Jalapeno Cheddar Hush Puppies with Spicy Apricot Sauce

The Story Behind the Recipe

Nearly 25 years ago, when my husband and I got married, we got our first deep fryer.  That’s when my aunt gave me her awesome recipe for hush puppies, and I haven’t eyed another hush puppy recipe since.

Now, to be fair, she also gave me her amazing recipe for jalapeno corn bread and that gave me the idea to add jalapenos to the hush puppy recipe, creating these Jalapeno Cheddar Hush Puppies.  YUM!  Read on for the recipes!

Growing the Jalapenos

My husband grew the jalapenos in our garden!  They are a few rows over from our 5 corn stalks.  LOL!  The ingredients for this recipe are basic and easy, which are my favorite kind of ingredients.

If you’re looking for another simple recipe, try my Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole.

The other great part of this recipe is that it’s super easy to assemble.

Mixing it Up

Stirring and frying are the main components, so if you can stir, you’re good, because frying pretty much takes care of itself.  That’s why frying this is the most fun, in my humble, Southern, frying opinion.

Frying the Hush Puppies

To create uniform hush puppies we used a cookie scoop that holds 1.5 tablespoons. My original recipe says it will make 2 dozen using a teaspoon, but who in the world wants them that small? This recipe makes 12 hush puppies.

Fry them for 2 minutes, or until golden brown and you’re ready to eat…well, once they cool off a bit. We were super satisfied with the way these Jalapeno Cheddar Hush Puppies fried up!

Chomp, chomp, chomp. We should have doubled our recipe because our dozen did not last long. Keep that in mind!

Jalapeno Cheddar Hush Puppies

JoysLife.com

Golden, crispy hush puppies with cheddar and jalapeno, a Southern favorite with a kick of heat.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 Deep fryer or Dutch oven for frying
• 1 Cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp) helps keep them uniform
• 1 Slotted spoon to lift them out of oil
• 1 Paper towels for draining

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
• ¾ cup white cornmeal self-rising
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 Tbsp jalapeno peppers chopped
• 2 Tbsp onion finely chopped
• 1 ½ tsp sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg beaten

Instructions

 

• Combine cheese, cornmeal, flour, onion & sugar.
• Add combined milk & egg, mixing until well blended.
• Drop rounded 1 1/2 Tbsp of batter into deep, hot oil at 370–375°F.
• Fry 1–2 minutes until golden brown, turning once.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Serve warm.

Notes

To create uniform hush puppies we used a cookie scoop that holds 1.5 tablespoons. My original recipe says it will make 2 dozen using a teaspoon, but who in the world wants them that small? This recipe makes 12.

Chomp, chomp, chomp. We should have doubled our recipe because our dozen did not last long. Keep that in mind!

Scroll down for the Apricot Dipping Sauce Recipe!

Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce

JoysLife.com

A sweet, tangy, and spicy dipping sauce made with apricot preserves, hot sauce, and spices. Perfect with hush puppies, fries, chicken, or pork.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 Mixing bowl
• 1 Spoon or Whisk
• 1 Jar or airtight container for storing in fridge

Ingredients

  

• 1 jar apricot preserves 18 oz
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp hot sauce
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp granulated garlic
• ½ tsp chipotle chili powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¼ cup ketchup

Instructions

 

• Combine apricot preserves, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, chili powder, salt, ginger, and ketchup in a mixing bowl.
• Mix until smooth.
• Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour to let flavors meld.
• Serve with hush puppies, fries, chicken, or as a glaze for grilled meats.

Notes

This recipe makes a bigger batch than you’ll need for one dozen hush puppies, but you’ll want extras! Consider doubling the hush puppies or using this for other delicious things!

Keeps in the fridge for about a week in a sealed jar.

The Sauce Isn’t Required, But It Should Be

 Want to make a sauce to dip them in?  It’s not necessary, but it’s good!  This Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce is a great compliment to the hush puppies PLUS it goes great on a ton of other things.  Think hot dogs, corn dogs, chips, fries, whatever you want to dip!

This is a new family creation.  My food genius husband created it, and it’s terrific.  These amounts will make a batch bigger than you need for one dozen hush puppies, so either cut it down or make more stuff.

This sauce is super easy…just add ingredients and stir!  See why these two recipes are such a pleasure?  Delicious food, fast.  That’s always a hit!

Homemade Food Boats

I just want to tell you about my food boats.  I MADE THEM, which was awesome because I could vary the size, and even the print, for my needs.  I used my Silhouette to create them! Here’s a link to them (Food Tray 84573) on the Silhouette store if you want to make them and here are some if you’d rather buy them. And some more Silhouette posts you might enjoy.

Now, back to enjoying hush puppies.

They speak for themselves, don’t they?

Golden, delicious and flavorful.

What’s your favorite food to fry?  I want to fry up some pickles soon!  I think I might make pickles from some of the cucumbers that we have in our garden.  I bet that would be outstanding!

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