Delicious Hush Puppies Recipe with Creamy Ranch Dressing (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for hush puppies? ›

Cornmeal

Hushpuppy / Main ingredient

The Perfect Cornmeal-to-Flour Ratio

If made from just cornmeal, hush puppies will fall apart in the oil. If too much flour is used, the hush puppies become heavy, dense, and bread-like.

Hush Puppies vs. Corn Fritters. Hush puppies and corn fritters may be in the same family, but each is unique. They're both deliciously indulgent, deep-fried dough featuring corn, but hush puppies are made from a cornmeal-based batter, while corn fritters are flour-based and studded with corn kernels throughout.

What do you eat hush puppies with? Besides fried catfish, shrimp, chicken, crab cakes, or bbq, you might want to serve a dipping sauce for you hush puppies. We like honey or ranch, but ketchup, tartar sauce, remoulade sauce, or Outback sauce are all great options that go well with the savory-sweet fried cornmeal dough.

Instructions. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

In fact, the Carolinas can proudly claim to be the birthplace of this now-iconic American food. A hushpuppy is a simple treat—thick cornmeal batter dropped in spheres (or nuggets or fingers) into hot oil and fried till crisp and brown.

If your oil is the correct temperature, the hush puppies should be golden on the outside and cooked on the inside. When golden on one side, if they automatically turn themselves over, you're cooking like a Pro.

The main reason hush puppies fall apart isn't the batter, it's the oil. To ensure your hush puppies stay intact, make sure the oil is heated to the correct temperature. Add 3 to 4 inches of oil to your skillet or Dutch oven, and using a thermometer, heat the oil to 365° to 375°.

The one common thread is that this fried cornmeal was used to "hush the dogs." I have heard that Confederate soldiers used it to hush their dogs when the Union troops were getting near. I also have heard a similar story in which runaway slaves would use this favorite food to hush the dogs.

Generally, the process of making sweet onion hush puppies begins with a batter featuring self-rising cornmeal flour, self-rising flour, salt, sugar, buttermilk, and eggs. My Sweet Onion Hush Puppies also call for a finely-chopped sweet onion to be added into the batter. This adds a sweetness and onion flavor.

What is an American hush puppy? ›

Hush puppies are golden fritters made from a thick cornmeal-based batter that are fried until crisp outside and tender-chewy inside. Hush puppies are common across the American South where they're served as an accompaniment to fried seafood and barbecue. Hush puppies can be shaped into balls or oblong fritters.

Due to the deep-frying process, hushpuppies tend to have moderate levels of sodium and fat. Consuming them in moderation is recommended, especially for individuals with dietary restrictions or health concerns.

Ingredients for Hush Puppies

All-purpose flour and cornmeal, baking soda, salt, and pepper make up the dry mix. If you want to try a stone-ground cornmeal for a more toothsome bite, check out the varieties made by Anson Mills or Bob's Red Mill.

Hush Puppies Ingredients:

See how quick and easy it is to make, then add golf ball sized round balls to the oil, spinning the ball around until the outside becomes a golden brown. The inside will maintain a light and flakey dough. These are best served with tartar sauce or even ranch dressing.

Hush puppies are made from a basic batter consisting of yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk or milk and eggs. Many recipes call for the addition of scallions or onions. The base lends itself to riffing, too, including the addition of spicy peppers, cheese, spices or even beer.

Typical hushpuppy ingredients include cornmeal, wheat flour, eggs, salt, baking soda, milk or buttermilk, and water, and may include onion, spring onion (scallion), garlic, whole kernel corn, and peppers.

Traditional hush puppies do not have meat in them – remember the tales of how they came to be. The best part about this hush puppy appetizer is how easy it is to throw together, how simple the ingredient list is, and how delicious they taste!

The main difference is that cornbread is baked and hush puppies are fried, hence the difference in texture—though hush puppies can be air fryed, too. "Typically hush puppy batter is a little thicker than cornbread batter, but that is just a matter of moisture. The basic ingredients are the same," Matijevich said.