Golden crispy cornmeal balls (Printable)

Crispy cornmeal dough balls with a tender, savory center, ideal as a Southern side dish.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

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

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - ¾ cup buttermilk
10 - 1 large egg

→ Aromatics

11 - ½ cup finely diced yellow or sweet onion
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions (optional)

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil, approximately 6 to 8 cups, for deep-frying

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, black pepper, and optional cayenne pepper.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg until fully blended.
03 - Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing to ensure tenderness.
04 - Fold in diced onion and optional chives or scallions, then allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
05 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy pot to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
06 - Using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, frying in batches to prevent overcrowding.
07 - Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until hushpuppies are golden brown and crisp.
08 - Remove hushpuppies with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're ready in half an hour, which means you can fry them while the fish is still hot.
  • That crispy-outside, tender-inside texture is pure magic—especially when you nail the oil temperature on your first try.
02 -
  • The batter should be thick enough to hold a spoonful without running, but soft enough to drop—if it's too thick, add a tablespoon of buttermilk and stir.
  • Oil temperature is everything; use a thermometer and check it before each batch, because your hushpuppies will tell you if it's wrong.
03 -
  • Make your batter up to an hour ahead and store it in the fridge—the rest time actually improves the texture.
  • If you don't have buttermilk, whisk milk with lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for five minutes; it works just as well.
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