About this recipe

Golden, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside — these classic Southern hush puppies are the perfect side dish for fried fish, BBQ, or any comfort food spread. Made with a simple cornmeal batter flavored with onion and a touch of sugar, they fry up in minutes and disappear even faster. This well-tested recipe delivers consistent results every time: a crunchy shell with a soft, slightly sweet, savory cornbread center.

Instructions

1. 1

   Pour the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven so it comes about 2 inches up the sides. Clip a meat thermometer to the side and heat the oil ^[over medium-high heat] to ![365°F]. While the oil heats, prepare the batter.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and black pepper until evenly combined.

3. 3

   In a small mixing bowl or measuring cups, whisk together the beaten egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir in the grated yellow onion.

4. 4

   Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick and scoopable. Let it rest for 5 minutes while the oil finishes heating.

5. 5

   Once the oil reaches ![365°F], use a small cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) or two spoons to drop rounded balls of batter gently into the hot oil. Work in batches of 6–8 to avoid crowding and dropping the oil temperature. Crowding is the #1 cause of greasy hush puppies.

6. 6

   Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per batch, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon or spider, until the hush puppies are deep golden brown all over. They will naturally roll over in the oil as they cook — this is a good sign the batter is right.

7. 7

   Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the hush puppies to a wire rack set over a baking sheet (or a plate lined with paper towels). Let them drain for a minute. Repeat with remaining batter, letting the oil return to ![365°F] between each batch.

8. 8

   Serve immediately while hot and crispy. They are best fresh out of the fryer. Optionally sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt right after frying.