Golden Crispy Cornmeal Hushpuppies (Printable)

Golden crispy cornmeal bites with tender savory centers and diced onion.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal, medium grind
02 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1½ tsp baking powder
04 - ½ tsp baking soda
05 - 1 tsp sugar
06 - 1 tsp salt
07 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper
08 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - ¾ cup buttermilk
10 - 1 large egg

→ Aromatics

11 - ½ cup finely diced yellow or sweet onion
12 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives or scallions

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil for deep-frying (1.5–2 quarts)

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
02 - Whisk buttermilk and egg in a separate bowl until fully blended and smooth.
03 - Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined—do not overmix or hushpuppies will become tough.
04 - Fold in diced onion and chives. Let batter rest for 5 minutes to allow cornmeal to hydrate.
05 - Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F. Use a kitchen thermometer to verify temperature.
06 - Using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into hot oil. Fry in batches without overcrowding the pot.
07 - Fry for 2–3 minutes, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until hushpuppies are evenly golden brown and crisp throughout.
08 - Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They come together in under 30 minutes with ingredients you probably already have
  • The contrast between that golden crunchy shell and tender cornmeal center is impossible to resist
  • These disappear faster than you can fry them, so consider doubling the batch
02 -
  • Oil temperature drops when you add batter, so let it recover between batches
  • Overmixed batter makes tough hushpuppies, so stop as soon as ingredients combine
  • Letting the batter rest allows cornmeal to absorb liquid for better texture
03 -
  • Use a small ice cream scoop for uniform size and even cooking
  • Keep finished hushpuppies warm in a 200°F oven while frying remaining batches
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