Homemade Hushpuppies

Homemade hushpuppies are a Southern staple. These fried cornmeal fritters are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside with a slightly sweet savory flavor you’ll love!

You can’t be from the South without indulging in hushpuppies.

They are at pretty much every southern restaurant and a classic that most southern moms and grandmas cook up with fried fish or fried chicken.

And all I can say is yum!

What are hushpuppies?

Hushpuppies are fried balls of a batter made from flour, cornmeal, sugar and spices.

Sometimes they have corn kernels in it or other spices as well.

What do hush puppies taste like?

Like a little piece of heaven if heaven was a deep fried morsel of goodness!

Or you know, like slightly sweet, savory fried cornbread balls with a crunchy exterior and soft warm interior.

Ingredients

To make these you’ll need:

• Flour– All purpose
• Cornmeal– Yellow
• Baking powder– For lift
• Sugar– Granulated
• Spices– Salt, onion powder, and garlic powder
• Eggs
• Buttermilk– Don’t have any? Make your own by mixing a teaspoon and a quarter  of vinegar or lemon juice with enough milk to make a full cup and a quarter.
• Oil– Canola oil is best, but you can also use peanut oil for frying up these bad boys.

How to Make

Hushpuppies aren’t hard to put together.

To do it, whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs until evenly combined.

Then, pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.

Fold in the ingredients, stirring just until evenly combined.

Cover the bowl tightly with cling wrap- then chill for at least 2 hours, but up to 12.

Add oil to a Dutch oven until it’s roughly 2 inches deep.

Heat the oil until it reaches roughly 350°.

Once the oil’s hot and shimmery, carefully drop the batter in by the tablespoon full.

Don’t overcrowd the pan.

Fry the batter for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through frying.

When the hush puppies are golden brown and crispy on the outside, use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove them from the hot oil.

Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess grease.

Continue working in batches until all of the batter is fried.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover hush puppies in a ziplocking bag in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat them by baking them in a 400 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

What to Serve with Hush Puppies

Traditionally, hush puppies are served with fried food like:

• catfish
• shrimp
• chicken

Do hush puppies have fish in them?

No! No fish in sight, but some people think they do because they are often served with fish.

Tips and Tricks

• Do you prefer corn kernels in your hushpuppies? You can stir 1/2 cup drained, canned corn into the batter.
• Want spicier fritters? Mix some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes into the batter.
• Serve these with tarter sauce, tzatziki sauce, dill pickle dip, or ranch dressing for dipping.

Other Southern Side Dishes

Homemade hushpuppies are a Southern classic we love. Make them with your next fish fry and enjoy!

Looking for other Southern side dishes? Try these:

• 2 Ingredient Coleslaw
• Classic Southern Style Deviled Eggs
• Slow Cooker Corn On The Cob
• Better Cornbread From A Box

If you’ve tried these HOMEMADE HUSHPUPPIES, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!