This is my favorite hush puppy recipe! Southern Hush Puppies are delicious little balls of cornmeal batter that are fried until golden and crisp 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.

These tasty little golden nuggets are popular throughout the Southern States of the US and are often served with BBQ or fried catfish.

I usually avoid deep frying whenever possible since it can be somehow messy but these hush puppies are totally worth it! They are super crispy and dipped in a sriracha sour cream dip they are the most delicious snack ever. Plus: They reheat really well and taste like freshly made.

What are hush puppies?

Hush puppies are made of a basic savory yet slightly sweet cornmeal batter, similar to cornbread. The recipes vary from place to place – most of them contain grated onion, some add diced cheese, spring onion, jalapeno peppers, or spices to the batter.

They are dropped in balls or strands (using a piping bag) into a deep fryer and cooked till crisp on the outside and soft in the center. I prefer balls because you can simply spoon the batter into the hot oil, and there is no need to clean a piping bag for making strands. Restaurants often serve hush puppies as an appetizer or side dish with fried catfish or a shrimp dinner, especially in the South.

Why the name hush puppy?

There are a number of stories where the name hush puppies comes from. Almost all of the stories are said to date back to the 18th and 19th century and will revolve around the cornmeal bites being used to quiet barking dogs – ‘to hush the puppies’. If you want to know about the in detail, here is a good article about the origin on Serious Eats.

Hush puppy dipping sauce

I have to point out the dip specifically. It is unbelievable delicious yet so easy to make! This sriracha sour cream dip is my go-to dipping sauce for hush puppies, burgers, veggie patties, and so many more.

You’ll only need to stir together sour cream, sriracha and mustard, plus a pinch of salt.

This easy dip is the perfect mix of creamy and slightly spicy, and makes any dish better. If you like your hush puppy dip spicie, simply use more sriracha to your liking.

If you are not in the mood to make the dip, use store-bought ranch or tartar sauce.

Why to grate onion for hush puppies?

You are probably wondering why this recipe calls for grated onion instead of chopped ones for the batter. I prefer grated onions for the hush puppy batter because the onion paste that results from grating distributes more even in the batter. You will get the subtle onion flavor in every bite. In my opinion, this makes the best hush puppies!

I have tried using minced onion but the onion pieces on the outside of the cornmeal balls will get brown before the rest of the batter does while frying. If you don’t like onion at all you can simply omit it.

How to Make Hush Puppies

The batter for this Southern hush puppies recipe is very simple to make! You just need a few ingredients.

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.

For the dip stir together sour cream, sriracha, mustard, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl or mug. Set aside.

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!

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Hush Puppies with Dipping Sauce

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.

Total Time25 minutes mins

Yield: 40 hush puppies (4-6 servings for snacking)

Author: Ursula | lilvienna.com

Ingredients

Hush Puppies:

• 200 g (about 1 cup) yellow cornmeal
• 70 g (about 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk (you can substitute 7oz/200g plain yoghurt)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 onion (1 tablespoon grated)

Sriracha dip:

• 2/3 cup (160 g) sour cream
• 4 teaspoons sriracha (use more if you want it spicy)
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard (optional but recommended)
• Pinch salt

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.