Jalapeno Hushpuppies Recipe
Homemade Hush Puppies Recipe – The absolute best Jalapeno Hushpuppies Recipe, from the famed Okie Dokies Smokehouse in Asheville, North Carolina.
Southern Homemade Hush Puppies
Sometimes you get the chance to walk into a person’s life at a divinely appointed moment, and witness something truly wonderful. That characterizes my encounter with friends Jody and Steve Dunning, owners of Okie Dokies Smokehouse in Swannanoa, North Carolina.
Destiny isn’t new to Jody and Steve. In an instant of sheer kismet, they both joined a casual gathering of friends one afternoon. As the party dwindled away, Steve announced he had to spend the rest of the day restoring his BBQ truck. Jody, being handy and obliging, offered to help.
Now you tell me… What man wouldn’t fall head-over-heels for a spunky, curly-haired, blue-eyed woman who knows how to use a hammer and can help fix his truck?
Steve never even had a chance.
Classic Southern Food
Steve and Jody built a relationship around shared values, family, and meat. BBQ is part of their makeup.
From the very beginning, Steve drove “The Red Wagon” around our region and sold sandwiches and BBQ plate specials. He parked his truck in different small towns on various days of the week and built a loyal following in more than one county. You could say he’s a predecessor to the ever-popular “food truck movement.”
Jody would tell you BBQ is personal. After traveling the country and experiencing regional methods, the Dunnings developed their own style of BBQ.
They believe the meat should be able to stand alone, un-sauced, but have cooked up various flavor-packed sauces for their customers to experience as well.
When I met the Dunnings, they were a family of four with another little boy on the way.
At that point in their journey, they had established Grill House Catering, providing BBQ, yet incorporating a fine-dining element as well. They continued to build their business, but felt an urgency for change.
They bought a two-story building in Swananoa, just outside of Asheville. A deli leased the upstairs space and Jody and Steve planned to use the downstairs as their catering kitchen. Within weeks after they signed the contract for the building, the renter upstairs revealed they would be closing their business.
The Dunnings were at a stand-still. The economy was falling to pieces and there they sat with a two-story building and no renter. What would this mean for their business? Another moment of serendipity had arrived.
Steve and Jody were determined to see this as an opportunity. With the help of Steve’s brother and a few friends, they rolled up their sleeves and gutted the whole building. In 2007, with restaurants closing all over the region, Okie Dokies Smokehouse bravely opened its doors.
I’ve watched these courageous friends thrive over the last few years. Their wood-fired bbq is unique to our region and draws barbecue connoisseurs from around the country. Steve and Jody have fed numerous celebrities including famous football players, politicians, Charlie Daniels, Franklin Graham… and Matt Damon.
They have a collection of trophies from numerous BBQ competitions, have been featured in Southern Living Magazine, and were voted in the top 3 BBQ Restaurants in the Mountain Xpress “Best of WNC” Competition.
Their attention to detail and ingredients, along with a casual family atmosphere, keeps the locals coming back for more. “The restaurant business isn’t easy” Jody confesses, “But you do your best with what you know.”
The Dunnings are living proof that backbone and an attitude of excellence create success.
Ingredients Checklist
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup dried minced onion
- 3/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 3 cups whole milk (or buttermilk)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups diced pickled jalapeños
- Oil for frying (you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil – the kind of oil used in a deep fryer.)
How to Make Hush Puppies
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients and jalapeños. (The vinegar with curdle the milk a little.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture all at once. Stir until just blended.
Turn the burner to medium-high heat. Heat a large pot of oil to 375 degrees F. (You can use a dutch oven). Drop the hushpuppy mix by the spoonful into the hot oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Check the first few for doughiness. Repeat with the rest.
Scoop the hushpuppies out of the oil and place them on paper towels or on a wire rack. Salt if needed.
Get The Full (Printable) Recipe Below For How To Make Homemade Hush Puppies Recipe. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does This Dish Last?
Store the leftover hush puppies in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
What Kind of Variations Work With This Recipe for Hush Puppies?
There are a few different ingredients that can be changed or added to make this dish exactly how you would like it. You can use white cornmeal instead of yellow cornmeal, you can add cheddar cheese, cayenne pepper, or even add green onions to the batter.
What Sauces Would Be Great to Dip With Hushpuppies?
You can use tartar sauce, remoulade, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, ranch, or southern comeback sauce.
Steve and Jody graciously offered their addictive Jalapeno Hush Puppy Recipe and Carolina Red Slaw Recipes so our ASP readers could make them at home.
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own hushpuppies, this Jalapeno Hushpuppies Recipe is ridiculously amazing!
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, protein, sodium, cholesterol, and calcium percentages.
Jalapeno Hushpuppies Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup dried minced onion
- 3/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups diced pickled jalapeños
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients and jalapeños. (The vinegar with curdle the milk a little.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture all at once. Stir until just blended.
- Heat a large pot of oil to 375 degrees F. Drop the hushpuppy mix by the spoonful into the hot oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Check the first few for doughiness. Repeat with the rest.
- Scoop the hushpuppies out of the oil and place on paper towels. Salt if needed.
I’m totally going to try this the next time I visit Asheville. I love that town and we are always looking for new places to try.
nice people, very good food, iced tea to take with you! what more could you want?
Great review! I can’t believe you got the hush puppy and slaw recipes. I’m so going to try both. Then I’m going to head over there and try the real deal too!
If you want to feel at home and feel that you are truly part of the family, then stop in to Okie Dokies and share in the family friendly atmosphere. The food is great! Tell em, “Mark sent ya!”
I’m going to have to visit there next time we’re in Asheville, Sommer! It looks amazing.
I will have to stop by and give this a try next time we are in Asheville. It is a great story. I agree that the meat should be tasty on its own. Too many times barbecue needs sauce to taste like anything and it shouldn’t be that way. Looking forward to checking out Okie Dokies!
What a great story!
We’ll be driving through Asheville next weekend…hopefully I can convince the fam to stop at Okie Dokies! I wish we had some extra time to spend in Asheville, but I guess we’ll have to save that for another trip.
Great story! We are huge BBQ fans around here (luckily we live in Kansas City!) but I love trying BBQ from everywhere. Those hush puppies look too good, I could eat a whole bucket of them by myself right about now. Yum!
Lovely! I do not want to make it, I just want to go there and eat! Promise that you will take me there when I come up to Asheville!
this is definitely going on a list of places to eat when I come down this summer! I love barbecue. I love Smoked meats, this looks like pure heaven to me, I can’t wait to try it.
cheers
Dennis
Oh wow, their restaurant looks so inviting, so cozy.
Hushpuppies are amazing… love the inclusion of jalapenos! Thanks to your friends for sharing this recipe with us!
Got to love classic southern joint! Nice post.
Nothing like a good wood fired bbq. I love to hear about hardworking people who follow their dreams. Up north we have the Dinosaur BBQ (wood fired) – there is usually a long wait to get a table.
I was so thrilled the first time I tried a hushpuppy and I was not disappointed but these jalapeno hushpuppies as well as the entire restaurant look amazing and maybe worth a trip to your neck of the woods to try?? Great story, love the part about backbone and hard work, kind of fires me up:-)
Those Jalapeno Hushpuppies looks awesome. I’ve never seen them before.
Those jalapeno hushpuppies are right up my alley!
Great post and sounds like a fantastic place…I have been thinking about making Hushpuppies again and love this recipe :)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend
I love stories of people doing what they love! Especially if it is with food!