This American classic is synonymous with fairgrounds and school lunches, but can be made right in your kitchen. The idea of making homemade corn dogs may seem intimidating at first, but with a few basic tools and simple tricks, you can have a fresh, hand-battered corn dog in under 30 minutes.
See our team’s favorite brand of hot dogs.
How to Make Homemade Corn Dogs
This recipe from reader Ruby Williams of Lousiana makes 10 corn dogs. Here’s what you need to make them:
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup self-rising flour, divided
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup 2% milk
- 10 popsicle sticks
- 10 hot dogs
- 2 quarts of vegetable or canola oil, for deep-frying
Step 1: Dry the Hot Dogs
Wondering how you get batter to stick to corn dogs? This is the key! Remove the hot dogs from their packaging and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Taking a few extra seconds to pat the hot dogs dry with paper towels will go a long way in making sure the batter sticks.
Once dry, insert the popsicle sticks about two-thirds of the way into each hot dog. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Corn Dog Batter
What is corn dog batter made of? A mix of cornmeal, flour and egg. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, 3/4 cup self-rising flour and egg. Then add in the milk and stir until a thick batter forms. Let stand four minutes and then transfer to a tall glass.
Editor’s tip: Don’t have self-rising flour? You can make your own!
Step 3: Dip the Dogs
Roll each hot dog in the remaining flour. This step will also help the batter really stick to the hot dog.
After that, dunk each dog into the batter, making sure to cover the whole thing. This is where that tall glass comes in handy.
Step 4: Fry and Serve
Immediately after dipping the hot dogs, drop them carefully into a deep fryer or Dutch oven like this, filled with oil preheated to 350°F. Fry the corn dogs, a few at a time, until golden brown, six to eight minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels and serve warm with your choice of dipping sauce. If you need some ideas, try our team’s favorite new condiments.
If you’re new to frying, check out our guide to deep-frying with confidence.
Editor’s tip: Take care not to overcrowd your fryer with corn dogs and monitor the oil temperature while cooking. The oil temp will drop slightly when the corn dogs are added so bump up the oil temperature a little, if necessary, after adding the corn dogs to ensure they’re frying at the proper temperature.
Some More Corn Dog Tips
If you can’t eat up all your corn dogs in a sitting, learn how to keep them fresh for later. You never know if you’ll be craving a midnight snack.
How to Store Corn Dogs
Leftover cooked corn dogs can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container. Refrigerated corn dogs should be eaten within two to three days. Frozen corn dogs can be stored for up to two months.
How to Reheat Leftover Corn Dogs
To reheat refrigerated or fully-thawed corn dogs, preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for 10 minutes. Frozen corn dogs can be baked at 350 °F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through completely.
Can You Freeze Corn Dog Batter?
It’s not recommended. This means making the corn dog batter ahead or saving leftover batter isn’t an option. Once mixed, the baking powder in the self-rising flour will lose its effectiveness after a few hours, resulting in a less fluffy coating on your corn dogs once fried.
If you want to shave off some prep time, we recommend mixing a 50/50 blend of cornmeal and self-rising flour and storing it in an airtight container in your pantry. Then, simply add eggs and milk to the mix when you’re ready to fry up a batch of homemade corn dogs.
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