Make the best cheddar hush puppies at home with this easy recipe. Crispy on the outside, cheesy on the inside—perfect for snacks, sides, or party appetizers.
Homemade Cheddar Hush Puppies take classic Southern comfort food and give it a bold, flavorful twist. These golden-fried gems start with a base of cornmeal batter, creating a crispy exterior that gives way to a soft, fluffy center. Inside, sharp cheddar cheese melts into creamy pockets of richness, while diced green chilies add the subtle heat that builds with every bite. The flavor is elevated with an easy chili aioli infused with the smoky heat of green chilies.
Homemade Cheddar Hush Puppies Recipe
This is the perfect side dish for fried fish, shrimp, mullet backs, or crab cakes. Pair your meal with homemade coleslaw and collard greens, and you have a fine Southern meal perfect for Sunday dinners. Yum!
Both homemade Southern hush puppies and cornbread are cornmeal-based Southern favorites. The main difference between cornbread and hush puppies – other than the form factor – is that cornbread is baked, and hush puppies are fried. This homemade hush puppies recipe is very easy to make.
Tips and variations for making these cheddar hush puppies:
● Use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the oil temperature of the cooking oil.
● For best results, the oil must be maintained at a consistent temperature. If it is too hot, it won’t cook the inside. If it is too cold, the hush puppies will be very oily. To keep that consistent temperature, don’t crowd the pan. If you fry in smaller batches, it also allows a more even fry around the hush puppies, resulting in the perfect hush puppies!
● Use vegetable or canola oil for frying. These oils have a high smoke point and will not interfere with the flavor of the hush puppies.
● This is powdered buttermilk. We keep it in the fridge and make as needed. We have this on hand all the time. You can buy it online, at your local Amish store (which is where we purchase it), or at your local grocery store, which may carry it.
● Use a cookie scoop to measure out the dough. It makes it easier to drop in the batter and keeps all of the hush puppies around the same size. This really helps to keep the frying times the same for all.
● If you don’t want to use aioli sauce to dip in, most people in this area dip in honey.
● I have not tried this recipe with an air fryer, so I am not sure that it will work. An air fryer works well for reheating them, though.
● Butter in Baking: Essential Tips for Perfect Baked Goods
● Store leftover hush puppies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four (4) days. I like to reheat in the air fryer to keep the crispy texture on the outside. It will only take a few minutes to warm up.
● Store the aioli, covered, in the fridge for four (4) days.
● You can freeze both the hush puppies and the sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw the hush puppies at room temperature but thaw the aioli in the fridge. Once thawed, warm in an air fryer for 4-5 minutes
Other Southern-inspired foods you might enjoy to go with this great recipe:
● Southern Sweet Lemonade Cocktail Recipe
● Southern Tomato Pie Recipe
● Easy Baked Southern Cheese Grits Pie Recipe
● Spicy Oven Roasted Okra Recipe
Homemade Cheddar Hush Puppies Recipe Ingredients:
For the Hush Puppies:
● ½ cup Yellow Cornmeal
● ½ cup All-purpose Flour
● 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
● ½ teaspoon Salt
● ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
● ½ cup Buttermilk
● 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
● 1 large Egg
● 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
● 2 Tablespoons Diced Green Chilies
For the Dipping Sauce:
● ¼ cup Mayonnaise
● 2 Tablespoons Buttermilk
● 1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
● 1 Tablespoon Diced Green Chilies
● 1 teaspoon Hot Sauce
Cheddar Hush Puppies Mise en Place:
● Vegetable Oil for Frying
● Large Cast Iron Skillet or Deep Fryer or large Dutch oven
● Large Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoons
● Thermometer
● Cookie Scoop
● Slotted Spoon
● Paper Towels
● Medium Mixing Bowl
● Small Mixing Bowl
● Spatula or Spoon
Homemade Cheddar Hush Puppies Recipe Directions:
1. Fill a large cast iron pan, deep fryer, or Dutch oven with vegetable oil about halfway full and heat over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
3. Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until combined.
4. Add the shredded cheese and chilies to the cornmeal mixture and stir until they are mixed through the batter.
5. Using a cookie scoop, drop a tablespoon (or so – you want them about the size of a golf ball) of the hush puppy batter into the hot oil. Deep fry for 3-4 minutes, turning the hush puppies halfway through. Remove the golden brown, crispy hush puppies from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Continue doing this until all the batter is used.
6. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, chilies, and hot sauce.
7. Serve the sauce on the side of warm hush puppies.
8. Store leftovers, in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to four (4) days. I like to reheat in the air fryer to keep the crispy texture on the outside. It will only take a few minutes to warm up.
9. Store the aioli dipping sauce, covered, in the fridge for up to four (4) days.
Homemade Cheddar Hush Puppies Recipe
Homemade Cheddar Hush Puppies Recipe. Make the best cheddar hush puppies at home with this easy recipe. Crispy on the outside, cheesy on the inside—perfect for snacks, sides, or party appetizers.
Ingredients
For the Hush Puppies:
- ½ cup Yellow Cornmeal
- ½ cup All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 large Egg
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Diced Green Chilies
For the Dipping Sauce:
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Diced Green Chilies
- 1 teaspoon Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Fill a large cast iron pan, deep fryer, or Dutch oven with vegetable oil about halfway full and heat over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until combined.
- Add the shredded cheese and chiles to the cornmeal mixture and stir until they are mixed through the batter.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop a tablespoon (or so - you want them about the size of a golf ball) of the hush puppy batter into the hot oil. Deep fry for 3-4 minutes, turning the hush puppies halfway through. Remove the golden brown, crispy hush puppies from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Continue doing this until all the batter is used.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, chiles, and hot sauce.
- Serve the sauce on the side of warm hush puppies.
- Store leftovers, in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to four (4) days. I like to reheat in the air fryer to keep the crispy texture on the outside. It will only take a few minutes to warm up.
- Store the aioli dipping sauce, covered, in the fridge for up to four (4) days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 69Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 139mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.
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