This quick and easy recipe for Sweet Onion Hush Puppies features a hint of sweetness and tons of classic cornmeal flavor.
For me, hush puppies are an absolute must with fried fish – along with some coleslaw and great tartar sauce. I especially love pairing them with my Lemon Pepper Fried Catfish.
These Sweet Onion Hush Puppies are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Filled with that good ol’ cornmeal flavor, these also share a hint of sweetness. Yum!
What are Hush Puppies?
Hush Puppies are a common Southern side dish usually paired with fried fish. Hush puppies are basically deep-fried cornmeal that typically includes finely chopped sweet onions.
Generally, the process of making sweet onion hush puppies begins with a batter featuring self-rising cornmeal flour, self-rising flour, salt, sugar, buttermilk, and eggs. My Sweet Onion Hush Puppies also call for a finely-chopped sweet onion to be added into the batter. This adds a sweetness and onion flavor. Finally, the batter is dropped into hot oil by spoonfuls and left to deep-fry until crispy and golden brown.
Now, there are quite a few stories as to how these delicious little morsels of fried cornbread got their name. My grandfather always told me that hush puppies were called that because cooks started frying simple balls of batter to quiet barking dogs who were begging for food. Now, Iโm not sure if thatโs the truth, but since my Papa said it, it must be. And honestly, I donโt need another story to explain the name. That one works just fine for me.
What is the difference between a fritter and a hush puppy?
While the overall concept is similar, there is one key difference between a fritter and a hush puppy: cornmeal vs. corn. In a fritter, you fry up whole corn in the mixture. With hush puppies, there is typically no whole corn but only cornmeal. Cornmeal is what makes that delicious and consistent texture throughout the hush puppy.
There are several other differences between fritters and hush puppies:
- Shape and size – Hush puppies are smaller and shaped like a ball. Fritters are generally larger and found in many shapes – flat, round, or oval.
- How they are used – Hush puppies are typically found on the side of a main fried fish entree. Fritters are used in many different areas of the menu – appetizers, snacks, sides, or desserts.
- Where you can find them – Hush puppies, although possibly found anywhere, are usually most common in the Southern portion of the United States. Fritters can be found worldwide, even in countries like India and China.
How to substitute milk for buttermilk:
Don’t have buttermilk on hand? Only have regular milk? No problem! While there may be a slight change in flavor, you absolutely can convert regular milk into a buttermilk substitute with the help of vinegar or lemon juice:
- You will need 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 cup of milk.
- After you measure your milk be sure to remove one tablespoon from every 1 cup of milk (i.e. If your recipe calls for 2 cups of milk, remove 2 tablespoons of milk). Stir the milk and lemon juice or vinegar really well.
- Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes. The milk will curdle slightly when it thickens. It will also develop a tangy flavor similar to buttermilk.
- Once your improvised buttermilk has thickened slightly, it is ready to use.
Tips for cooking the perfect hush puppies:
- Maintain the correct oil temperature! This is super important. A fry thermometer comes in super handy. I try to fry mine between 350ยฐF and 360ยฐF. This allows the outside to get golden brown and the inside to get cooked through. If the temperature is too high, it will cause the outside to get too dark and the inside won’t cook through all the way. If it’s too low, it can make for soggy or greasy hush puppies.
- Do not over-stir the batter! Just as when making cornbread, you don’t want to over-stir the batter. Just get it all combined and then stop stirring.
- Let your batter rest! Giving the batter a little time to rest allows the leavening to start working which makes for lighter, fluffier hush puppies. Just don’t stir it again after it rests. Scoop it out and gently drop it into the oil.
- Use a cookie scoop! A 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop works great for keeping your hush puppies of similar size and makes getting them into the oil a little easier.
Recipe Card
Southern Sweet Onion Hush Puppies
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Add about 3 inches of oil to the bottom of heavy bottom dutch oven or deep skillet – being sure the oil doesn't come more than halfway up the side of the vessel. Heat to 350ยฐF.
- While the oil is heating, combine the onion, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg into the buttermilk. Add to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Allow the batter to rest for about 5 minutes.
- Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonsful carefully into the hot oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning over once, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Working in batches, being sure not to cook too many at one time as the oil temp will drop and the hush puppies will end up greasy. Be sure to adjust the heat to keep the oil at about 350ยฐF.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Kathy
We add a little chopped jalapeรฑo to ours. Sometimes we use chopped green onions instead of small sweet onion. Good recipe!
Stacey
That little kick sounds amazing!
Vivian Wilcher
Can I make my batter ahead of time (like the night before)?
Stacey
I wouldn’t recommend it as it will lose all its “lift” overnight.
Vivian
Any chance of using an air fryer for these? They look delicious!
Stacey
I think as the recipe is written, they would bee too liquidy for an air fryer.
Sallie
Cornmeal in East Tennessee and Eastern North Carolina differ. Are you using a course or a fine ground meal?
Stacey
That might be the case with locally milled cornmeal, but I just used White Lily brand. I would guess it more of a fine ground.
Brenda Barrs
I have always heard that they got that name from men that were fishing and they had their dogs with them because some were also hunting and the dogs were barking as they were frying the fish and they would throw those little crunchy pieces of the meal that would fall off the fish after they were fried and would tell them-โnow โ Hush Puppies โ and so they started calling them that. Your recipe sounds a lot like my grandmother cooked hers but way back then she would call them โ Red Hirse Breadโ and I am not sure why but I believe she may have added a dash of cayenne pepper to her hush puppies which I always called them but I believe that may have been the only difference.
Stacey
Thanks so much for sharing that, Brenda!
Ed
Read Robert Mossโs article on hush puppies and Red Horse Bread. He explains how and why hush puppies were called by both names.