How to Make Corn Dogs
Corn dogs are a great way to make hot dogs even more tasty and less healthy. Truly an American food, corn dogs are a Christmas tradition in my house! Make sure to have plenty of cold beer and skewer-proof helmets on hand for a party that will last way longer than you intended and a house full of drunks having way more “fun” than they should be allowed by Uncle Sam.
And be patient. There’s a little learning curve around battering the hot dogs. The first couple you do might look funny but you’ll get better, and they still taste good! The video below will show you some tips on how to make corn dogs and the recipe is delicious! Try using smoked sausages or kielbasa instead of hotdogs, too, for a change. And have plenty of mustard on hand! Or ketchup … or mayo if you’re really weird.
Homemade Corn Dogs
- Yield: 14 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup cream-style corn
- 1/3 cup finely grated onion
- 1 cup buttermilk (plus a teeny bit more if needed)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch, for dredging
- Hot dogs (should be enough batter for 14 corny dogs)
- Shortening or peanut oil to fry
- Wooden skewers
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients in a big bowl (not including cornstarch).
- Whisk together wet ingredients (not including frying oil).
- Add wet to dry and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes while your oil heats up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Meanwhile, skewer hot dogs and roll in cornstarch to lightly coat.
- When your oil is hot, batter up your hot dogs (now is when you should add a little more buttermilk if it seems too thick to dip into) and fry for about 2 minutes until brown and crunchy and they’ll be lumpy, too, so just… be ready to love them for their imperfections.
- Drain on paper for a minute and then eat with your favorite combination of mustard, cock sauce, ketchup, or whatever.
Dip these in tartar sauce for a preposterously good bite. And if you have hotdogs leftover after your party, try these Sonoran Hotdogs!
Photo by: Robotclaw
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I'm a big fan! After I watch your videos I talk in funny voices for at least 10 minutes…this would annoy my husband except he likes your videos too!:)
ps. the lumpy corn dogs look super yummy!
Hi Nicole! I'm glad you and your husband like the show. I am always interested to meet people that don't find my funny voices annoying.
hi hilah im australian and i tried the corn dogs and it was great!!
i think your really funny and when i need a recipe i rely on you good job!!!!
LOVE TABY
Hi Taby! Thank you so much! 🙂 I’m glad you’re cooking!
Mmmmm, this delicious episode complicates my recent decision to eat far more veggies than meatsies. Why, God? Why?
What ever should I do?
Please note: corn is a vegetable.
I love corn dogs and lemonade! Anything with buttermilk in it – I will try!
I like straight buttermilk, too!
Hey Hilah, i loved ur webiste, i am from egypt and we dont really do these corn dogs here, but i loved it, will try it tonight…
u r super sweet, not like those old women doing some old recipes.. hehe.
thank u
Haha! Thank you! How did you find out about the show? Just curious. Thanks for writing!
I was checking the cooking videos on youtube and u were the 1st to pop up.. and i felt like, she looks young, and am sure she will do some nice recipes…
we have a very nice tv channel for the middle east, that is onlyfor cooking, why dont u put your episodes there..
http://www.fatafeat.com
That’s cool! I’ll check it out! Thanks.
this is the best cheap party food i’ve ever eaten. you could vary this by adding finely chopped jalapeno’s to the batter if you wanted.
Mmm. Jalapenos.
hi Hilah,
I made the corn dogs for my family today… I was having trouble getting the mix to stick to the corn dog. So by the time I got them to the fryer it was just hotdog. Do you have any tips on how to get the mix to stick better???
Hi Olivia!
I’m sorry you had trouble. I’ve found it’s very important to dredge the dogs in cornstarch before dipping, and then use a spoon to lift the batter onto the dogs, rather than try to literally dip them or roll them in it. Let me know if that helps!
Thanks for the quick response…. I did spoon the batter maybe I didn’t use enough cornstarch… I will try again next week. My family cannot eat that much fried food in the same week. Oh I also tried your flour tortilla recipe and it was a big hit.
I’m glad the tortillas worked! I hope the corndogs go better next time.
Hi my name is paula and im spanish some of my family is british and some of it is from california but ive lived nearly all my life in spain and i adoreeee your videos because my cousen send me food from america but it is really expensive and hard soo thankssss so hard for the videos your great!!
Hola Paula!
Gracias para escribir! I’m so glad you like the recipes and are able to make them. 🙂
Hey today I went to the fair and ate a corndog that looked beatiful but tasted horrible! While your recipe is totally delicious! Moral of the story: Don’t let pretty corndogs trick you! Lumpy ones are better! Haha ok, too much stalking for a day! Take care 🙂
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It’s true! Those pretty ones at the fair are too sweet for me. Still, I do wish I could get homemade ones to look a teeny bit prettier. 😉
I never tried corn dogs because I felt my equipment wasn’t big enough. You’re only supposed to put 2 inches of oil in the slightly less than 7 inch deep Fry Daddy used. I know she lost the instructions but there’s a line on the inside of the fryer at 2″. Hilah wants 6″, angled properly equivalent to the 7 or 8 that she needs. I’ve never had the balls to try this. But if she can do it so can I. If you don’t hear from me again it’s because I was horribly disfigured by scalding lard (and loving it!).
Yeah, it’s not quite safety standard, but as long as you don’t try to put more than one (okay, maybe two) in there at a time, I’ve not had it spill over. That said, probably the safest way to do it would just be to get a large pot and a thermometer.
Now you got me all worried about you. Be careful!!!
Don’t worry about me. Worry about the guy National Presto Industries’ attorney had in mind when he/approved the directions. Seriously, that is a friend of mine’s job! I just bought a Fry Daddy and was surprised at the 2″ fill line and have no intention of obeying the limit. Still have yet to use it. Thanks for letting me know what I can do. The Daddy is 5.25 inches deep and averages 6.5 wide. Froze on the hot oil in the video and I think you’re an inch and a half down at 3.75 giving a diagonal immersion length of 7 (that innuendo was NOT intended, but only because I spotted it after the fact). DO DEEP FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS, pretty please…
Ahaha! Just for that innuendo, deep fried artichoke hearts are on the list. I admit, I’ve never had them but it sounds like a perfect match for some fresh lemon wedges and a super-duper cold beer.
I’m from Kuwait and I liked ur recipe I’m just waiting my mom to bring the corn cream style and I’ll do it ,, I hope making it perfect from the first time 🙂
Have fun, Rawan! Hope they turn out well your first time. 🙂
They’re killer. There used to be this big campus open house/food fair at my college. One club/group did them. They were much cheaper then. Today they’re $15 for a big can of 40-50 or 30-40 cents apiece at the Fart and Smile.
Cool! I mentioned it to Chris and he said “artichokes and mushrooms at the same time!” so I think that’s what we’ll do. It’s gonna be good!
I forgot to mention this; packed in water, not marinated. I hate to have anyone reading to make a disastrous mistake.
Phew!
I REALLY LOVE YOUR SHOW 😀
YOU’RE SO FUNNY 😀
THANKS FOR SHARING THE RECIPES 😀
★★★★★
Thank you, Kylie! That makes me very happy to hear. 🙂
hi Hilah i was just woundering do u come out in tv or no let me know ok bye…
and God Bless You
Hey Hilah! I’m from Thailand and I just saw your videos on youtube today. Most of your videos inspire me a lot and the corn dogs looks so great that I can’t wait to try it :D. I’m wondering about the batter, what should I do if there’s some of them left? What wold you prefer me to do with it, without trowing away? thanks 🙂
Hi Kair! I’m glad you found me!
You can use this batter to dip and fry anything you like and leftover batter will stay fine in the refrigerator for two days. Someone told me you can even freeze it for later use, though I have not tried that myself.
Thanks for writing! Hope you like them. 🙂
hi Hilah!
First if all, I like your name. Secondly, I’m from Malaysia and last but not least, I enjoyed your cooking videos! Tried your corndog recipe and its really good. Glad I found you and will continue to watch your videos and learn from you~.
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today i made your corndog recipe with coctail weinies & small skewers. fried like 6 of them at a time & they were awesome appetizers. i have a picture i was gonna send but cAn’t figure out how to attach it. next time i am going to add a bit of sugar to the batter, more like the ones at the state fair.
LOVE your show!!!
That sounds so awesome, Jeff! I’d love to see a pic. If you’re on facebook you can post it there on my page.
Glad they were a hit at your party!
Hey Hilah! I was wondering if omitting the corn and onion, and using regular milk instead of buttermilk, would affect the corn dogs?
Hi Francine!
Those are pretty big changes so, yes, the recipe will be affected somehow. Swapping the buttermilk for regular milk is probably the biggest change. If you do that, add a teaspoon of vinegar to the mixture as well to make up for the acidity in the buttermilk. Omitting the creamed corn is going to make the resulting batter thicker, too, so you may need to add a little extra milk. Good luck!
Hilah,
I really enjoyed your videos, they really helped me, because i’m a total beginner. But I’m wondering how can you make cream-style corn, because in my country I don’t think if we have that canned. Besides, loved the vinegar in the milk to use it as buttermilk! Can I meke that with pancakes too?
Hi Nicoli!
If you can’t find canned creamed corn, you can substitute regular corn but run it through the blender first (drain most of the liquid off) to get it coarsely pureed.
And, yes! The buttermilk trick works for any baking including pancakes. It’s a great trick to remember! Thanks for writing.
Hi hilah I’m 10 years old and love cooking I’m just made some different breads I’m tryin out for the Guy and Rachel kids cooking show and have been cooking for 4 years
Hi Jake! That is fantastic! I’m so happy for you! Best of luck to you!
-Hilah
Hi Hilah! I’m Shellyne from Philippines, and I saw your videos on youtube last night. I’m trying to find some good recipe for hotdogs.. and found this CORN DOGS! Will make it tonight and I hope it will be a big hit tomorrow for our first day of FOOD BAZAAR! Keep it Up Hilah! 🙂
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Hi Shellyne!
I’m so glad to hear from you! I hope the corn dogs are a huge success! 🙂
What a great batter! NOW, if you want a have memorable show, do like I did, ATTEMPT, to deep fry these in a .. . . . .skillet. OMG what a failure! (and yet, here I sit enjoying these corn dog mutations)
Ahahah! I’d love to see those corn dogs, Steve. 🙂
Hilah,
it’s hard to get cornmeal in Indonesia, so.. can i replace it with cornstarch or something?
Hi Diera,
I’m sorry but corn meal and corn starch are very different. Can you get fine polenta? That would be the closest thing.
Hello! I’m new here! I loved your corndog video on youtube lol I haven’t tried yet but i will very soon! but i can’t find creamy corn where i live 🙁 what can i replace with?
★★★★★
Hi Jiwon! You can use a can of corn and puree it in the blender. Hope you enjoy!
Hi!!
I love your show. I’m from Poland and we don’t have cream-style corn, so is there any substitude for this ingredience? Or is there a quick way to make a cream style corn? I would love to try this recipe. Greetings from Poland :DD
Hi Karolina!
You can take a regular can of corn and drain off half the liquid and then blend the rest in a blender or food processor until a little smooth. I hope it works for you!
Last night I had a great idea about how to make corn dogs even tastier: grill the franks first! I suppose that nuking them in a microwave might be almost as good. But whatever the method, I think that cooking brings out a lot more flavor from the franks.
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[…] Making corn dogs at home is a fun and festive thing to do for parties! Better than the frozen corndogs you buy at the store and almost as easy! Printable corndog recipe at https://hilahcooking.com/how-to-make-corn-dogs/ […]
[…] How to Make Corn Dogs – Hilah Cooking – See how to make corn dogs with this easy recipe and video demonstration. You can make your own corn dogs […]
Enjoyed your corn dog making video. A trick that I have used over 40 years ago, pour batter into a tall glass and dip the stuck dog. Gets a more even coating that way. I use a cocktail strainer cup. It is deep enough to completely coat the dogs. It does mean you will have extra batter, but that can be used for smaller items, like mushrooms, etc.
Corn Dogs, pronto pups, I don’t care what they are called. Great carnival days food.
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Thanks for the tip!
hi hilah i’m still a kid but i really love cooking my biggest goal in my life is to be a chef and the corn dogs are super yummy my mommy helped and my mommy loved the corn dogs i really love ur videos yummy and delicous ☺☺can u make some easy homemade pizza please.
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Hi KC! I’ve done a pizza video and recipe here. Enjoy! Keep on cooking 🙂
Can u make a donut using the method of deep frying please
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Hi! Can i cook it in hotdog waffle maker instead of frying? I’m going to sell it in school and were not allowed to used any oil. And also can i use cream corn style only without cornmeal? It’s hard to find here in my country? Or do u know how to prepare a cornmeal using fresh corn?
Hi Lyn,
You probably could do it in a hotdog maker, but I haven’t used one.
You definitely can not use canned creamed corn instead of corn meal, though. If you can get fine polenta that will work instead of cornmeal. Cornmeal is dried corn that’s been ground up so there is not an easy way to make it from whole corn.