There’s something nostalgic about corn dogs. You probably remember eating them as an after school snack (and now your kids do the same), or enjoying them at the state fair along with other fair faves like funnel cake and cotton candy. Maybe you still love them to this day. Pat, the Test Kitchen manager, said her husband has always been a fan of the portable snack – and honestly, what’s not to like?
These homemade corn dogs are incredibly easy to make, so put down the box from the freezer section and plug in the deep fryer.
To prepare your hot dogs for their transformation into corn dogs, pat them dry with a paper towel (the batter will stick better this way). Then insert a wooden skewer (that you’d use for kabobs) into each hot dog. We kept our bun-length hot dogs whole, but you could certainly cut them in half for a smaller appetizer or even quarter the dogs for bite-size corn dog nuggets.
After your hot dogs are prepped for dipping, make the batter. In a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Then whisk one egg and 1 cup of milk into the dry ingredients.
Pro tip: For easier dipping, the Test Kitchen recommends transferring your batter to a tall drinking glass. It’s way easier than trying to cover your hot dogs in a shallow mixing bowl, trust us.
Once the hot dogs are covered in batter, carefully place into the deep fryer. Fry your corn dogs for 4 to 5 minutes until they are golden brown and state fair-worthy. The slightly sweet batter is moist and fluffy and complements the salty hot dog perfectly.
We served our corn dogs with the classic pairings – ketchup and mustard – but you could get creative making different sauces and dips for your dogs. I would gladly dunk a corn dog in sriracha mayonnaise or homemade bbq sauce. YUM. Serve them at your Fourth of July cookout for an easy, hand-held appetizer or at a fair-themed birthday party for the kids anytime of year.
Homemade Corn Dogs
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375°F.
- Using paper towels, pat hot dogs dry. Insert a wooden skewer into each hot dog. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- With a wire whisk, add milk and egg to dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Transfer batter to a tall drinking glass. Dip hot dogs into batter and carefully place into the hot oil.
- With basket lowered, add hot dogs in batches into oil. Shake basket to loosen corn dogs from bottom of basket.
- Fry corn dogs for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown, turn frequently. Lift basket to drain hot dogs and transfer to paper towel-lined tray to complete draining before serving.
Notes
One major flaw. The hot dogs must be coated in cornstarch to make the batter stick better.
Thanks for the tip, Jeanette! The batter held fine for us in the Test Kitchen, but we’ll try this next time.
What a crispy and delicious product is it. Thanks for sharing this kind of information