Quick Summary: Hush puppies are crispy, deep-fried cornmeal balls traditionally served with Southern fried seafood. This recipe also includes three dipping sauce options for hush puppies: Comeback Sauce, Old Bay remoulade, and hot pepper jelly. Prep: 30 min (plus 1 hr chill) | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 8
Jump to: RECIPE | What are Hush Puppies? | Comeback Sauce | More Dipping Sauces | Classic Southern Recipes | FAQ
Hush puppies were a staple of my mom’s Louisiana childhood, so I surprised her with a batch for her 90th birthday alongside fried catfish and sweet tea. Hush puppies are basically a fried cornmeal ball, often served with deep-fried seafood and a dipping sauce.
This recipe includes 3 dipping sauces: a classic Southern Comeback Sauce, an Old Bay remoulade, and a shortcut using pre-made hot pepper jelly.
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What Are Hush Puppies?
Hush puppies are a savory, deep-fried, cornmeal ball. A perfect hush puppy is crunchy on the outside and soft inside.
The original creation itself is said to have started with French nuns who had immigrated to New Orleans.
Legend has it that the common name of hush puppies came about from an African cook. The story goes that she was frying up a batch of these cornmeal balls, and her puppy began to howl. She gave the puppy a plate full of deep-fried dough balls and told it to “hush puppy.” It must have been overheard and liked, because the term hush puppies is now ubiquitous.
What is Southern Comeback Sauce?
This classic Southern dipping sauce hails originally from Jackson, Mississippi, and of course, it’s name says it all (i.e., you will always come back for more).
Some say the name comes from the Mississippi Goodbye, where a visitor was always left with a “y’all come back now”. Whether this is true or not I have no idea, but it certainly could be, and it makes a good story.
The sauce itself is a version of a remoulade and is similar to a Thousand Island salad dressing. It is extremely easy to make and usually includes different ratios of mayonnaise, chile sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.
The version in the recipe card below (see notes section) also includes smoked paprika, dry mustard, and hot sauce. Garlic and onion are often added, either in fresh chopped form or in powder form.
Tip: For the best flavor, make the sauce a day ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight.
More Dipping Sauces for Hush Puppies
Pre-made Jams or Jellies
The easiest dipping sauce for hush puppies and other popular fried Southern dishes is a pre-made jam or jelly (preserve). Three preserves that I have tried and loved as dipping sauces to accompany hush puppies include hot pepper jelly, lime marmalade, and an heirloom tomato jam.
The tomato jam has a little kick, the hot pepper jelly is a go-to for many Southerners, and the lime marmalade has just the right amount of pucker to go with the cornmeal hush puppies.
Old Bay Remoulade Sauce
There are countless variations to a remoulade sauce, but at the core, it is a mayonnaise-based sauce with pickles, seasoning, and usually mustard or horseradish. Although it originated in France, Louisiana was the U.S. state that made it popular.
My favorite remoulade sauce is made with Old Bay seasoning, capers instead of pickles, and both horseradish and mustard.
The recipe for baked fish cakes includes an easy recipe for the remoulade sauce that is a perfect dipping sauce with any Southern fried food.
The ingredient list for the easy remoulade sauce is also in the recipe card below.
What to Serve with Southern Dipping Sauces?
Most often you will see these dipping sauces served with deep-fried, battered dishes like seafood or hush puppies. That is not to say that they won’t be wonderful with many other “dippable” foods like fries or even roasted vegetables!
Here are a few of my favorite ideas, but don’t limit yourself!
- Sweet potato fries
- As a burger spread
- Oyster po boys
- Fish cakes
- Fritters
More Southern Classic Recipes:
My mom grew up in Shreveport Louisiana, and her all-time favorite dinner was fried catfish, hush puppies, and sweet iced tea, with a banana pudding for dessert. Check out these recipes for her favorite Southern dishes:
Old Fashioned Banana Pudding (with Nilla wafers).
FAQ
Use an oil with a high smoke point like peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola. Peanut oil is traditional for Southern frying and adds subtle flavor.
The oil temperature is too low. Keep it between 350 and 375°F. When oil is too cool, the batter absorbs it instead of crisping. Use a thermometer and don’t overcrowd the pot.
You can mix the batter and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Fry just before serving for best texture. Leftover fried hush puppies can be reheated in a 400°F oven for a few minutes.
Both are mayonnaise-based, but Comeback Sauce leans sweeter with ketchup and chile sauce, while remoulade has more tang from mustard, horseradish, and pickles or capers.
You can, but they won’t have the same crispy exterior. Baked versions are denser and less traditional. If you want to try, bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway.
If you enjoy Southern cooking, check out this category of more than a dozen Southern recipes.
Southern Hush Puppies with Dipping Sauces
Equipment
- Dutch oven (Or a large sturdy pot)
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal fine grind
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons melted bacon fat
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup buttermilk can also use whole milk or combination of milk and beer
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- oil for frying peanut oil or oil with high smoke point
- Southern Comeback Sauce **see notes below
Instructions
- In large bowl, whisk cornmeal with the flour, sugar, pepper, salt, cayenne and baking powder. Add the egg, milk, butter, green onions and bacon fat and whisk until dry and liquid ingredients are combined (do not over-mix or texture will be tough).1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons melted bacon fat, 1 cup buttermilk, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 green onions
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In pot that is at least 6 inches deep (6-qt. Dutch oven works great) heat 2 inches of oil to 350 – 375 degrees. Don't skimp on the oil, the batter needs to submerge in the oil. Use a thermometer to maintain the 350 – 375 temperature, because if the heat is too low the puppies will absorb too much oil and if it is too high the outside will burn before the inside is done. Remember, the heat goes down when you add a lot of batter to the oil.oil for frying
- Set a rack over a baking sheet and place near the stove. Drop tablespoon-size balls of batter into the hot oil, about 6 at a time. You can drop the batter using 2 soup spoons sprayed with vegetable oil or a small ice-cream scoop.
- Fry puppies until they are a rich golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Some of the puppies will flip themselves over, but use a slotted spoon or utensil to turn those that don’t so they cook evenly. With a slotted spoon, transfer hush puppies to rack to drain. Repeat with remaining batter.
- When all of the puppies have been fried, reheat them in oven for about 3 minutes, or until they're hot. Serve with variety of hot pepper jams or the Southern Comeback Sauce detailed in the notes below.Southern Comeback Sauce
Notes
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup chile sauce
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Worcestshire sauce
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp capers
- 2 tsp coarse grain mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestshire sauce
- 2 tsp horseradish
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
Happy Healthy New Year!
I loved reading through your recipes and can’t wait to try the Hush Puppies!
Thank you so much Joan! I made them every year for my Southern Bell mom (along with catfish and sweet tea of course). Good memories.