Corn Dog

Classic American Corn Dog

The quintessential American fairground treat: a hot dog on a stick dipped in a sweet cornmeal batter and deep-fried until crisp and golden. Best eaten hot with mustard or ketchup.

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •480 ml (2 cups) vegetable oil, for frying, peanut or canola oil preferred; need at least 5 cm / 2 in depth in pot
• •240 g (8 oz) yellow cornmeal, fine or medium grind; do not substitute with corn flour
• •120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• •30 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• •5 g (1 tsp) baking powder
• •2 g (½ tsp) fine salt
• •1 g (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •1 whole (1 large) egg, room temperature
• •240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk, or whole milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) whole milk, to adjust batter consistency if needed
• •8 whole beef hot dogs, classic American all-beef frankfurters
• •8 whole wooden or bamboo skewers, at least 15 cm / 6 in long; soak in water 30 min
• •yellow mustard, for serving, as needed
• •ketchup, for serving, as needed

Steps

1. 1 Insert a soaked skewer lengthwise into the center of each hot dog, leaving about 4 cm / 1½ in exposed as a handle. Pat the hot dogs very dry with paper towels; set aside.
2. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
3. 3 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, then add the buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
4. 4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined; the batter should be thick but smooth, roughly the consistency of thick pancake batter. If too thick, whisk in the extra milk, 1 tbsp at a time. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to hydrate the cornmeal.
5. 5 Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to a depth of at least 7.5 cm / 3 in. Heat over medium heat to 175 °C / 350 °F, using a thermometer to monitor.
6. 6 Pour the rested batter into a tall drinking glass (narrower than the length of a hot dog). This makes dipping easier and gives a thicker, even coat.
7. 7 Pat one hot dog dry again. Dip it into the batter and roll to coat completely. Lift straight up, twirling gently so excess batter drips back into the glass; the batter should cling in a thick layer.
8. 8 Immediately lower the battered hot dog into the hot oil, holding it by the skewer. Fry 2 corn dogs at a time so the oil temperature stays stable.
9. 9 Fry for 3 to 4 minutes total, turning occasionally, until the exterior is deep golden brown and crisp. The batter should read at least 74 °C / 165 °F internally, and the hot dog should be hot through.
10. 10 Lift out and drain on a wire rack set over a tray (not paper towels, which make the crust soggy). Keep warm in a 90 °C / 200 °F oven while you fry the rest.
11. 11 Serve immediately on the sticks with yellow mustard and ketchup for dipping.