Southern Hushpuppies Recipe
Southern Hushpuppies
Follow our easy, step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions to learn how to make our deep fried Southern Hushpuppies. You’ll want to make a bunch. Printable recipe included.
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These light and fluffy Southern Hushpuppies are a must have when enjoying fried fish and seafood, or when enjoying some truly Southern Barbecue. They’re even better when you get a little Honey Butter on the side along with them.
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If there is one thing we Southerners like with our fried fish, seafood, and our barbecue; it’s hushpuppies. We can’t seem to get enough of them. They’re just so downright delicious.
I managed the kitchen for my brothers seafood house restaurant during the first years it was open. And, during that time, we made a “TON” of hushpuppies.
As with any seafood or barbecue restaurant here in the South, when you walk in, or right after you’ve placed your order, the server will probably bring you a large plastic basket filled with hot deep fried hushpuppies.
The basket of hushpuppies serve multiple purposes. They whet your appetite for the meal soon coming, and they secretly help fill you up so that you leave totally full and satisfied with your meal. They also help pass the time and keep you happy while you wait on your meal to be prepared.
If you’re lucky, you may also get a little cup of homemade Honey Butter to dip them in. Sometimes, you might have to ask for that though. The sweetness of the Honey Butter just makes the hushpuppies all that much better.
Of course, we wash them down with a nice ice cold glass of Sweet Tea.
Before you know it, that basket of hushpuppies is gone, and your server will quickly return with another one to go along with your meal. It’s just the way we do it.
Making hushpuppies at home is really easy. Whether you have a home fryer or just fill a pot with some cooking oil, you’ll love the taste of our Southern Hushpuppies. Make a bunch, you’re going to need them. Smile.
Ready to give our recipe a try? Alright then, let’s head on out to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking!
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Southern Hushpuppies – You’ll need these ingredients.
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Place 1 cup self-rising flour in a medium sized mixing bowl.
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Add 1/2 cup Self-Rising Corn Meal.
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Add 1 Tablespoon of white granulated Sugar.
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Add 1/2 teaspoon of Salt.
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Mix all the dry ingredients together well.
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Gradually add enough WARM water to make a batter a little thicker than you would a pancake batter. Not to runny, but not to dry either. Smile.
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Mix well. Then, set the batter aside while you heat up the oil for frying. This will give the batter time to rise a bit.
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I use a small deep pot to fry my hushpuppies in. Fill it just over half full with canola or peanut oil. Bring the oil up to 350F degrees. A candy thermometer comes in real handy for this. Or, you can drop a pinch of corn meal into the oil when it gets hot. If the corn meal sizzles, the oil is hot enough for frying.
Drop just about half a teaspoon of your batter in the oil to test it out as well. If it floats and sizzles, you should be good to go.
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Scoop out a Tablespoon of the batter with a spoon. Carefully tilt the spoon and let the batter slide into the hot oil.
Sometimes, I dip the end of the spoon into the oil first to help the batter slide off the spoon easier.
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Continue to drop the batter into the oil. Don’t overcrowd the pot, but you can about fill the pot with hushpuppies.
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A slotted spoon is great for this. As the bottom of the hushpuppies begin to brown, some of them will automatically flip over in the hot oil. If you see the bottom browning but they don’t flip, gently nudge them over with your slotted spoon. They should roll over and continue to fry.
Let the puppies fry until they are golden brown in color. You’ll need to experiment with this some to be sure they are fully cooked inside without letting them burn on the outside.
If your oil is too hot, they will burn quickly on the outside without cooking fully inside. The more you fry the better you’ll get at it. Don’t give up. It’s really easy. Just be careful with the hot oil and keep the children and the pets away from the stove as you make them.
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When they are golden brown in color, scoop them out and place them in a bowl that you have lined with paper towels. It’s even better if you can place them on a wire rack to let them cool.
The more you practice with these, the more consistent you will get at making them. Don’t worry about the odd shapes you’ll get sometimes, that’s just part of it.
Thinner batters will produce some of the “tails” you see on the hushpuppies. Getting the batter mixed just right will give you more consistent one’s.
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Enjoy!
Hushpuppies are perfect with fried fish and seafood. They’re also great with Southern barbecue. We always served them with a small cup of Honey-Butter to dip them in. Hungry yet?
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Southern Hushpuppies Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Varies
- Category: Side Dish, Bread
- Method: Deep Fat Frying
- Cuisine: American, Southern
Description
Light and fluffy deep fried hushpuppies are a real treat when served with a plate of fish and seafood, or with some good old Southern barbecue. Easy to make.
Ingredients
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1/2 cup Self-Rising Corn Meal
1 Tablespoon granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Warm water as needed.
Cooking oil for frying.
Instructions
Place flour in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Add the corn meal.
Add the sugar.
Add the salt.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Gradually add enough warm water to make a thick batter. Set aside.
Heat cooking oil in a deep pot until oil reaches 350F degrees for frying.
Scoop batter by the Tablespoonful and carefully drop into the hot oil.
Let the puppies cook until golden brown on the bottom.
Flip puppies over in the oil if they do not flip on their own.
Fry until golden brown all over.
Remove when done and place in a paper towel lined bowl to cool.
Enjoy!
Notes
Proper batter consistency is key to making good hushpuppies. You want a batter a little thicker than pancake batter. It should hold it’s shape when you spoon it out of the bowl and drop it into the cooking oil. A little practice will have you making great hushpuppies in no time.
Keywords: southern hushpuppies, corn meal, flour, self-rising, sugar, salt, batter, sides for fish, sides for bbq
Your Comments:
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Category: Breads, Side Dishes
Do you use cornmeal or cornmeal mix? The picture shows a bag of corn meal mix but the ingredient list says cornmeal. Thank you. I love all of your recipes that I have tried for my family.
Hi Melanie, I normally use cornmeal, but used what I had. I’m sorry for the confusion. I hope this helps. Thank you for your visit and your kind words. I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Oh my, these look so good and easy to make! I’m sending my son out to get corn meal so I can make them tonight. We love hush puppies! Thank you!
★★★★★
No sugar in any cornbread unless you want cake
Hi Terry, I respectfully request that we agree to disagree with regards to the sugar. Smile. I certainly prefer a little sugar in the hushpuppies and in my cornbread. Maybe even a little more than what I mentioned in the recipe. I appreciate your visits. Stop by to see us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I really enjoyed your column about restaurant work back in the day. I felt like I was right there, watching everyone hustle to feed the crowd.
One thing I’ve always been curious about (even sometimes at home): How do you drain the oil and what do you do with it? I’ve taken to washing and saving lidded jars once they’re emptied to fill with used oil then add to our trash. Is that a good or a poor solution?
Thank you again for your weekly effort. By the way, a year or two ago I switched to Dukes mayo due to your words and I’m so glad I did.
Best,
Mary Ellen
Hi Mary Ellen, Thank you for your kind comments. I’m so happy you have discovered our beloved Duke’s Mayonnaise. Good for you. Smile. At the restaurant, we drained all the old oil into buckets and then carried it outside where we had a large metal collection container. About every other week, a large truck would come by and collect it from us where it got recycled and used in other ways. Later, we created a system inside the restaurant where we poured the warm oil into a funnel that then emptied it into a pipe. The pipe ran through the wall and drained downhill into the same collection container outside. That proved much easier to work with for us. It could sometimes get messy though. And, I do the same as you here at home. I toss it in the trash. Guess it’s not the best thing to do, but you certainly don’t want it going down your drain. I appreciate your visits. Stop by to see us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
My niece used to called these “shut up dogs”.
Unfortunately, like most people on the east coast you assume that California IS the west coast. We are having terrible wild fires in Washington and Oregon as well. Right now Portland Oregon has the worst air quality in the world from the fires.
★★★★
Hi Willow, Shut up dogs is funny. Wonder where she came up with that name. Smile. I’m sorry that I failed to mention the fires in Washington and Oregon in my Newsletter. I hope you’re safe and well where you are. I can’t imagine what all that must be like right now. Stay safe. I appreciate your visits. Stop by to see us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I finely chop onions into my hush puppy batter. I use green onions when I have them.
Hi Karen, I like onions in mine as well. But, most of the time I just add some onion powder. Of course, we didn’t add it at the restaurant because not everyone likes them with onions. Got to try and keep the customers happy. I have a friend that likes to add jalapeno peppers to them. Those are awesome as well. I appreciate your visits. Stop by to see us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve