Hush Puppies Recipe

Grate the white cheddar and finely dice the red onion. Seed and mince the jalapeño (reserve seeds if you want more heat). Finely chop chives or green onion if using.

Measure out cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt so they’re ready. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk lightly.

Set a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain finished hush puppies. Heat oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven to 350°F (175°C). Use a candy/instant-read thermometer for accuracy; if you don’t have one, test by dropping a small pinch of batter — it should sizzle and float up steadily.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together 1.5 cups cornmeal, 0.5 cup flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 0.25 tsp baking soda, 1 tbs sugar and 1 tsp salt until evenly distributed.

Combine wet ingredients

In a separate bowl whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 1 lightly beaten egg and 2 tbsp melted cooled butter until combined.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until mostly combined. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are fine. The batter should be thick but dropping consistency; if too thick add up to 1–2 tbsp additional buttermilk.

Fold in the grated white cheddar (1/2 cup), diced red onion (1/4 cup), minced jalapeño (1), chopped chives (1 tbsp, optional), 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/8 tsp cayenne (optional) until evenly distributed.

Let the batter rest 5–10 minutes at room temperature to hydrate the cornmeal. If it thickens too much, stir in 1 tablespoon buttermilk to loosen slightly.

When oil reaches 350°F (175°C), reduce heat slightly to maintain temperature. Use a small cookie scoop (about 1.5 tbsp) or two spoons to portion batter. Wet the spoons or scoop with water to prevent sticking.

Carefully drop batter scoops into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid crowding (about 6–8 hush puppies per batch depending on pot size). Fry until golden brown and evenly cooked, about 2.5–3.5 minutes per side, turning as needed so they brown evenly. Total fry time per ball ~4–6 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer hush puppies to the wire rack set over paper towels to drain. Sprinkle lightly with a pinch of salt while still hot.

Maintain oil temperature between batches (adjust heat up or down). If oil temperature drops too low, the hush puppies will absorb oil and be greasy; if too high they will brown too fast and remain undercooked inside.

Serve hush puppies hot or warm with honey or honey mustard for dipping and lime wedges on the side for a bright squeeze. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8–10 minutes to crisp.