Snack Time! How to Make Hell’s Kitchen’s Jason Santos’ Hush Puppies

A small but mighty snack! Celebrity chef Jason Santos has the perfect recipe to step up your appetizer game — his flavorful jalapeño, cheddar and bacon hush puppies.

“I love them because they’re so easy to make,” the Hell’s Kitchen star, 46, exclusively shares of his dish — which is featured in his new cookbook Simple Fancy — in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “They can be used as a passed canapé, plated appetizer or even as a side dish.”

A hush puppy is a savory bite-sized delight that typically consists of deep-fried cornmeal batter. As a staple in Southern cooking, they are usually served as a side dish that can be paired with seafood and other fried treats. What makes the sous chef’s recipe so special is its versatility.

“Use my recipe as a base and flavor them however you see fit!” the Boston-based restaurateur explains to Us.

Santos was the runner-up on the seventh season of Gordon Ramsay’s cooking competition series. He later returned to the reality show as a sous chef for seasons 19, 20 and 21. He is best known for his Buttermilk & Bourbon restaurants, which serve New Orleans-inspired cuisine.

Keep reading for his hush puppy recipe:

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 tsp baking powder

¾ cup sugar

2 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

¼ cup onion powder

1 tbsp Cajun spice

1 cup bacon bits

1½ cups grated yellow cheddar

3 cups milk

3 eggs

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¾ cup canned diced pickled jalapeños

Canola oil, for frying

Salt and pepper mix, to taste

Spicy Creole ranch dressing or red remoulade, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, onion powder and Cajun spice; this is the dry mixture.
2. In a small bowl, mix the bacon bits, cheddar, milk, eggs, vinegar and jalapeños; this is the wet mix. The vinegar will curdle the milk a little, which is fine.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture all at once, and stir until just blended. In a pot, heat canola oil to about 350 degrees. Using a small scoop, place a scoop of the batter into the oil and fry until golden brown and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper mix to taste and serve these with either spicy Creole ranch dressing or red remoulade.