Beer Batter Hush Puppies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for hush puppies? ›

Cornmeal

Hushpuppy / Main ingredient

It should be a fairly thin batter but fully coat the back of a spoon. If too thick, add beer 1 tsp at a time. Dredge fish: Dunk a piece of fish in the batter, the let the excess drip off very briefly. Fry 3 minutes: Carefully lower into oil, dropping it in away from you, one piece at a time.

The alcohol in the beer also plays an important role in moderating the internal temperature and crisping the crust. Alcohol evaporates faster than water, so a beer batter doesn't have to cook as long as one made only with water or milk. The faster the batter dries, the lower the risk of overcooking the food.

The main reason hush puppies fall apart isn't the batter, it's the oil. To ensure your hush puppies stay intact, make sure the oil is heated to the correct temperature. Add 3 to 4 inches of oil to your skillet or Dutch oven, and using a thermometer, heat the oil to 365° to 375°.

Hush puppies are made from a basic batter consisting of yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk or milk and eggs. Many recipes call for the addition of scallions or onions. The base lends itself to riffing, too, including the addition of spicy peppers, cheese, spices or even beer.

In fact, the Carolinas can proudly claim to be the birthplace of this now-iconic American food. A hushpuppy is a simple treat—thick cornmeal batter dropped in spheres (or nuggets or fingers) into hot oil and fried till crisp and brown.

Just make sure your beer is extra cold — when the cold batter hits the hot oil, the reaction ensures the coating is nice and crispy when it comes out of the fryer.

Egg: An egg creates a more delicate crust and helps seal in moisture. Seasonings: Season the beer batter with garlic powder, black pepper, and seasoning salt. Beer: Of course, you'll need beer! A light beer will give you a milder flavor, while a dark beer will have a richer taste.

Because vodka is more volatile than water, it evaporates more quickly, which dries out the batter faster and more violently. That creates larger bubbles and even more surface area, in turn resulting in a much crispier crust.

Should you let beer batter sit? ›

Only Use a Cold Beer

Some beer batter recipes will say to add ice or place the beer batter in the fridge to 'rest' for 30 minutes.

Let the fish enjoy a nice cold one! The introduction of ice-cold batter to super hot cooking oil for frying makes the shell puff up almost instantly. If the beer or the batter is room-temperature, the fish won't be as crisp and puffy. How do you keep from splashing hot oil when frying fish?

If too much flour is used, the hush puppies become heavy, dense, and bread-like. After much experimentation, I landed on a 3:1 ratio: 1 1/2 cups cornmeal to 1/2 cup flour. The type of cornmeal you use is equally as important.

To ensure a perfect fit, Hush Puppies offers a variety of widths. When browsing our online store, be sure to check the width options available for each style. Additionally, many of our authorized retailers also carry wide-width shoes.

Can I make Hush Puppies Ahead of Time? Absolutely! You can either make and fry and simply reheat (instructions below), or you can make the batter, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Refrigerated batter is even easier to work with.

Instructions. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Hushpuppies, which can be flavored by many different herbs, spices, and sweeteners, are essentially a batter that is made with eggs and cornmeal that is fried in the shape of little balls till the point where the batter is no longer liquid on the inside, and is nice and crispy on the outside.

Traditional hush puppies do not have meat in them – remember the tales of how they came to be. The best part about this hush puppy appetizer is how easy it is to throw together, how simple the ingredient list is, and how delicious they taste!

The main difference is that cornbread is baked and hush puppies are fried, hence the difference in texture—though hush puppies can be air fryed, too. "Typically hush puppy batter is a little thicker than cornbread batter, but that is just a matter of moisture. The basic ingredients are the same," Matijevich said.