Jalapeno Hush Puppies (zesty & simple)

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These jalapeno hush puppies are so delicious! One of the best Southern foods there is and goes with practically anything you're serving.

In my experience, hush puppies are typically served alongside fish of some sort (usually deep fried) and French fries and coleslaw.

And they're fabulous served this way. But you can also serve them as appetizers with or without dipping sauce as well as in place of any bread you might serve, like corn bread for instance.

Adding in the jalapeno makes these hush puppies extra special. Just a slight bit of heat, but enough to give tremendous flavor. You and your kids will gobble them down!

Add in a bit of (optional) chili powder, and you can turn the heat up quite a bit further!

What You'll Need

1 large egg

2 cups cornmeal (not self rising)

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk or buttermilk

½ cup green onion or scallions (2 bunches - 10 to 12 onions)

1 large or 2 medium jalapenos, de-stemmed and de-seeded, about ½ cup

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional), more or less to taste

oil for frying (I used coconut oil for its high smoke point)

How to Make Hush Puppies

Preheat about 1 inch deep of oil in a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the egg and beat gently, then incorporate the egg into the dry ingredients.

Mix in the milk, jalapenos and onions until completely incorporated.

Using two small spoons, get a spoonful of the mixture in one spoon and scrape it off into the pan with the other spoon.

Keep in mind that they don't have to form perfect balls (as you can see in my pictures).

You may have to cook the hush puppies in two batches (like I did). Once you get the bottom full, let them cook for a couple minutes until you see them browning on the bottom.

Flip them over with a fork to cook on the other side. If your oil is deep enough, you won't have to flip them, but I was conservative with my oil.

When nice and browned on all sides, remove from the oil onto a wire rack to drain and cool.

It's pretty important to let the oil drain off properly so they don't end up soggy. You want them crispy on the outside and not overly oily.

Makes about two dozen hush puppies.

Tips for Making Hush Puppies

The deeper your oil level in the pot, the faster the hush puppies will cook. If deep enough, you won't have to flip them. However, I like to use my oil sparingly so it won't go to waste.

Add more or less jalapeno as desired. This recipe as written isn't very spicy, so you may want to take it up a notch or two. These are perfect for kids or those who like just a bit of a kick.

It helps to use two spoons when adding the batter to the hot oil - one for scooping and one to remove the scooped batter into the pot.

Drain the hush puppies on a wire rack so they don't get soft or soggy or oil saturated. You want your hush puppies crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

As always, if you have any questions (or if I left a step out - which I sometimes do) please ask in the comment section below.

And don't forget to let me know how they turn out for you - I love to get feedback from you!

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