Hush Puppies with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Hush puppies are crispy and golden on the outside with a soft, cornbread interior and served with an irresistible spicy dipping sauce made from only three ingredients. These are a Southern classic and this recipe is absolutely the best; a simple batter that comes together quickly and only takes minutes to fry up. A perfect side dish or appetizer for your next seafood (or, heck, any!) meal!
I first fell in love with hush puppies when I was pretty young. One day when we were out, my mom stopped at Long John Silvers for lunch and I refused to touch a piece of fish; instead, I stuffed my face full of these deep-fried balls of cornbread batter and was in absolute heaven. I’ve loved them ever since!
I don’t encounter them on menus very often in our area, but anytime I travel even remotely south and have seen them on a menu, I HAVE to order them!
If you’ve never had hush puppies, they are basically like a cornbread fritter; usually served alongside seafood and other fried food like French fries. This somewhat comical name is said to have come about because hunters, fishermen, and other cooks would fry up a basic cornbread mixture to feed their dogs in order to “hush the puppies” during cookouts or fish fries.
Once I made them from scratch at home, I couldn’t believe how insanely simple they are to make. It takes literally less than 5 minutes to mix the batter together, and then you just drop them in some oil and fry away! You could use a large pot or Dutch oven; I make mine in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet easily in two batches. You can serve them on their own, but they are fabulous with dipping sauce!
Recipe tips
These are very easy to make right in your own kitchen, and I’m including some tips and ideas below:
- Equipment Recommendations: Small cookie scoop (for perfect, even-sized hush puppies) / Cast iron skillet / Dutch oven / Thermometer
- Oil: While peanut oil or vegetable oil is recommended, you can use other oils with a high smoke point – corn, soybean, safflower, canola, cottonseed, or sunflower.
- Mix-Ins: If you want to stir in some extra flavor, you can toss in frozen or canned whole corn kernels, chopped jalapeno, chopped bacon, a little shredded cheese, etc.
- To Bake: While I highly, highly encourage you to fry these for maximize flavor and texture, you can bake them in a mini muffin tin at 450 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Make-Ahead: You can mix together the batter up to 1 hour before frying the hush puppies.
- Storing: Leftover hush puppies should be stored in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Once made, cool completely, then place on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined zip-to freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Hush puppies are definitely best eaten soon after being made but can be reheated in a 400-degree oven for about 5 minutes. If using frozen, microwave for about 1 minute to thaw before reheating in the oven.
What to serve with hush puppies
A couple of ideas to round out your meal if you want to serve them as a side:
- Homemade Fish Sticks with Tartar Sauce
- Beer Battered Cod
- Coconut Shrimp with Mango Dipping Sauce
- Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
More cornbread-y favorites
If you love anything and everything cornbread-based, here are a few more recipes for you:
Watch the Hush Puppies Recipe Video:
If you make these hush puppies and love them, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️
Hush Puppies with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the Hush Puppies:
- ¾ cup (117 g) cornmeal
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup (40 g) minced yellow onion
- 2 quarts (1.89 l) peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
For the Dipping Sauce:
- ⅓ cup (79 g) sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
Instructions
- Make the Batter: Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne in a large bowl. Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs and onion until combined. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
- Make the Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise and Sriracha. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Fry the Hush Puppies: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Drop half of batter into oil in heaping tablespoons (I used a small cookie scoop) and fry until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, turning hush puppies halfway through cooking.
- Transfer to a wire rack set over a double layer of paper towels and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately. The hushpuppies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Equipment Recommendations: Small cookie scoop (for perfect, even-sized hush puppies) / Cast iron skillet / Dutch oven / Thermometer
- Oil: While peanut oil or vegetable oil is recommended, you can use other oils with a high smoke point – corn, soybean, safflower, canola, cottonseed, or sunflower.
- Mix-Ins: If you want to stir in some extra flavor, you can toss in frozen or canned whole corn kernels, chopped jalapeno, chopped bacon, a little shredded cheese, etc.
- To Bake: While I highly, highly encourage you to fry these for maximize flavor and texture, you can bake them in a mini muffin tin at 450 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Make-Ahead: You can mix together the batter up to 1 hour before frying the hush puppies.
- Storing: Leftover hush puppies should be stored in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Once made, cool completely, then place on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined zip-to freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Hush puppies are definitely best eaten soon after being made but can be reheated in a 400-degree oven for about 5 minutes. If using frozen, microwave for about 1 minute to thaw before reheating in the oven.
- Recipe from Cook’s Country, August/September 2009
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[Photography by Ari of Well Seasoned]
How do you know when they are done on the inside? How deep does the oil need to be?
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With the exception of the sauce, these are just like the ones my Mamaw made every summer when I’d go for a stay on the farm during summer break. They had a pond stocked with catfish where we would catch our dinner. Fried catfish, hushpuppies, slaw, and homemade ice cream for dessert. Your hushpuppies are just as delicious, but I don’t have to clean the fish, ha. Thanks!
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Is it at all possible to cook these in a broth instead of using an oil to deep fry? I try to say away from all grease/oil/fried foods due to gall bladder issues. When i fondue i use a broth (of preference) such as ham/chicken/beef bouillon type.
Very good, so nice and fluffy! Better than any others I’ve had.
Thank you for a hushpuppy recipe without sugar! I can’t abide a sweet hushpuppy. Will be trying this soon!
They sound yummy! you could make them into a dessert and add some dessicated coconut and vanilla extract and make a bit of a chocolate dipping sauce.
I’ve never had these, but I can tell they will be amaaaaazing😊
Your hush puppies look terrific and def something I would like to make. The only hush puppies that I have eaten are a different take on these. They are stuffed with chunks of hot dogs and are yummy. Gives you something to think about.