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Get ready to enjoy these delicious Air Fryer Hush Puppies with dinner tonight!
We had the best dinner recently with Air Fryer Hush Puppies and Air Fryer Catfish. I’ll be sharing the Air Fryer Catfish next week, stay tuned for that. First, though, let’s talk about Hush Puppies.
First, have you ever wondered why hush puppies are called hush puppies?
I just read about it the other day that they were actually called that because this was a food fed to dogs to ‘hush the puppies’. Funny, isn’t it?
I was expecting some crazy explanation, but that is just too funny that the name stuck! Find out even more history on hush puppies, here.
Now, back to these Air Fryer Hush Puppies, I made these Gluten Free Air Fryer Hush Puppies, but you can do whichever that you prefer. These pair perfectly with Air Fryer Catfish.
These can also be made in your Ninja Foodi and added to your list of Ninja Foodi Recipes.
I’ve also convinced my entire family to purchase an air fryer, have you bought one yet? If not, be sure to check out this post on choosing the right air fryer.
Shortly after we got our Air Fryer, my husband kept asking me to make catfish in it.
I thought that was a perfect idea too, but what is the best thing to go with catfish? Air Fryer Hush Puppies!
Wouldn’t these be wonderful with Air Fryer Fish Sticks? YES!
My family decided this was the best dinner EVER! It was pouring down rain this particular day and the perfect day to get in the kitchen and just test out some new recipes.
I’m thankful they quickly turned into favorites.
My son keeps a mental list of his favorite foods, he’s added these and catfish to it. That says a lot for him too because he’s quite picky.
If you ask my daughter what’s on her list….
She responds with, “cookies, cake, ice cream, candy.” She thinks highly of her health, can you tell?
She is also OBSESSED with watching cooking and baking shows, but can I tell you it’s incredibly hard to find appropriate shows for kids.
Who would have thought that cooking shows could be so inappropriate?
We’ve had quite a time trying to find some that are appropriate for her, that doesn’t suddenly have language she doesn’t need to hear yet.
Thankfully, shows like the Pioneer Woman are pretty good too for her. Now, I need Ree to come to Netflix…please.
Now, back to these Air Fryer Hush Puppies.
What do you need to make Air Fryer Hush Puppies?
- Cornmeal
- Flour or Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Egg
- Milk
- Onion
Just a few things are needed, most of which you will already have on hand.
Tips for Making Air Fryer Hush Puppies
The batter is going to come out very similar to cornbread batter.
It’s best to let it sit for about 2-5 minutes after you make it just to let it rest and harden up a bit.
Very important things to note when making this, it’s necessary to add in the dry ingredients first and whisk in the egg and milk.
In regards to the milk, this is made using dairy milk.
I do believe that other non-dairy alternatives may be too thin and change the consistency of the batter.
When making any air fryer recipe, it’s always important to check in when it’s cooking because they all give off a varying degree of heat.
For instance, if you make a batch of these and cook them for 10 minutes and make another batch.
The air fryer is going to be already hot which means that the second batch is going to cook for less time.
What if I’m out of Onion?
Quick tip, onion powder will work too. If you use it though, then you won’t have those chunks of onion, but the taste is similar!
This is also a traditional hush puppy recipe, so the main flavor is onion. If you prefer additional flavoring, add in some garlic powder as well.
More Air Fryer Recipe Ideas
Looking for more Air Fryer Recipes? Check out the full air fryer recipe index!
If you want all these recipes right at your fingertips, be sure to grab the e-book. This e-book features 15 Easy Air Fryer Recipes!
Enjoy these Air Fryer Hush Puppies!
I am now using a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer; however, you can check out a variety of different air fryers in my post on, How to Choose the Right Air Fryer.
Air Fryer Hush Puppies
Make easy air fryer hush puppies in minutes and gluten-free too!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour or Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 Cup Milk
Instructions
- Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix in the onion.
- Whisk in the egg and milk.
- Let batter sit for about 5 minutes.
- Form small balls of dough to make hush puppies.
- Place them inside the air fryer, if preferred spray the bottom with non-stick cooking spray or you can line it with foil.
- Spray them with a coat of non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.
- Cook in air fryer at 390 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Carefully turn them over and spray them with a coat of non-stick cooking spray or olive oil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve when crispy. Remember all air fryers put off a varying degree of heat, so be sure to check them and cook a few extra minutes if needed.
Notes
This recipe is made with skim, low fat, or regular milk. I have not tried it with dairy alternatives but believe it would alter the consistency. The batter will be similar to cornbread or pizza dough. If yours is runny, keep stirring until it thickens up.
This recipe is a very traditional hush puppy recipe and the main flavor is going to be just the amount of onion that you add. If you want to add more flavoring with additional onion powder or garlic powder, feel free.
Always remember all air fryers heat differently, it's best to check it halfway through the cook time.
Updated recipe to add onion powder and garlic powder, which enhances flavors.
I followed the recipe exactly but they wouldn’t form balls and they came out burnt and flat as a pancake. What am I doing wrong?
Did it appear they had too much liquid? We make these often without any issues. So I’m not entirely sure. They should be like a bread batter almost and easy to shape.
Yes it was runny.. like a loose pancake batter.
If you try them again, I would try adding more flour to it if it looks like it’s runny. I actually added more flour within this recipe than a standard hush puppies recipe, so I’m not sure why it would come out runny. Another thing to keep in mind too is that the ingredients need to be added in order, whisking in the milk and egg last. You may have done that as well but just another thought.
Did you use dairy milk and not a nut milk?
Yes, I used regular milk, normally skim milk for these. I haven’t tried them with nut milks.
I thought these were “ok” but for the hassle I’d just make cornbread.
390 degrees-Farenheit? Want to know if I need to convert (Canadian).
Yes it’s 390*F.
200 celcius if you have any other canadians
Thank you!!
This was not a good recipe. Like the other reviewer, the recipe as written resulted in a very thin, pancake-batter like consistency that could in no way be rolled into a ball. I had to add a bunch of flour to even get them thick enough to put them into the machine. Also, 20 minutes total is way too long to be cooking these; they would be burned to a crisp. I checked mine after 10 minutes to “flip” them, as directed, and found them already a dark brown and totally cooked all the way through. Had I done them another 10 minutes they would have been burned black. I don’t know whether something got written down wrong, but this whole recipe needs to be completely rewritten to make it workable.
Hi there, I am sorry that it did not come out as you had hoped. I have successfully made these many times without issues. I did alter the time as I made them in a brand new air fryer this morning and I would agree with 5 minutes turn, and 5 more minutes; however, my older air fryer is 10 minutes on each side. The temperature is one of the most tricky parts of writing air fryer recipes as they all heat differently.
In regards to the recipe, I made a batch this morning, following the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. I’m adding some pictures in the post of the batter. It will look very similar to cornbread batter. I do think it works best if you let the batter sit for a minute, but even without letting it sit, it should not be runny. I’m curious, did you use regular dairy milk?
It’s important to also be sure to do the dry ingredients first and whisk in the milk and egg. I’ve never experienced any issues with them being thin. I’ll add the pictures in too to show the batter. This is from the batch I just made a few minutes ago.
I tried this recipe today. Along with the onions, I added chopped pickled jalapeno peppers about 1 1/2 TAB. and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and only 2/3c milk. From the picture, the batter looked a little thick, so I decided a little less milk, thought might be good. They came out good, I used the foil like you did, and I’ll cooked them again. Thanks for the recipe. God Bless you
Those sound like great additions!! I’m going to try those too, thanks for sharing.
Hello, my wife and I were shocked to see an air fryer recipe for hush puppies and we had to try it. Thank you for sharing. My first time trying this recipe we made a double batch and it worked fantastic! We did add a couple flavor ingredients we like but this is definitely a keeper!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! We love to add to this and do some different flavors too.
I have not tried them yet but i think I would add drained corn to mine… we can sometimes find them in the grocery stores but not often.. and adding the cheese would be good also
I’ve heard of others using that too and that’s a great addition, I plan to try it too!
We tossed them in the trash. Tastes like dry cornbread with onions.. sorry – not a fan.
I’m sorry to hear that, we haven’t had that issue with this recipe. If you ever need to troubleshoot it just let me know.
I had the same problem many others are having. I followed the directions EXACTLY and the batter was way too wet– like pancake batter. I added more cornmeal and flour and put it in the fridge to harden up a bit. My husband then tried rolling them into balls but they are still loose and when they started cooking they started flattening out. They came out more the shape of little biscuits then hush puppies. The flavor was very bland. We added more salt to the second batch and the flavor was a little better, but definitely missing something. Maybe hush puppies are just one of those things that needs fat somewhere in the process. They were as dry as crackers and almost flavorless.
We make these regularly without them being too wet; however, I have also done these with the same batter in oil as regular fried hush puppies too. They’ve come out well both ways. I wish there was a way to be in the kitchen and cook alongside 🙂
I hate that they didn’t work well for you all.
I like adding some cream corn to mine. Thanks for this good write-up
Glad I stumbled upon your post today during quarantine on Good Friday. Trying to find a good idea for hush puppies in the air fryer to go with the other seafood I had planned to make. My college son insists that there’s got to be a way to put them in our new air fryer (he’s obsessed lol) I also wanted to comment about your comment about cooking shows – I totally agree! You should create your own 🙂 You sound like a witty and creative mom. Thanks for the recipe – I’ll let you know how it turns out. I’m going to try to tweek it with the Jiffy corn muffin mix I have on hand – cross your fingers I know what I’m doing. Take care and have a blessed Easter!
Mine came out wet too. I wish that I read the reviews first. I would suggest updating the page to caution folks that it may come out wet and provide some troubleshooting options. I added more flour, which helped it form better. After 10 minutes in the air fryer they didn’t look as expected so I finished them stove top in vegetable oil. They came out flavorless, which I also attribute to failing to add more seasonings to the batter after adding flour. My family didn’t mind them dipped in sauce. I will find another recipe for next time, but thanks for the start. Hope you can figure out how to make this fail proof. All the best.
Sorry, they did not work out for you. We make these regularly both in the air fryer and the stove regularly fried without any issues. Maybe this post will help with these, they are adapted from this recipe; however, the Taste of Home recipe actually uses even less flour. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hush-puppies/ I’ve found it works the best for us with 3/4 cup flour.
What a great recipe! I’m still learning to navigate an air fryer, so I would suggest GENEROUSLY spraying wtih cooking oil or the hush puppies will bake into the wiring and tear when you’re trying to flip them. Next time I may try foil.
I found the dough was too sticky to roll into balls in my hand, so I just spoon-dropped them into the air fryer and they came out just fine. 5 minutes + flip another 5 minutes were the perfect timing. As she said, the flavor will be basic with the taste of onion. We used honey + a dash of cayenne for dipping and it was the perfect combo. We’ll definitely be making these again.
Have you tried to use the hush puppy already in the bag and you just have to add water only
I haven’t yet, but I think you could air fry them but spray them with some cooking oil to get them browned on the outside.
Mine did not turn out flat like others said, mine stayed in little clumps and puffed up nicely, however the cornmeal didn’t really dissolve into anything and it felt very grainy/crunchy.