These bite-sized delights are a playful twist on the classic fair food, featuring juicy hot dogs coated in a sweet and savory cornmeal batter, then fried to golden perfection. Easy to make and incredibly satisfying, Mini Corn Dogs are fun to eat for everyone, especially because no one expects them.

We never made these for our parties until we realized how easy they are to make. Now it’s just a fun novelty to add to our appetizer spread to take our guests back to childhood in one bite.

Helpful Tips

Keep the Oil Temperature Steady: Maintaining the right oil temperature is crucial for perfectly fried corn dogs. If the oil is too hot, the batter will bubble up too much and cause the batter to fall off and/or burn before the hot dog cooks through. If it’s too cool, the corn dogs will absorb too much oil and become greasy. Keep the oil at 325 to 350 degrees F.
Batter Slips Off: Two things that might occur is the batter slipping off the hot dogs and/or the batter bubbling too much in the oil and then slipping off. If these things occur, there are two possible reasons – there is too much water in the batter or the oil is too hot. Only use full fat milk and do not add water to the batter. It causes the batter to boil to release the water and that ruins the exterior.
Season After Cooking: I always salt the corn dogs after they’ve cooked to give more flavor to the batter.

Homemade Corn Dogs

Juicy hot dogs coated in a sweet and savory cornmeal batter, then fried to golden perfection.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings corn dogs

Calories 114 kcal

Ingredients

4 hot dogs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white cheddar finely grated
1 egg
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon honey
Oil for frying
12 4” wooden skewers
Dipping sauce

Instructions

Cut each hot dog into thirds.
Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and cheese in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and honey. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stick a wooden skewer into each hot dog piece.
Fill a large pot with 2 inches of cooking oil and heat it to 350°F.
Dip each hot dog in the batter, lift and allow excess batter to drip off.
Place each battered hot dog into the oil. Rotate them around so they cook evenly. They need to cook for about 2 minutes. Remove them when golden brown. Note: try to keep the temperature of the oil at 350°F, not over (see notes below).
When done, transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to remove any excess grease. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

Two things that might occur is the batter slipping off the hot dogs and/or the batter bubbling too much in the oil and then slipping off. If these things occur, there are two possible reasons – there is too much water in the batter (only use full fat milk and do not add water to the batter) or the oil is too hot. Keep the oil at 325 to 350 degrees F. If the batter keeps slipping off add more flour to the batter to thicken it and/or turn down the heat of the oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 80mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 76IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 1mg

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