Classic American Corn Dogs (Printable)

Juicy hot dogs coated in a sweet cornmeal batter, fried golden and served on sticks for easy snacking.

# What You'll Need:

→ Hot Dogs

01 - 8 beef hot dogs
02 - 8 wooden sticks (popsicle or bamboo skewers)

→ Batter

03 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal (120 g)
04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)
05 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 g)
06 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 cup whole milk (240 ml)
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

→ Frying

11 - 6 cups vegetable oil (1.5 liters) for deep frying

# Directions:

01 - Pat hot dogs dry with paper towels and insert a wooden stick into each, leaving sufficient handle length.
02 - Preheat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy deep pot to 350°F (180°C).
03 - Combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; whisk thoroughly.
04 - In a separate bowl, beat whole milk, eggs, and vegetable oil together. Gradually pour into dry mix and whisk until smooth and thick.
05 - Pour batter into a tall glass. Submerge each hot dog, rotating to fully coat.
06 - Carefully lower battered hot dogs into hot oil, frying 2 to 3 at a time for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn occasionally until golden brown.
07 - Remove corn dogs with tongs and drain on paper towels. Serve warm with condiments such as ketchup and mustard if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The batter crisps up in seconds, giving you that exact crunch you remember from childhood.
  • You can fry them in your own kitchen without any special equipment beyond a tall pot.
  • Theyre ready in half an hour, which means you can pull off a carnival night on a Tuesday.
02 -
  • If the batter slides off in the oil, your hot dogs were too wet or the batter was too thin, pat them bone-dry and add a spoonful more cornmeal next time.
  • Frying more than three at once drops the oil temperature and gives you pale, greasy corn dogs instead of crisp golden ones.
  • Let the oil come back up to 180°C between batches or the coating will absorb too much oil and turn heavy.
03 -
  • Freeze the hot dogs for 15 minutes before dipping, it helps the batter stick better and prevents the dog from getting too hot while the coating crisps.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of extra cornmeal to the batter for an even crunchier crust that holds up longer.
  • Use a thermometer to keep the oil at exactly 180°C, too cool and theyll soak up grease, too hot and theyll burn before the batter cooks through.
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