Fish-Fry Favorite Southern Hush Puppies
If you’re looking for homemade southern style hush puppies that cook up golden and tender every time, this scratch-made version is as easy as it gets. Using sweet creamed corn, sliced green onions, and seasoned cornmeal mix, you can have a fresh batch ready to eat with your fried catfish in just 20 minutes!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Hush Puppies, Southern-style
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: self-rising cornmeal mix, self-rising flour, onion powder, black pepper, cream-style corn, milk, 2-3 chopped green onions, vegetable oil
- Why You'll Love It: This Hush Puppies, Southern-style recipe features a crunchy cornmeal coating, fluffy & flavorful inside, plus corn kernels and chopped green onion.
How to Get That Authentic Fish-House Taste at Home
If you grew up eating hush puppies, you know the disappointment of biting into a golden ball only to find a dry, heavy lump of fried cornmeal inside. Traditional hush puppy batter relies heavily on plain cornmeal and milk, which can dry out quickly in hot oil if the proportions aren’t exact.
The simple fix I like to use is replacing plain corn with a full can of cream-style corn, liquid and all! That thick, silky corn starch binds to the self-rising cornmeal mix, creating a soft, almost custard-like center that stays incredibly moist without turning doughy. The whole corn kernels popping throughout each bite give you a sweet burst of texture that contrasts perfectly with the salty, crunchy crust.
To balance that sweetness, onion powder and fresh green onions work in tandem. Onion powder seasons every grain of the cornmeal batter from the inside out, while thinly sliced green onions add a fresh, mild bite that mellows out as it fries. The only thing that makes these better is a tall glass of homemade Arnold Palmer!
Ingredients For Southern Style Hush Puppies
- Self-rising cornmeal mix
- Self-rising flour
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Cream corn
- Milk
- Green onion
- Vegetable oil
Expert Tips from My Kitchen
- Don’t drain the canned corn. That thick, starchy liquid in the can of cream-style corn binds the coarse cornmeal without needing extra eggs, keeping the interior light and custard-soft instead of dry and crumbly.
- Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before frying. Cornmeal is a thirsty grain that needs a few minutes to soak up the milk and corn liquid. Letting the bowl sit on the counter for just 5 minutes while your oil heats allows the meal to hydrate, which prevents gritty bites and stops the hush puppies from crumbling apart the second they hit the hot oil.
- Keep a small bowl of cold water next to your stove. The secret to getting smooth, round balls that drop cleanly off your spoon without sticking is water. Dip your spoon or mini cookie scoop into the bowl of cold water before each scoop of batter. It’ll glide right into the oil without leaving stringy batter trails that burn in the pan.
- Control your pan temperature with batch sizing. If you crowd the saucepan with too many hush puppies at once, the oil temperature drops dramatically, causing the batter to absorb oil like a sponge instead of searing the crust. Just like you would with crispy mac and cheese balls, fry in small batches of 4 to 5 at a time so the oil stays hot enough to give you that deep golden, shatter-crisp exterior.
“Wonderful hush puppies!”
“…the hush puppies tasted wonderful and had a great texture!” – Missy
How to Make Southern Style Hush Puppies
1. Whisk the Dry Ingredients
Place the self-rising cornmeal mix, self-rising flour, onion powder, and black pepper in a medium bowl and stir until evenly combined.
2. Mix the Wet Batter
Add the entire can of cream-style corn (liquid and all), milk, and chopped green onions to the bowl.
Stir gently until well combined into a thick, scoopable batter.
3. Heat the Oil
In a medium saucepan, heat about two inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Drop a pinch of flour into the oil; when it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot and ready!
4. Fry Until Crisp and Golden
Carefully drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Allow them to cook, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 4 minutes until deep golden brown on all sides.
5. Drain and Serve
Remove the cooked hush puppies from the oil and transfer to a rack or paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, serve hot, and enjoy!
Southern Style Hush Puppies FAQs
Dense hush puppies usually happen if the batter was overmixed or if the oil wasn’t hot enough. Make sure to fold the wet ingredients in gently, and always verify your oil is hot before dropping in the first scoop so the batter puffs up fast.
It’s best to fry the batter right after mixing. Because self-rising mixes rely on quick-acting leaveners, letting the batter sit on the counter for too long will cause it to lose its lift, resulting in flatter, denser hush puppies.
Skip the microwave; that only makes the crust soft and chewy. Instead, pop leftover hush puppies into a 375°F oven or air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes. This brings back the original crispy exterior while keeping the center tender.
Similar Recipes
If you love classic, comforting Southern sides, be sure to try a pan of Southern cathead biscuits or some good old Southern skillet spoonbread!
Give these quick hush puppies a try with your next fish fry, and let me know how they turned out in the comments below!
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
- 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can cream-style corn 15 ounces, liquid and all
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2-3 chopped green onions
- vegetable oil enough for about 2 inches in the pan
Instructions
- Place the cornmeal mix, flour, onion powder, and black pepper in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the entire can of corn, milk, and onions to the mixing bowl next. Stir until well combined.
- In a medium saucepan, heat two inches of oil over medium-high heat. When you drop a pinch of flour in the oil and it sizzles you'll know the oil is ready.
- Carefully drop spoonfuls of the hush puppy batter into the oil and allow to cook, turning as needed, until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat until all batter is used.
Notes
- Use the whole 15-ounce can of cream-style corn, liquid included. The thick starch binds the batter and creates a soft, tender center without extra eggs.
- Give the dry cornmeal mix a few minutes to absorb the liquids before frying. This prevents gritty bites and keeps the batter from breaking apart in hot oil.
- Keep a small bowl of cold water near the stove and dip your spoon or mini cookie scoop before scooping batter so it glides right into the oil without sticking.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan so the oil temperature doesn’t drop. Frying 4 to 5 hush puppies at a time ensures a deep golden, crispy crust without absorbing excess oil.
I guess the name hush puppies is regional. I was always told (and this is from my great-grandmother) that run away slaves in the South used them to distract the dogs that were pursuing them. so that is how the name came about.
How about cooking these in an air fryer to cut down on the oil??? Suggestions?? Temp, time?
Love that idea!!
What can I do if I don’t have self-rising cornmeal or flour?
I live in WI – grew up in GA. Can’t find hushpuppies around here. I’ve tried and tried to make some good ones, but they have always tasted more like a golf ball! My husband (born and raised in WI) always laughed at me for continuing to try (for 44 years!) – he hated them. BUT, then I found your recipe and tried it tonight. YIPPEE! We both loved them. Recipe made a ton, so I’m going to try freezing the cooked leftovers. BTW, my Daddy always told me the name Hush Puppies came from cowboys – at night, when the young cattle would moo and cry, they would toss them a hush puppy to keep them quiet, so they would not attract wolves or coyotes.
Hi Vicki Lynn! Am so glad you found us and loved the Hush Puppy recipe. Nothing like bringing a little Southern cooking to the north 🙂
I love what your Daddy told you about how hush puppies got it’s name, thank you for sharing 🙂 Am so glad you are a part of the Southern Plate Family!