These homemade corn dogs have a sweet cornbread coating and are deep fried until perfectly golden brown. They’re even better than the ones you’re used to from the fair!I’ve always loved the taste of biting into a freshly made golden brown corn dog. When I was a kid I’d make my mom and dad buy me one every single time we were at a fair or festival and I still love them to this day!
As I got older and moved out on my own I started buying frozen corn dogs from the grocery store, but they never tasted quite the same. Sure, they were still great, but there’s nothing better than making your own corn dogs.
What most people don’t realize though is just how easy it is to make your own corn dogs at home. Over the years I’ve shared plenty of crazy variations on corn dogs with you guys, but do you know what I’ve never given you? A recipe for good old fashioned basic corn dogs! So, here you go! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- Corn meal
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Egg
- Milk
- Salt and pepper
- Ketchup, mustard or your preferred dipping sauce
How to make corn dogs:
- Heat oil in deep fryer or heavy skillet to 375°F.
- In a bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir in egg and milk.
- Slide each hot dog onto a corn dog stick.
- Transfer corn dog batter to a tall glass and dip the hot dogs one by one into the batter.
- Fry corn dogs for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Drain corn dogs on paper towels, and serve with ketchup, mustard or your preferred dipping sauce.
What brand of hot dogs should I use?
Although the brand and quality of hot dogs you use for corn dogs matters to a small extent, the batter is really the star here. When you have a good corn dog batter recipe — like this one — the corn dogs are going to taste great no matter what!
With that being said, if you’re loyal to a certain hot dog brand like Oscar Mayer or Hebrew National feel free to use those, but don’t be afraid to use the cheap no name hot dogs either!
Can I make corn dogs without a deep fryer?
You sure can! If you don’t have a deep fryer just pour a few inches of oil into a heavy skillet, turn on the burner, get the temperature up to 375° and you can fry them right on your stovetop!
Where can I buy corn dog sticks?
You can buy corn dog sticks or wooden skewers that can be used for corn dogs from Amazon, Walmart, Target or at the grocery store. If you cant find them though chopsticks are the perfect substitute and since most grocery stores sell sushi these days you can just grab some free chopsticks while you’re there buying all your other corn dog ingredients.
What should I dip my corn dogs in?
That’s up to you! I like to dip mine in ketchup, but it seems like most people prefer to dip theirs in mustard. You could also dip them in BBQ sauce or honey mustard. I’ve even seen some people dip them in ranch dressing! I also knew a guy once who used to dip his corn dogs in Thousand Island dressing. He was kind of a weirdo though so maybe you should just skip the Thousand Island….
Can I freeze corn dogs to eat them later?
Absolutely! If you can’t finish all your homemade corn dogs and want to save them for later you can freeze them and then re-heat them in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°.
If you’d like to reheat your frozen corn dogs in the microwave you can heat them one at a time for a minute and 30 seconds each. If they’re still cold in the middle continue heating them in 20 second increments until they’re warm.
Tips for success when making corn dogs at home:
- Pour your corn dog batter into a tall glass prior to dunking the hot dogs. A pint glass works great, but a pilsner glass works even better. I’ve seen lots of recipes that tell you just to roll the hot dogs in the batter, but dunking them in a glass is a much better option.
- Twist the stick slowly clockwise or counterclockwise as you’re removing the hot dog from the batter. This will leave a nice even coating of batter on the hot dog.
- Skip the basket if you’re using a deep fryer. If the basket is in the deep fryer when you drop the corn dogs into the oil there’s a possibility that the batter will stick to the basket. Then, when your corn dogs are done frying and you try to remove them from the basket you run the risk of some of the breading peeling off.
- Drop your corn dogs nice and slowly into the deep fryer oil. If you drop your corn dogs in too fast they can hit and stick to the heating coils, which will cause burn marks on your corn dogs.
If you’re looking for different variations of corn dogs here are some other recipes you can try!
- Chorizo Elote Corn Dogs
- Mini Meatball Corn Dogs
- Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Corn Dogs
- Jalapeño Popper Corn Dogs
- Leftover Halloween Candy Corn Dogs
- Breakfast Burrito Corn Dogs
- Macaroni and Cheese Corn Dogs
- Corn Dog Doughnuts
Corn Dog Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 quarts oil for frying
- 6 hot dogs
- 6 corn dog sticks or chopsticks if you can’t find corn dog sticks
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
-
Heat oil in deep fryer or heavy skillet to 375°F.
-
In a bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir in egg and milk.
-
Slide each hot dog onto a corn dog stick.
-
Transfer corn dog batter to a tall glass and dip the hot dogs one by one into the batter.
-
Fry corn dogs for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
-
Drain corn dogs on paper towels, and serve with ketchup, mustard or your preferred dipping sauce.
Lindsay Cotter
September 30, 2019 at 7:00 pm (5 years ago)Game day food for the win! So easy to make at home!
Dorothy Reinhold
September 30, 2019 at 7:59 pm (5 years ago)That batter sounds perfect! This will be a fun meal and my family is going to love it.
Toni | Boulder Locavore
October 3, 2019 at 7:52 pm (5 years ago)A new favorite for game day!
Dee
November 22, 2019 at 8:20 am (5 years ago)E-z making the batter and very tasty. I enjoyed this using gluten free frankfurters. Yes the pilzner mug was a big help.