These homemade mini corn dogs are made with juicy hot dogs enveloped in a light and fluffy batter with a glorious touch of sweetness, that’s fried until golden brown and crispy. Bring a taste of the fair home to your kitchen!
This is one of my Finger Food recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Do you have a favorite fair food? It’s hard to beat a great corn dog, except maybe with a funnel cake.
While it’s easy to pick up a box of frozen corn dogs from the grocery store, I really like to make them myself, so I can make them exactly how I like them!
This recipe is for mini corn dogs, but is easily switched up if you would rather have full-size.
I’ve also included an easy recipe for a chipotle ketchup dipping sauce that we just love! Obviously you can use any sauce you’d like though.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Fun – there’s nothing that brings me back to my childhood more than a crispy corn dog.
- Easy – contrary to popular opinion, frying food isn’t as complicated as you might think it is. I’ve broken it down in easy to manage steps!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Ketchup – we like to use Heinz, but use your favorite brand.
- Chipotle peppers – these are found in the aisle with the diced green chiles, in a can that’s labeled chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You’ll use some peppers and some of the sauce.
- Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, but dark will also work.
- Hot dogs – I like to use the original variety of hot dogs, but turkey or beef will work well too.
- Cornmeal – I like to use yellow cornmeal.
- Flour – just plain all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar – this adds a small amount of sweetness to balance all the savory flavors.
- Baking powder – this leavening agent adds lightness to the batter.
- Salt – I use kosher salt, so if you use other types, you might want to use a bit less.
- Egg – this recipe was tested using a large egg.
- Milk – I use whole milk because that’s what we have on hand. I believe other types will work, but I’m not sure as I haven’t tested it.
- Oil – this is to fry the corn dogs in, so I like to use peanut oil, but vegetable oil is a good substitute.
- Skewers – you can buy small ones, or break the longer ones in half.
How to make homemade mini corn dogs:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Prepare. Slice the hot dogs in half so you have two equal sized pieces. Start to heat the oil over MED heat until it gets to 350°F.
- Add sticks.
- Combine dry ingredients. I like to whisk them together so they mix well.
- Add wet ingredients. This is the egg and milk.
- Whisk. You want the batter to be well combined.
- Transfer. Transferring the batter to a tall drinking glass makes it easy to batter the hot dogs.
- Batter. Dip the hot dog into the batter, swirling to coat. Let the excess drip off.
- Fry. This doesn’t take long, but will have to be done in batches.
Helpful Tip!
To make battering the hot dogs easier, transfer the batter to a tall drinking glass. That way you can hold the end of the stick and dunk the hot dog right down into the batter; nice and easy!
Variations of this recipe
- Hot dogs – feel free to use your favorite brand and type of hot dog for this recipe. I like to use original hot dogs, but beef or turkey will work as well.
- Full-size – if you’d prefer to have full-size corn dogs, I would double the batter amount and add a few extra minutes to the frying time.
- Honey – honey corn dogs are a great spin on a classic, so if you’d like to add some honey to the batter, please feel free! I would add about 2 Tbsp and go from there.
- Dipping sauce options – I’ve shared my favorite chipotle ketchup, but any dipping sauce you’d like will work! A spicy/sweet mustard is another favorite of mine.
FAQ’s
Obviously it would be easier to just buy a box of frozen corn dogs, but a lot of people like to make things at home when they can. This way you can control the quality of ingredients that are used, there are far less preservatives and odd ingredients, and you can play around with the flavors!
The hot dogs are probably a bit too wet, which causes the batter to slide right off. Patting the hot dogs very dry with a paper towel helps ensure the batter sticks to them.
Making corn dogs ahead of time
I think these taste best when made fresh, but if you’re interested in making the chipotle ketchup ahead of time, that works very well!
Making the sauce ahead allows the flavors to really meld together.
Storage
Leftover corn dogs should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3 days.
To reheat, I recommend baking at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until hot and crispy.
I don’t recommend the microwave, as it will make them soggy.
Freezing
For longer storage, add the cooled corndogs to a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for about an hour, or until solid.
Transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for about 3 minutes.
To reheat, follow the reheating recommendations above, adding a few minutes since the corn dogs are frozen.
More Fun Appetizer Recipes:
My Favorite Pot to Fry in!
I love using this enameled cast iron pan to fry in. It’s heavy bottomed, holds heat evenly, is shallow enough to be able to work in, yet deep enough so you don’t get splatters of oil all over your stove! If you’d like to take the guesswork out of getting your oil to the right temperature, try using this inexpensive frying thermometer.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Chipotle ketchup
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 – 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
- 1 Tbsp adobo sauce from the can
- 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
Mini corndogs
- 6 regular sized hot dogs cut in half
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- peanut oil enough to fill the pot 2-3" deep
- wooden skewers
Instructions
Make chipotle ketchup
- In a small saucepan, add 1 cup ketchup, 1 – 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 Tbsp adobo sauce, and 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar.
- Stir together and heat over MED LOW heat, until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to LOW and let it cook 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom.
- Transfer to a container with a lid, and refrigerate until needed.
Prepare
- Cut 6 regular sized hot dogs in half, then pat completely dry and insert wooden skewers into each hot dog piece.
- Add enough peanut oil to fill a heavy bottomed pot (I use my dutch oven) about 2-3". Heat over MED heat, until the oil reaches 350°F.
- Near the stove, line a baking sheet with some paper towels and top with a cooling rack.
Make batter
- To a mixing bowl add 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add 1 large egg and 3/4 cup whole milk, and whisk to combine well. Batter will be thick.
Batter hot dogs
- Transfer the batter to a tall drinking glass to make the battering process easier.
- When the oil is hot, dip a hot dog into the batter, swirling to coat and letting excess batter drip off.
- Carefully lower it into the hot oil, dropping it away from yourself to prevent splashing. Fry in batches of 4-5 for about 3 minutes, turning occasionally. You're looking for the corn dogs to be golden brown and crispy.
Serve
- Use tongs or a frying spider to remove corn dogs to prepared cooling rack.
- Serve warm, with chipotle ketchup or desired dipping sauce on the side.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Recipe makes 12 mini corn dogs, which you’re free to divide into as many servings as you’d like.
- For recipe variations, see the section of the post titled “variations of this recipe”.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Mary says
My entire family loved these. I wish that I had made more. Next time I will double the recipe!