Bbq Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Hush Puppies
Crispy fried cornmeal fritters studded with onion, a classic BBQ-joint side served hot with a drizzle of honey butter.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- One-pot
- Crispy
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinnerscrispy recipes30-minute meals
Instructions
8 steps- 1
Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- 2
Stir in the diced onion.
- 3
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together.
- 4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined; the batter should be thick.
- 5
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F.
- 6
Drop tablespoons of batter into the hot oil, frying in batches, for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- 7
Drain on paper towels and season lightly with extra salt.
- 8
Serve hot.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
69/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving150
Calories
5 g
Protein
29 g
Carbs
2 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Hush puppies sit in the Southern cornmeal-bread family, close to skillet cornbread but shaped for the fryer. They are especially tied to fish fries, barbecue plates, and roadside restaurants where hot oil is already working and a small scoop of batter can turn into a crisp side in minutes. The name has several folk explanations, but the practical heart of the dish is clear: inexpensive cornmeal, onion, and buttermilk cooked fast and served immediately.
Listahan note
This version keeps the batter simple and focuses on the two things that make hush puppies work at home: a thick scoopable texture and steady 350 F oil. The onion is finely diced so it sweetens inside the fritter instead of tearing through the crust.
Technique cues
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients only until no dry pockets remain. Overmixing makes the fritters tougher and less tender inside.
- Keep the batter thick enough to mound on a spoon. If it runs, the hush puppies spread in the oil instead of puffing into round fritters.
- Fry in small batches so the oil temperature does not drop sharply. Crowded oil gives you pale, greasy hush puppies before the centers finish cooking.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Mix the dry bowl and wet bowl while the oil heats, then combine them only when you are ready to fry.
- Make-ahead
- Whisk the dry ingredients and dice the onion earlier in the day; wait to add egg and buttermilk until just before frying.
- Leftover move
- Split leftover hush puppies and tuck them beside pulled pork, coleslaw, and pickles for a quick barbecue plate.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Set a paper-towel-lined tray beside the stove before frying, then let the oil cool completely before straining or discarding it.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Yellow cornmeal
Main structure and corn flavor
Purpose: Cornmeal gives hush puppies their sandy-crisp crust and the lightly sweet grain flavor that belongs beside barbecue.
Handling: Whisk it well with the flour and leaveners so the batter fries evenly.
Adaptation: White cornmeal works with a milder look and flavor; a medium grind gives more texture than a very fine grind.
All-purpose flour
Binder and tenderness support
Purpose: Flour helps the batter hold together around the cornmeal so the fritters do not crumble in the oil.
Handling: Measure lightly and avoid packing it into the cup, since too much flour makes the inside bready.
Adaptation: A cup-for-cup wheat-flour alternative can be used, but the batter may need a short rest to thicken and the crust may fry a little more delicate.
Baking powder and baking soda
Lift and lightness
Purpose: The two leaveners help the batter puff quickly once it hits the hot oil, especially with buttermilk in the mix.
Handling: Whisk them thoroughly through the dry ingredients before adding liquid.
Adaptation: If you only have baking powder, the fritters can still puff, but they will taste less rounded and may be a little denser.
Finely diced yellow onion
Sweet aromatic bite
Purpose: Small onion pieces soften in the short fry time and give each hush puppy a savory center.
Handling: Dice finely so the onion cooks through before the crust gets too dark.
Adaptation: Grated onion gives a softer texture and stronger onion flavor; scallions make the fritters greener and sharper.
Large egg and buttermilk
Moisture and batter cohesion
Purpose: The egg helps the fritters hold their shape, while buttermilk gives the crumb tenderness and a slight tang.
Handling: Whisk them together before adding to the dry bowl so the batter comes together with less stirring.
Adaptation: Plain kefir gives a similar tang, while milk with a small splash of vinegar makes a thinner, simpler backup.
Vegetable oil
Frying medium
Purpose: A neutral oil lets the cornmeal and onion stay at the center while giving the crust a clean fry.
Handling: Heat about 2 inches in a heavy pot and use a thermometer to stay near 350 F.
Adaptation: Canola or peanut oil also work for frying and bring slightly different background flavor.
Technique notes
- Use two spoons or a small cookie scoop to drop batter cleanly into the oil. Uneven blobs are fine, but very large scoops brown outside before the middle sets.
- Salt the hush puppies as soon as they leave the oil. The seasoning sticks better while the crust is still hot and slightly glossy.
- Break one open from the first batch before frying the rest. If the center is wet, lower the batch size or fry slightly longer before adjusting the recipe.
Ingredient swaps
- Wheat-flour alternative
- Use a cup-for-cup wheat-flour alternative in place of the all-purpose flour and let the batter sit for 5 minutes if it looks loose.
- Dairy-free direction
- Use an unsweetened plain non-dairy milk with a small splash of vinegar instead of buttermilk; the flavor will be less rich and the batter may brown a bit differently.
- Jalapeno path
- Fold in finely minced jalapeno with the onion for gentle heat, keeping the pieces small so they cook through in the same fry time.
- Honey-butter finish
- Serve with softened butter stirred with honey on the side instead of drizzling it over the whole batch, which keeps the crust crisp longer.
Serve alongside
- Pulled pork shoulder
- Vinegar coleslaw
- Smoked brisket beans
- Collard greens with pepper vinegar
- Sweet tea
- Lemonade
- American pale ale
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate cooled hush puppies in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
- Reheat on a sheet pan in a 375 F oven or air fryer until the crust feels crisp again.
- Freeze in a single layer, then bag; reheat from frozen in a hot oven so the centers warm before the outside overbrowns.
Equipment
- Heavy pot or Dutch oven
- Deep-fry thermometer
- Small cookie scoop or two tablespoons
- Paper-towel-lined tray
Make this household-aware
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Plan it in Listahan
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