Golden Crispy Cornmeal Balls (Printable version)

Golden cornmeal dough balls with a crispy exterior and tender, flavorful interior, perfect as a Southern side.

# Needed ingredients:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal, medium grind
02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 3/4 cup buttermilk
10 - 1 large egg

→ Aromatics

11 - 1/2 cup finely diced yellow or sweet onion
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions (optional)

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil, approximately 1.5 to 2 quarts, for deep-frying

# How to make it:

01 - Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, if using, in a large bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg until fully blended.
03 - Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and gently stir until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
04 - Fold in diced onion and chives or scallions if desired, then let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
05 - Preheat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
06 - Using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop heaping tablespoon-sized portions of batter into the hot oil, frying in batches to prevent overcrowding.
07 - Cook 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 warm.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • They're crispy on the outside, tender inside, and ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish.
  • Humble enough for a weeknight side, impressive enough to make people ask for the recipe.
  • The batter is forgiving—slight mistakes actually don't matter once they hit the hot oil.
02 -
  • The batter will seem too thick at first—that's exactly right. If you thin it out, they'll absorb too much oil and become soggy instead of crispy.
  • Temperature control makes or breaks this recipe; invest in an instant-read thermometer and check the oil every few batches because it drops between rounds.
03 -
  • Use an ice cream scoop with a release trigger to make perfectly uniform hushpuppies that cook at the same rate and look beautiful on the plate.
  • Keep a small thermometer clipped to the pot while frying so you can see the oil temperature drop between batches and make tiny heat adjustments to keep it steady.
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