Hot dogs on the grill are certainly a go-to summer dish, but their corn dog counterparts are kid-friendly faves that can also be made at home. Not only are corn dogs fun to eat, they have many tasty variations ranging from different types of dogs to flavors in the batter. So grab the kids and spend a yummy afternoon making corn dogs at home.
Tips for making corn dogs
1. Make your batter
One of the most important parts of the corn dog is the batter. You can go classic with cornmeal and buttermilk or you can kick it up with herbs and spices.
2. Prepare your dog
One of the biggest challenges in making corn dogs is keeping the batter in place before you dip dog in the hot oil. To help with adherence, dry hot dogs with paper towels then dip them in flour, being sure to shake off any excess so only a light coating remains. Be sure to insert a stick in the bottom of each dog before or after you flour.
3. Dip your dogs
One of the easiest ways to do it is to fill a tall narrow container, like a wide-mouthed mason jar, about three-fourths full with the batter (don’t fill it up all the way or the batter will overflow when you dip). Simply dip each hot dog into the jar, swirling it around to make sure the entire dog is covered. Lift out of batter and allow excess batter to drip off.
4. Time to fry
Quickly dunk each battered dog into hot oil, stick and all, and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown. You will have to flip the dogs because they will most likely float to the top and only the underside will get cooked.
5. Let cool
Once the dogs are cooked, remove them carefully with tongs, and let them drain on paper towels. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before biting in.
Go gourmet with your corn dogs
Once you master your corn dog making technique, add a little goumet flair.
Gourmet variations on the corn dog:
- Add your favorite herbs and spices to the batter
- Substitute beer for some of the liquid in the batter
- Wrap hot dogs with bacon before dipping in batter or after they’ve been fried
- Instead of the usual hot dogs, try sausage, brats, vegetarian dogs or chicken dogs
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