Air Fryer Hush Puppies

Who doesn’t love to bite into warm, crunchy, golden-brown deliciousness? Thankfully, this southern specialty meets all of these requirements…and more! This recipe is a must-have with a crispy outside and a tender, fluffy center. Honestly, hush puppies are an amazing food that pairs well with so many foods. Since they are so good, this air fryer hush puppies recipe is perfect for creating a delicious dish without using a fryer. 

What are hush puppies?

Hush puppies are made from a light and airy batter with just enough spice to please your taste buds. Key ingredients include cornmeal, flour, salt, and sugar for sweetness. After mixing everything together, you form the batter into small balls. While they are typically dropped in heated oil to crisp up and bring out the flavor, we will use the air fryer! Luckily, this makes them rich in flavor without all the unneeded grease. 

How did hush puppies get their name?

While there are a few versions of the story, hush puppies actually got their name as a food used to “hush the puppies.” Specifically, hunters and fishers needed to find a way to hush their dogs whenever animals or fish came nearby. So, they would fry cornmeal for their dogs to make them stop barking. Essentially, dogs would hush while eating. However, once people tried the hush puppies, they became irresistible to all! So, they are now the perfect finger food for any occasion! 

Food Accompaniments 

Typically, hush puppies are an appetizer or side dish. People commonly serve them with fried seafood, such as beer-battered fish, or barbeque entrees, such as pulled pork. Honestly, hush puppies are a hit no matter how you serve them!

One example of hush puppies served as an appetizer is at the famous Mardi Gras restaurant Galatoire’s in New Orleans. They serve them alongside crabmeat creamed spinach topped with Hollandaise sauce. 

Air Fryer

Truthfully, everyone wants to live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, this is hard to do with all of the fried appetizers and junk food around. Thankfully, this air fryer hush puppy recipe is a game-changer in the kitchen! The air fryer hush puppies recipe delivers the crispy outside and tender inside goodness without all the oil and grease! While people typically fry hush puppies, this recipe is the perfect way to enjoy the delicious food without negatively impacting your health. 

Cooking Tool 

Honestly, there are SO many air fryers to pick from. While there used to be one or two, the options now fill entire aisles. Personally, these cook up beautifully in the Ninja Foodi! They are so good. However, the air fryer of your preference will work just as well. 

Stand-Out Recipe

As with all foods, there are tons of recipes out there. However, this specific recipe creates the perfect combination of savory and sweet. It incorporates jalapeno peppers into the batter to get the perfect spicy bite. Additionally, using the air fryer 

makes a crispy, delicious dish with a flaky and tender center. 

Condiments 

Some people love condiments on everything. Thankfully, air fryer hush puppies are incredible without dipping sauces while also pairing well with several options. For example, you can dip the air fryer hush puppies into ketchup. Likewise, they go well with my Southern Comeback Sauce. They even taste amazing with some jam or butter spread on them. Honestly, there are so many ways to enjoy air fryer hush puppies to appease all taste buds! 

Hush puppies are the perfect side dish to accompany other southern-inspired meals. Try some of my favorite southern-inspired meals like:

• INSTANT POT JAMBALAYA
• INSTANT POT SOUTHERN GRITS
• AIR FRYER SOUTHERN-STYLE SHRIMP
• AIR FRYER SOUTHERN-STYLE FRIED CHICKEN
• AIR FRYER CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Hush Puppies

When making air fryer hush puppies, the ingredients are pretty simple and standard for the everyday kitchen. However, they combine to form a rich, scrumptious flavor! 

• Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds rich flavor and creates a tender hush puppy. 
• Eggs: Eggs create the structure needed to form hush puppies.
• Salt: A touch of salt helps create the perfect flavor. 
• Butter: While this is a simple ingredient, it produces a powerful result. Be sure to melt the butter before adding it to the other ingredients. 
• All-Purpose Flour: The mixture of flour and cornmeal create the unique flavor of hush puppies. Just be careful to follow the recipe. Too much flour makes the hush puppies heavy and bread-like. 
• Yellow Cornmeal: If you use self-rising cornmeal and flour, simply omit the baking soda.
• Granulated Sugar: It is important to add sugar to balance the flavor of savory and sweet. While this may seem like an odd ingredient, you will know exactly why it is there after the first taste of the air fryer hush puppies! 
• Baking Soda: Similar to bread, baking soda helps the air fryer hush puppies rise. 
• Jalapeño Peppers: Add some minced jalapeño peppers for some heat! 

How To Make Air Fryer Southern Hush Puppies

Some recipes have many stressful steps. Thankfully,  air fryer hush puppies are quick and simple to make! Honestly, this simple recipe will go into your table’s weekly rotation of delicious offerings. 

Step One: Mix the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

Step Two: Then, mix in the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Fold in the diced jalapeños.

Step Three: Grease your air fryer pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Fill the pan with the batter. Be careful not to overflow the pan because the air fryer hush puppies will rise while cooking. 

Step Four: Place the pan in the air fryer and set the temperature to 350 degrees F (air fryer setting) for 5 minutes.  Ensure you fully cooked the air fryer hush puppies before removing them. They should be golden brown. The actual time will depend on the air fryer you are using.

Step Five: Allow the hush puppies to cool. You can serve them with your favorite dipping sauces or leave them as a delicious side. Enjoy!

Pro Tips

• Bitelet pan: I love to use this pan in my air fryer! I found it at Williams Sonoma. It is a perfect size and even works for donut holes. The Nordic Ware Busy Bee Bitelet Pan also works well!
• Add-Ins: You can adjust the spiciness of this recipe by adding more or less jalapeño. Additionally, you can even add some red pepper flakes for a little more heat. Likewise, you can also switch out your favorite seasonings to make different variations, such as cayenne, smoked paprika, and dried chipotle chiles!
• Keep it Simple: Some people prefer simplicity. They do not need extra spice or flavors. So, you can also leave out the jalapeño. The taste will be just as delicious without the spice. 
• Don’t over-mix: Once the batter is just combined, stop mixing. Otherwise, you will end up with dense hush puppies.
• Cooking spray: Use olive oil or cooking spray to coat your pan. This way, the air fryer hush puppies will pop out at the end of cooking. If you forget this step, it will take extra prying resulting in deformed hush puppies.

Storing

Air fryer hush puppies really are best when served right away. Biting through the crunchy outside creates a flavor explosion for the warm, soft inside. However, you may also want to make them in bulk to store as a quick, easy side that just needs heating up. 

Leftovers: You can store the air fryer hush puppies in your refrigerator for up to three days. Then, you can reheat them in the microwave or air fryer before serving them again. The microwave will result in a softer hush puppy while the air fryer will help maintain the crunchy outside. 

To Freeze: Place them in an airtight freezer bag after cooking and cooling. Specifically, you can store them for 3 to 4 months. When it’s time for some hush puppy goodness again, thaw out the desired number. Then, spread them onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Next, broil for 8 minutes until heated through. This will help restore the crunch lost during the freezing process. If you do not have the broil feature, you can also heat it in the microwave or air fryer. Be sure to check that they are warmed through to ensure they are ready to eat. 

Air fryer hush puppies are a simple recipe with a rich flavor. They are the perfect appetizer or side dish for various dishes! After trying the first hush puppy, the entire plate will quickly disappear with how good they are! Best of all, they do not have all the unneeded grease or oils. 

MORE AIR FRYER CORNBREAD RECIPES:

• AIR FRYER SKILLET CORNBREAD
• AIR FRYER BOXED CORNBREAD
• EASY AIR FRYER SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD
• AIR FRYER HONEY BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD
• AIR FRYER PUMPKIN CORNBREAD
• EASY AIR FRYER CREAMED CORN CORNBREAD
• AIR FRYER PILLSBURY CORNBREAD SWIRLS