Hush Puppies on a cooling rack
Hush Puppies arranged in bowls and on a plate
Hush Puppies in a bowl
Dipping a hush puppy into a sauce

Hush Puppies

Updated on November 6, 2026
Not Yet Reviewed
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Recipe by
David Turner
Employee-owner since 2020

Crispy and golden on the outside, tender and fluffy within, hush puppies are a fried hallmark of Southern cooking. Often served alongside fried seafood or barbecue, they're just as irresistible on their own, especially with your favorite sweet or savory dipping sauce. Made with pantry staples like cornmeal and ready in under an hour, they're an easy way to bring a taste of the South to your table. 

Test Kitchen notes:
  • Our recipe intentionally includes a brief rest before frying — it gives the cornmeal time to soften and the leaveners time to work, producing light and fluffy hush puppies.
  • When frying the hush puppies, don't overcrowd them in the pan, which will result in uneven cooking. Work in batches! 
  • To add whole corn kernels to your hush puppies, stir up to 1 cup (152g) corn (fresh or thawed and drained from frozen) to the batter once mixed (step 3). Cook as directed. 
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Instructions

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To make the batter:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.   

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, onion, and oil.  

  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a flexible spatula to stir until combined, with no dry bits remaining. Set the batter aside while you prepare the frying oil.

  4. Add enough vegetable oil to a high-sided skillet or saucepan so that it measures 3/4" to 1" deep. Heat over medium-high until it reaches 365°F on a digital thermometer. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. 

To fry the hush puppies:

  1. Working in batches, scoop the batter 1 tablespoon at a time (a level Tablespoon Scoop is a helpful tool here), and carefully add it directly into the hot oil. Fry the hush puppies for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping them over and adjusting the heat as necessary, until deep golden brown all over, with an internal temperature between 180°F and 200°F when measured with a digital thermometer. (The hush puppies will brown before they’re cooked through, so be sure to fry them for at least 3 minutes.) 

  2. Transfer the hush puppies to the prepared rack and sprinkle lightly with salt. Continue to fry the remaining batter, adjusting the heat between batches as necessary to keep the oil temperature around 365°F. 

Serving and storage information:

  1. Hush puppies are best eaten warm, shortly after cooking. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day and reheated on a rack-lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes in a 350°F oven.

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