Homemade Southern Style Hush Puppies are everything you would expect a great hush puppy to be! The best ever, these easy-to-make, bite-size morsels of corn deliciousness are addictive and a must-have when serving seafood, southern peas, or barbecue.
With an irresistible combination of a crunchy crust and tender insides, southern hush puppies are a tasty fish fry staple, made with a cornmeal and buttermilk batter and pan-fried or deep-fried to a deep golden brown.
With just a hint of spice from jalapenos and Creole seasoning, homemade southern hush puppies, like their relatives Hoe Cakes or Fried Cornbread, are bursting with the old-fashioned goodness of corn and make a perfect savory side dish or snack.
Check out any fried seafood restaurant in the South, and you will always find these crispy fried corn bites of heaven perched on plates loaded with local delicacies such as fried shrimp, fried crab claws, fried oysters, fried grouper, or fried catfish.
Ingredients – here’s what you need:
- 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.
Directions – here’s how to make them:
- 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 degrees F. For deep frying, the oil should be at least one and one-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 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 degrees 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-degree oven until they are all fried. Serve immediately while still hot.
Frequently asked questions:
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.
A quick search on the internet turned up no less than a dozen different theories about how hush puppies got their name. The only thing almost all of them agree on is they originated in the South along with hoe cakes, fried cornbread, and other dishes made with cornmeal. And, they have been a popular dish ever since.
Hush puppies are most commonly served as a side dish with fried seafood. I love to serve them with my fried grouper, fried oysters, fried shrimp, and fried crab claws. They also pair beautifully with my blackened grouper, blackened mahi mahi, grilled grouper, and pecan-crusted fish.
If you want a special treat, serve them with southern peas, such as white acre peas or field peas. They go well with anything you would normally serve cornbread with.
Like most fried food, hush puppies are best eaten while still hot, just after they are made. 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 degrees 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-degree oven on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet for about ten minutes. If they are frozen, allow them to thaw before reheating.
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.
Sharon’s tips:
- 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 a bit of Pam or another non-stick cooking spray on your ice cream scoop or spoon to make it easier for the dough to release.
- I always use peanut oil for frying, but you can also use vegetable oil or canola oil.
- 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 just 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 recipes with cornmeal:
Cornbread is probably the most well-known recipe using cornmeal. But cornmeal is a versatile ingredient, and not only is it used for baking and breading seafood, but it can also be used for various sweet and savory dishes. Check out these popular recipes and menu ideas on my blog.
- Old Fashioned Cornbread
- Traditional Cornbread
- Cornmeal Biscuits
- Blueberry Upside Down Cake
- Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits
You can find more recipes and menu ideas like this in the Southern recipe section of my blog.
★★★★★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!
Homemade Southern Style Hush Puppies
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal mix self-rising cornmeal
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 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 degrees F. For deep frying, the oil should be at least one and one-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 degrees 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-degree oven until they are all fried. Serve immediately while still hot.
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!
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