Today, I’m sharing a classic Southern-style recipe near and dear to my heart: Southern Hush Puppies! Hush puppies are addictive, easy-to-make, bite-size morsels of corn deliciousness and a must-have when serving seafood or barbecue.
With an irresistible combination of a crunchy crust and tender insides, southern hush puppies, a fish fry staple, are made with a cornmeal and buttermilk batter and pan-fried or deep-fried to a deep golden brown.
Jump to:
Love at first bite: The details that make this dish special
Inspiration: it’s an old-fashioned Southern recipe
Number of Ingredients: 7
Servings: this recipe makes 12 hush puppies
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes
Primary Cooking Method: pan-frying or deep frying
Key Flavors: with just a hint of spice from jalapenos and Creole seasoning, these Southern style hush puppies, are bursting with the old-fashioned goodness of corn.
Skill Level: beginner, step-by-step video is included
- Meal prep: unsuitable for meal prep, this dish is best made and eaten immediately after cooking.
- Benefits:they make a savory side dish or hand hand-held snack or appetizer.
- Ingredients: see below for notes. The recipe card includes a complete printable list of ingredients needed and amounts.
Ingredient notes
- Self-rising cornmeal mix– sometimes referred to as self-rising cornmeal, includes cornmeal made from dried field corn that has been milled, a little flour, leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda, and salt.
- Buttermilk – is essential to make the best hush puppies and gives them a slight tanginess. I’ve included easy instructions below to make your own if you don’t usually keep buttermilk on hand.
- Flour – makes the hush puppies just a bit lighter and less dense than they would be if they were only made with cornmeal.
- Jalapenos – I like to use jarred pickled jalapenos. They are added to provide a touch of spiciness and flavor.
- Egg – helps to bind all of the ingredients together.
- Creole seasoning – adds another layer of flavor and spice to the mix.
- Peanut oil – is what I use for frying. You can substitute most types of vegetable oil, including canola oil if you prefer.
How to make Southern Hush Puppies
- Combine the cornmeal mix, flour, and creole seasoning in a medium size bowl and whisk together. Add the buttermilk, jalapenos, and egg and stir until everything is combined. It’s okay if you have a few lumps, and it will be pretty thick. Do not overmix. Set the batter aside and let it rest for ten minutes while the oil heats.
- Add the oil to a cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat and heat it to 370°F. The oil should be at least one and a half inches deep for deep frying. If you want to pan-fry them, three-quarters of an inch to an inch is plenty.
- Using an ice cream scoop (about an inch and a quarter wide) or a spoon, carefully drop small round balls of batter into the oil. Do not crowd. Repeat for subsequent batches.
- Use a metal kitchen spider or a fish turner to move the hush puppies around and turn them over until they are cooked and golden brown on all sides. This will take about three minutes. Once the first batch is done, wait until the oil temperature has returned to 370°F before adding more batter.
- Remove the hush puppies and drain them on paper towels or a wire rack set over paper towels.
- Keep them warm in a 200°F oven until they are all fried. Serve immediately while still hot.
Menu suggestions
Hush puppies are most commonly served as a side dish with fried seafood. I love to serve them with my fried grouper, fried oysters, pan-fried shrimp, and fried crab claws. They also pair beautifully with my blackened grouper, blackened mahi mahi, grilled grouper, and pecan-crusted fish.
Recipe variations
These little corn miracles are very versatile, and you can vary the flavor and texture by changing the ingredients.
Instead of jalapenos, add any one of these ingredients: one tablespoon of grated onion or one-quarter of a cup of fresh or frozen corn, creamed corn, shredded cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon, cooked shrimp to make shrimp puppies or crab to make crab puppies.
Cajun seasoning can be substituted for Creole seasoning, and if you like your hush puppies sweet, add a tablespoon of sugar to the batter.
How to store and reheat leftovers
Like most fried food, hush puppies are best eaten just after they are made, while they are still hot, If you have leftovers, store them in a covered container in your refrigerator for up to one week. Leftovers can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.
For the best results, reheat them in an air fryer at 400°F for five minutes or until they are warmed through and the crust has crisped back up. They can also be reheated in a 400°F oven on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet for about ten minutes. If they are frozen, allow them to thaw before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Cornmeal made with ground dried corn is an ingredient in cornmeal mix, containing flour, leaveners such as baking soda or baking powder, and salt. Cornmeal mix is also sometimes referred to as self-rising cornmeal.
Hush puppies are a beloved Southern dish with a name steeped in folklore. According to various stories, people would toss bits of fried cornmeal batter to their dogs while telling them to “hush, puppies.”
I prefer to use peanut oil for frying. It has a high point, which means that it will not smoke until the oil temperature surpasses 450°F. Other high-smoke point oils include avocado, safflower, and canola oil.
Hush puppies originated in the South with hoe cakes, fried cornbread, and other cornmeal dishes. Check out any fried seafood restaurant in the South, and you will always find these crispy fried corn bites of heaven perched on plates
Insider tips for perfect results
- The amount of oil needed for this recipe will vary depending on the size of skillet you are using and whether you plan to pan-fry them or deep-fry them.
- Pan-fried hush puppies will not fry up into round balls and instead will be a little flatter because you are not using as much oil.
- If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to one-half cup of whole milk or half-and-half and letting it sit for five minutes.
- If you are making your hush puppies in batches, keep ones that are already fried warm by storing them in a 200-degree oven.
- Spray your ice cream scoop or spoon with Pam or another non-stick cooking spray to make it easier for the dough to release.
- If you don’t have a candy or deep fry thermometer to test your oil heat, watch the oil and add a pinch of batter when it develops a faint shimmer but before it starts to smoke. If it immediately begins to sizzle and rise to the top, the oil is ready.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying or try to fry too many pieces at once. It will bring down the temperature of the oil, and instead of frying up crispy, your hush puppies will soak up too much oil and be greasy.
More cornmeal recipes
You can find more recipes and menu ideas like this in the Southern recipes section of my blog.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon.
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Southern Hush Puppies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal mix, self-rising cornmeal
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 4 cups peanut oil, See notes
Instructions
- Combine the cornmeal mix, flour, and creole seasoning in a medium size bowl and whisk together. Add the buttermilk, jalapenos, and egg and stir until everything is combined. It’s okay if you have a few lumps, and it will be pretty thick. Do not overmix. Set the batter aside and let it rest for ten minutes while the oil heats.
- Add the oil to a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and heat it to 370°F. For deep frying, the oil should be at least one and a half inches deep. If you want to pan-fry them, three-quarters of an inch to an inch is plenty.
- Using an ice cream scoop (about an inch and a quarter wide) or a spoon, carefully drop small round balls of batter into the oil. Do not crowd. Repeat for subsequent batches.
- Use a metal kitchen spider or a fish turner to move them around and turn them over until they are cooked and golden brown on all sides. This will take about three minutes. Once the first batch is done, wait until the oil temperature has returned to 370°F. before adding more batter.
- Remove the hush puppies and drain them on paper towels or a wire rack set over paper towels. Keep them warm in a 200°F oven until they are all fried. Serve immediately while still hot.
Leslie
In your recipe direction it says add Cajun seasoning but it’s not in the ingredients. How much do you use?
Sharon Rigsby
Yikes, I am so sorry! You will need one teaspoon. You can add another teaspoon is you like things spicy. I have corrected the recipe on the blog. I do hope you enjoy them, and thank you for letting me know.
All the best,
Sharon
Terri
Hi Sharon! I’m a Texas gal and I LOVE good hush puppies! I noticed that in your notes for this recipe you said to add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1/2 cup of milk for buttermilk. In other recipes I have of yours you have said to add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. So, the amount of amount of vinegar or lemon juice stays the same even though the amount of milk is reduced by half? Just wanting a little clarification because I never have buttermilk on hand. Thanks!
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Terri,
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention; I’m so sorry for the confusion! Actually one teaspoon is fine and it won’t hurt to have a little too much. I usually just squeeze half of a lemon in my milk.
I hope you enjoy the recipe and thanks again!
Sharon