Homemade Corn Dogs

Did you know that you can make corn dogs at home? It’s not hard at all, and let me tell you, homemade Corn Dogs are SO much tastier than anything you’ll get from the store or even the state fair!

I love recreating classic fair foods at home, and these homemade Corn Dogs are really something special! Not only are they more flavorful when you make them from scratch, but you can control the quality of the ingredients.

Corn Dogs really aren’t hard to make, and there are not many ingredients involved. It’s more about technique than anything, but I’ve got you covered with tips and tricks to help your corn dogs turn out perfectly every time!

The key to good corn dogs is good hot dogs. You can use what you like, but when I make corn dogs from scratch, I like to spring for the good all-beef hot dogs. They just taste better, in my opinion. 

You will fry these corn dogs in hot oil, so watch for little fingers. And remember, fresh-from-the-oil corn dogs are SUPER hot inside. Let them cool for 2-3 minutes before biting into one.

Ingredients

• Yellow cornmeal
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• White sugar
• Baking powder
• Egg
• Milk
• Vegetable oil for frying – You’ll need about 1 quart.
• Hot dogs – I like all beef hot dogs but use what you like.

You’ll Also Need

• Wooden skewers – About 2 inches longer than the hot dogs.
• Cast-iron skillet for frying – Or a deep pot or deep-fat fryer.

How To Make The Best Homemade Corn Dogs

1. Combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and milk, then add this to the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes to get very cold.
4. Add the oil to a cast-iron skillet, deep saucepan, or deep-fat fryer, and heat the oil to XX-degrees.
5. Dry each frankfurter with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Insert the skewer into the hot dog, pushing it through one end all the way to nearly the top. Don’t puncture the top end of the hot dog.
6. Pour some of the cornmeal batter into a tall drinking glass. Dip the hotdog into the batter in the glass coating it evenly.
7. Transfer the hot dog from the batter to the oil and cook each hot dog on its side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!
8. Combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
9. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and milk, then add this to the flour mixture and mix well.
10. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes to get very cold.
11. Add the oil to a cast-iron skillet, deep saucepan, or deep-fat fryer, and heat the oil to XX-degrees.
12. Dry each frankfurter with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Insert the skewer into the hot dog, pushing it through one end all the way to nearly the top. Don’t puncture the top end of the hot dog.
13. Pour some of the cornmeal batter into a tall drinking glass. Dip the hotdog into the batter in the glass coating it evenly.
14. Transfer the hot dog from the batter to the oil and cook each hot dog on its side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. 
15. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!

Dips For Corn Dogs

Half the fun of eating corn dogs is dipping them into sauces! Dunk them into homemade ketchup, chipotle-ranch sauce, or even honey-chipotle BBQ sauce. Mustard is just fine, too! You can even make honey mustard at home easily by mixing equal parts of honey with hot dog mustard. That’s it!

Recipe Tips

• Make the batter ahead of time, so it is nice and cold. This helps it stick to the hot dogs.
• You can use honey in the batter instead of sugar.
• Use long-handled tongs to carefully turn the corn dogs over in the hot oil to ensure even cooking.
• Don’t fry more than 2-3 corn dogs at a time, so you don’t overcrowd the pot or fryer.
• Fresh oil makes the best corn dogs. You can use vegetable oil, peanut oil, or your favorite oil for frying. 
• You can use any kind of hot dog for this recipe, including turkey, chicken, pork and beef, or all beef. Use your favorite!

Serving Suggestions

Pair your state fair corn dogs with another treat like funnel cakes, or enjoy them as a part of a meal with Fiesta Fries. Or make up a batch of these mac and cheese balls, and fry them while the oil is hot.

Storage

Store any leftover ribs in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, but I doubt they’ll last that long! You can reheat the corn dogs in the air fryer or in a low oven until they are heated through and crispy.

Print Pin

A Weekend at the Fair {at home} Part 2 – Corn Dogs

Author Mrs Happy Homemaker

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour plus a little extra for sprinkling
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar can sub. honey if you want
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 2 16oz packages of hot dogs (I like beef, use what you like)
• 16 wooden skewers

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, & baking powder. Stir in eggs & milk. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes to get it cold.
• Preheat your oil in a deep saucepan. Using a paper towel, dry off each frankfurter, making sure there is no moisture left. Place a skewer in the end of each hot dog.
• Pour some of the batter into a tall drinking glass. Dip each hot dog into the glass of batter, and then place into the hot oil.
• Fry 2 or 3 corn dogs at a time until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Other Delicious Fried Recipes

• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
• Country Fried Pork Nuggets