This is my favorite hush puppy recipe! They are crisp and golden on the outside and light on the inside. I love these hush puppies with dipping sauce as an appetizer but they also make a great side dish for almost any meal.
3/4cup(180 ml) buttermilk (you can substitute 7oz/200g plain yoghurt)
1large egg
1/4onion (1 tablespoon grated)
Sriracha dip:
2/3cup(160 g) sour cream
4teaspoonssriracha (use more if you want it spicy)
2teaspoonsdijon mustard (optional but recommended)
Pinchsalt
In addition:
About 3 cups (750 ml) sunflower/vegetable/peanut oil for frying (use oil with a high smoke point)
Instructions
Make batter:
Combine dry ingredients – cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder – in a bowl. Add buttermilk and egg and stir to combine. Grate onion directly into the bowl with the batter. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon grated onion including juices. Stir and then set the batter aside for 10 minutes. In the meantime make the dip and heat the oil.
Make the dip:
For the dip stir together sour cream, sriracha, mustard, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl or mug. Set aside. Prepare a large plate with several layers of newspaper and put some paper towels on top. This will be good to degrease the finished hush puppies.
Fry hush puppies:
Heat 1.5 to 2 inches of oil to 330°F /165°C in a saucepan. It should not exceed 350°F/175°C . If you don’t have a candy/cooking thermometer, dip the back of a wooden cooking spoon or other wooden utensil (skewer, single-use chopstick) into the oil. It should bubble but not too aggressively nor should it splatter. If bubbles are forming around the wood, the oil is ready to use.
Scoop small portions about the size of ½ a soup spoon out of the batter and carefully drop them into the hot oil. If the batter sticks to the spoon, use a second spoon to slip the batter into the oil. Fry until golden on both sides, about 4-5 minutes in total. Depending on the size of your saucepan, you’ll need to work in 2-3 batches. Do not overcrowd the saucepan.
Remove golden hush puppies with a slotted spoon or wire spatula and let them drain on the prepared kitchen towel layered plate. You can keep the finished hush puppies warm in the oven (200-250°F or 100°C).
Serve hush puppies hot with the sriracha sour cream dip or as a side dish. Enjoy!
Notes
Store & reheat: They will keep for several days in the fridge and can be crisped-up in an air-fryer or the hot oven to taste like freshly made.Reuse oil: You can use the frying oil several times. Let it cool completely, filter through a fine mesh colander and reuse. If you don’t need it straight away, it will keep tightly sealed (bottle with lid etc.) for several weeks in the fridge.