Ingredients
Scale
- 8 hot dogs (or 4 hot dogs + 4 mozzarella sticks for half-and-half)
- 8 mozzarella cheese sticks (string cheese)
- 8 wooden skewers (10-12 inches long)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
- Vegetable oil for frying (4-6 cups)
For the Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups whole milk
For Coating Options (Choose One or Both):
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2-3 small potatoes, cut into ¼-inch cubes (soaked in water)
For Finishing:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Ketchup, mustard, and mayo for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Pat hot dogs and cheese sticks dry with paper towels. If making half-and-half corn dogs, cut hot dogs in half lengthwise, place a cheese stick in the middle, and press the hot dog halves together around it. Insert a wooden skewer through the length of each hot dog/cheese, leaving about 4-5 inches of skewer at the bottom for holding. Place in freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with milk until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth with no lumps. The batter should be thick but pourable – similar to pancake batter. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Prepare coating stations: Set up three shallow dishes. First dish: ½ cup flour for dredging. Second dish: your prepared batter. Third dish: panko breadcrumbs (or drained potato cubes, or both side by side). If using potatoes, drain them well and pat dry with paper towels.
- Coat the corn dogs: Remove corn dogs from freezer. Working with one at a time, roll in flour to coat completely, shaking off excess. Dip into batter, coating the entire dog generously – you want a thick coating. Let excess drip off. Immediately roll in panko breadcrumbs (or press potato cubes firmly all over), coating completely and pressing gently so coating adheres well. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining corn dogs.
- Heat the oil: Pour 4-6 inches of vegetable oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium-high heat to 350°F (use a thermometer). To test without a thermometer, drop a small bit of batter into oil – it should sizzle immediately and float to the surface, turning golden in about 1 minute.
- Fry the corn dogs: Carefully lower 1-2 corn dogs into the hot oil using tongs, holding by the skewer. Don’t overcrowd the pot. Fry for 3-4 minutes, rotating occasionally with tongs, until deep golden brown and crispy all over. The coating should be evenly browned and very crispy. Adjust heat if browning too quickly or too slowly.
- Drain and coat with sugar: Remove fried corn dogs to a wire rack set over paper towels or a baking sheet. While still hot, roll or sprinkle generously with granulated sugar, coating all sides. The hot oil helps the sugar stick and creates a sweet glaze.
- Serve immediately: Serve hot with ketchup, mustard, and mayo for drizzling or dipping. For the classic presentation, drizzle condiments in zigzag patterns over the corn dog.
Notes
- Oil temperature is critical – too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks; too cool and they absorb too much oil
- Don’t skip freezing the hot dogs and cheese – this prevents cheese from leaking during frying
- Work quickly when coating – don’t let battered corn dogs sit too long before frying
- Sugar coating must be applied while corn dogs are hot for it to stick properly
- For extra crispy results, double-coat by dipping in batter and breadcrumbs twice
- Store any leftover batter in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 corn dog
- Calories: 465
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 65mg