well for frying. Just make sure the oil is 5-6 inches deep or enough to submerge the hush puppies in 3-4 inches of oil.
Fry in batches until golden brown, flipping several times with a slotted spoon or other frying utensil to prevent the oil temperature from dropping and resulting in greasy hush puppies.
A cookie or ice cream scoop makes dropping the batter into the hot oil a breeze. If using a spoon, dip it into a glass of water between each hush puppy to keep the dough from sticking.
Drain on a double layer of paper towels or a wire rack to get as much oil off as possible.
Since hush puppies need to be fried in batches, I like keeping the cooked ones warm in a 200℉ (93℃) oven. Just don't forget them to avoid overcooking them.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and may vary greatly depending on the ingredients used.

Nutrition