No-Fail Southern Hush Puppies
Hush Puppies have always been a mainstay in my home. I have the fondest memories of my dad, who was an avid fisherman, standing in the kitchen deep-frying fish and hush puppies after a day on the lake. Sometimes he’d add bacon and cheese to the hushpuppies and other times they’d be plain, but they were always delicious. He rocked at making them every time.
I didn’t start making hush puppies until about a year after being married. Mine never turned out like my dad’s though—they would come out unshaped and too airy. I just couldn’t seem to get them right. Dad made it look so simple. Finally, I asked him for his recipe, and, much to my surprise, he said “I don’t have a recipe. You can just look at the batter and see if it’s going to be good.” Now that I’m older I can appreciate that—much of cooking is about intuition.
There are a few tips that I can give you that will make your hushpuppies foolproof.
Tips for No-Fail Hush Puppies
- Self-rising flour will give you the best results. If you don’t have self-rising ingredients on hand, use all-purpose flour and cornmeal, and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the dry ingredient.
- Fresh cornmeal and flour is a must. Even for cornbread, freshness makes all the difference in the world.
- You must be patient and wait for the oil to reach 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If you fry them any earlier, they will become drenched in oil and be super greasy. In between each fry, allow the temperature to come back up to the 375. You won’t be sorry.
- Learn the consistency of the batter that gives YOU the best results. For me, the batter needs to be much thicker than a cornmeal batter. That’s where I made my mistake.
WATCH: How to Make No-Fail Southern Hushpuppies
No-Fail Southern Hush Puppies
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 finely chopped jalapeño
- 1/2 cup corn fresh or canned
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 quart vegetable or peanut oil
- Tabasco hot sauce optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, and salt, and remove any lumps. In a separate bowl, add onion, jalapeño, corn, cheese, buttermilk, and egg. Mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well. Allow the batter to stand at room temperature for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a deep skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure there is enough oil for the hushpuppies to float. Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Drop the batter by tablespoon into the hot oil until golden brown. Remove the hushpuppies to the cooling rack and continue frying.
Thank you for sharing your recipe Stacy, watching you preparing and cooking, I am sure this is going to be a real hit with the family/friends. This will be a great treat to “take a something with” for a all round treat! We don’t get self-raising cornmeal here. I will just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder, they will still be just great if made with love. We are at the start of winter so these will be an ideal snack as well. Kind regards.
I am so glad Elize!! How wonderful. This made me smile so big!!
I hope you love them!!
I came across your website while looking for crispy hot water cornbread, which I found here, and then found this one for hush puppies. I grew up in what I call the northern part of the south, and both these recipes are what I’m used to. LOVE the addition of the cheddar cheese. I now live high in the Andes mountains in South America, and NOBODY’s heard of such a thing here, so I’ll have myself a good time showing off. There’s no such thing as self rising anything here, so conversions are good. Loved your video on making the hush puppies…made me feel right at home. Love the website design.
I’ll bet you do have fun showing all the Southern US favorites in South America! How fun is that! What are you doing in South America?
What do I do? I retired early to enjoy more. Summers in Virginia became WAY too hot, so I looked for a place that was balmy year round with good views and good people and – found it through my travels. Moving to a foreign country isn’t for everyone, but I’ve always loved adventure. I WILL say high altitude baking (8,400 feet) is a bit more than an adventure. Don’t ask how many southern pound cakes boiled over in my oven. I DID find the secret, but I wish I’d paid more attention in chemistry class.
Can you use yellow self rising cornmeal? I noticed in your video that you were using white self rising meal.
You absolutely can!! That will work beautifully.
I am so glad I found you and you wonderful recipe. I. Am 63 yrs old and have tried numerous recipes throughout my lifetime and have never been able to find a recipe that has worked for me until now. They are so moist and crunchy I love them ! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Oh, you have no idea how happy that makes me. I have looked for perfect recipes during my life and am still looking for a few that I just haven’t found yet. I’ve been testing over and over again several things. I will get there; I just know it. I can’t thank you enough for your kind words!
When I mixed it up and realized it was supposed to be like a thick oatmeal I knew that’s what was wrong all these yrs. Lol Thanks again !!!
Stacy,
Happy to find your show. I’m an 80 year old boy who loves to cook like your Dad.
It’s on the Outdoor Channel at 7:30 Central on Monday nights! I sure hope you’ll be watching!! Glad you love to cook! It’s awesome isn’t it!