Hush Puppies Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is hush puppy batter made of? ›

Hush puppies are made from a basic batter consisting of yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk or milk and eggs. Many recipes call for the addition of scallions or onions. The base lends itself to riffing, too, including the addition of spicy peppers, cheese, spices or even beer.

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Hush Puppies vs. Corn Fritters. Hush puppies and corn fritters may be in the same family, but each is unique. They're both deliciously indulgent, deep-fried dough featuring corn, but hush puppies are made from a cornmeal-based batter, while corn fritters are flour-based and studded with corn kernels throughout.

Besides fried catfish, shrimp, chicken, crab cakes, or bbq, you might want to serve a dipping sauce for you hush puppies. We like honey or ranch, but ketchup, tartar sauce, remoulade sauce, or Outback sauce are all great options that go well with the savory-sweet fried cornmeal dough.

In fact, the Carolinas can proudly claim to be the birthplace of this now-iconic American food. A hushpuppy is a simple treat—thick cornmeal batter dropped in spheres (or nuggets or fingers) into hot oil and fried till crisp and brown.

Think of the batter as a quick bread: Stir only until the dry ingredients are moist, what cooks once described as ten times around the bowl. Over-mixing makes for tough hushpuppies. Even if you don't care for sweet cornbread, a spoonful of sugar stirred into the batter encourages browning.

If your hush puppies are falling apart, you may have used too much cornmeal. Try adding a little more (but not too much) flour. If you add too much flour, they'll become dense. For healthier hush puppies, try baking them.

To this day, some old-timers in the middle region of South Carolina continue to call hushpuppies Red Horse Bread. South Carolinians were not the only ones to hit on the joys of frying cornmeal batter in fish grease. Comparable creations could be found in Georgia and Florida, but they were called by different names.

Hush puppies are "hillbilly beignets". How can you not love their deep fried crispy shell and the savory moist corn cake inside? Heck, they are basically corn dogs without the stick or hot dog!

They're the perfect accompaniment to Southern classics like fried fish and barbecue, but don't stop there. Split the hush puppies open, add a pat of salted butter, and serve with anything you've got on the menu.

Do cooked hushpuppies need to be refrigerated? ›

If the hush puppies are browning too quickly, lower the heat; it's important that the oil maintains a temperature of around 350°F for even cooking. Serve warm. (Leftover hush puppies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.)

For the best results, use a digital cooking thermometer to make sure that the oil is consistently around 350°F (177°C) as you fry. You can store leftover southern hush puppies in a container or sealed bag in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What Is the Difference Between Corn Fritters and Hush Puppies? Though similar in their ingredients, corn fritters are different from hush puppies. Corn fritters feature corn kernels and have a pancake shape, while hush puppies feature a cornmeal batter rolled into balls before frying.

This tasty recipe idea comes from Herman on Louisiana Fish Fry's Operations Team.

The main difference is that cornbread is baked and hush puppies are fried, hence the difference in texture—though hush puppies can be air fryed, too. "Typically hush puppy batter is a little thicker than cornbread batter, but that is just a matter of moisture. The basic ingredients are the same," Matijevich said.

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