Sweet Onion Hush Puppies (2024)

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, I’m not sure if that’s the truth, but since my Papa said it, it must be.And honestly, I don’t 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:

1. You will need 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 cup of milk.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Once your improvised buttermilk has thickened slightly, it is ready to use.