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Southern Hush Puppies

A brief batter rest and carefully managed oil turn cornmeal, buttermilk, and onion into crisp, savory hush puppies with tender centers.

Golden cornmeal hush puppies with craggy crisp crusts are piled on a plain white platter.

Hush puppies are small enough to cook quickly, but the oil needs space and steady heat to brown them evenly. This method keeps the batter savory, portions it consistently, and gives each batch time to fry without crowding.

Keep the batter tender

Cornmeal needs a few minutes to absorb moisture, so a short rest helps the interior cook tender instead of gritty. Fold only until the dry ingredients disappear; vigorous mixing develops the flour and can make the fritters dense.

Finely minced onion disperses through the batter and softens as it fries. The finished mixture should hold on a tablespoon without flowing like pancake batter.

Give hot oil room

A heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet holds heat more evenly than a light pan. Keeping the oil below the midpoint leaves headroom for bubbling as the batter goes in.

Use a thermometer to guide small burner changes rather than guessing from the surface. Keep the handle turned inward, avoid water near the oil, and keep a lid nearby in case the oil smokes.

Small spoonfuls of onion cornmeal batter are lowered into hot oil in a heavy Dutch oven. — Thick, onion-studded batter is portioned into small mounds beside the thermometer-heated oil.

Portion and fry in batches

A level tablespoon makes compact fritters that cook through before the crust gets too dark. Lower each portion gently from near the oil surface and leave room around it so the oil temperature can recover.

If the thermometer drops below the target range, pause before adding more batter and let the oil climb back. If it rises or begins to smoke, reduce or turn off the heat and wait for it to settle.

Drain briefly and serve warm

A wire rack lets excess oil drain while air moves around the crust; paper towels work when a rack is not available. Serve the hush puppies promptly alongside fried fish or barbecue, while the outside is still crisp.

A split hush puppy reveals a tender onion-flecked center beneath its crisp golden shell. — A craggy golden crust surrounds a tender, savory center flecked with onion.

Read the color and the bubbles

Steady bubbling and an even golden color are useful cues, but a smoking pot means the heat is too high. Turn off the burner and let the oil cool; never add water to hot oil.

Southern Hush Puppies

6 servings

45 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup finely minced yellow onion
• 1 qt neutral vegetable oil, for frying

Method

Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl until the baking powder and seasoning are evenly distributed.
Look for: The dry mixture looks even, with no visible clumps of baking powder.
Whisk the wet ingredients
In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk and beaten egg until blended, then stir in the finely minced onion so it is spread throughout the liquid.
Look for: The onion is dispersed through the buttermilk and egg rather than sitting in a pile.
Make and rest the batter
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold just until no dry pockets remain; do not beat smooth. Let the thick batter stand for 10 minutes so the cornmeal hydrates.
Look for: The batter is thick and scoopable, with small lumps and no dry flour at the bottom.
Prepare the frying oil
Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet to a depth of about 2 inches, making sure the oil reaches no higher than halfway up the vessel. Clip on a deep-fry thermometer and keep the pot on a stable burner with its handle turned inward.
Look for: There is ample room above the oil for bubbling, and the pan sits flat on the burner.
Bring oil to temperature
Heat the oil to 350 F, adjusting the burner gradually and waiting for the thermometer to settle before frying. Keep a lid and dry metal tongs nearby, and keep water away from the hot oil.
Look for: The thermometer holds at 350 F before the first portion enters.
Portion the batter
Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion level 1-tablespoon mounds. Lower each mound gently into the oil from close to the surface, placing it away from you; fry no more than 4 at a time so they have room and the oil temperature can recover.
Look for: Each portion enters gently without a splash, and the fritters are not crowded together.
Fry until golden
Fry each batch for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the hush puppies with a dry slotted spoon until all sides are deep golden and the centers are cooked through. Keep the oil between 340 F and 360 F, pausing between batches and adjusting the burner a little at a time.
Look for: The oil bubbles steadily around each fritter without smoking, and the crust is evenly golden.
Drain and serve
Lift the hush puppies onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan or onto a paper-towel-lined plate, letting excess oil drain before serving them warm with fried fish or barbecue. If the oil begins to smoke, turn off the burner and let it cool before continuing.
Look for: The crust stays crisp on the rack, and the centers feel tender rather than heavy.