Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs Recipe

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These fair-worthy golden crispy corn dogs are better than frozen corn dogs. They’ll help bring back those nostalgic memories of childhood fondness. They have a nice crisp outside and warm, soft inside. This easy recipe is made using a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix to help save you time. So delicious!

Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.
Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.

Equipment

Deep Cooking Pot or Deep Fryer
Medium Mixing Bowl
Tall Drinking Glass
Tongs

Shopping List

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
Hot Dogs
Wooden Skewers or Popsicle sticks
Corn starch
All-Purpose Flour
Egg
Water
Canola Oil

What’s The Difference Between a Corn Dog and a Hot Dog?

The difference between a corn dog and a hot dog is quite simple. A hot dog is a hot dog. It is typically eaten on a sliced bun and topped with ketchup, mustard and onion if desired. It can be boiled, grilled or fried to heat it through.

But a corn dog is a hot dog that has typically been placed on a wooden stick and dipped in a corn meal batter mixture and deep fried in oil.

Are Corn Dogs Healthy?

Corn Dogs are often known as fair food. And they are healthier when compared to calorie filled fair foods such as funnel cakes and whopper turkey legs. Anything eaten in moderation is not going to cause harm. That’s a good reason to eat 1 or 4 corn dogs.

What Are Corn Dogs Made Of?

Corn dogs are made of hot dogs or any encased sausage covered in a corn bread batter and deep-fried. One benefit of making homemade corn dogs as opposed to buying them frozen is you can choose the kind of hot dog that goes inside.

Our family prefers Hebrew National Hot Dogs or another similar alternative. They are real beef hot dogs made of real meat, instead of the alternative just made with cheap fillers and artificial flavorings. Choosing the hot dog really is a significant benefit of making corn dogs and can give the nutritional facts and significant boost in the healthy direction.

Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.
Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.

The Great Corn Dog Condiment Debate

What do you like to dip your corn dog in? That is the question. It’s sort of like the icing on the cake because it helps to determine the flavor of the dish. Here are some ideas to whet your appetite:

Ketchup
Yellow Mustard
Dijon Mustard
Honey
Nacho Cheese
Ketchup + Mayonnaise combined
BBQ Sauce
Ranch Dressing
Hot Sauce
Relish
Chili Sauce
Sour Cream and Green Onions
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Broccoli and Cheese Sauce

What Makes A Corn Dog Great?

If you have a favorite food based on nostalgia, most likely nothing is going to change your mind. But for everyone else there are a few things that make a corn dog perfection that you’d consider great.

1. Corn dogs should be crispy on the outside and warm and juicy on the inside.

2. The corn batter should have an ever so slight sweetness to it that comes directly from or resembles honey.

3. Choosing the perfect condiment helps to make the corn dog perfect, but what you choose is up to your personal preference.

Expert Tips For Making Homemade Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs

1. Before you start assembling the corn dogs on the wooden sticks, measure the length of the stick to know whether they will fit in the pan once the hot dog is added. If not, trim them before hand to achieve the perfect fit.

2. To keep the batter of the corn dog from breaking while it is cooking, cover the corn dog completely in oil when it is first dipped into the pot of oil. Otherwise, a portion of the batter will cook, and a portion will not, leaving a crack in the batter.

3. Leftover batter can be used to make Hush Puppies. Just drop it by the spoonful into the heated oil and cook, turning until browned.

Can Corn Dogs Be Made Without Wooden Sticks?

Yes. You can make corn dogs without wooden sticks. Maybe you’re in a pinch and you’re unable to get out to the store to buy some. Or maybe you are unable to find them at the store. Whatever the case, you’re still golden. You can cut the hotdogs into halves or thirds and dip them into the oil, frying them as mini corn dogs.

Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.
Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.

Traditional Deep Fried Frozen Corn Dogs

This recipe is for traditional deep fried corn dogs. The flavor, texture and hot dog itself is so much better than frozen corn dogs. You can achieve a crispy coating on the outside and a warm, soft texture on the inside. These are as delicious as the ones you can typically buy at a summertime fair or carnival. They’re that good.

How To Reheat Homemade (Better Than Frozen) Corn Dogs

Microwaved Corn Dogs

Homemade corn dogs can be reheated in the microwave in about 1 minute. If they’re frozen, they might take more like 2 minutes to reheat. Be careful not to overheat them as the batter will become hard. Also, please note that reheating corn dogs in the microwave causes the batter portion to become mushy in many cases and it has a tendency to fall off.

Baking Corn Dogs In The Oven

Corn dogs can be reheated in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees if thawed. To reheat a homemade corn dog that has been frozen, increase the oven time to 15 – 18 minutes to thoroughly heat your corn dog. Reheating them in the oven is the best way in our opinion because it allows the crispy outside and soft inside to be maintained.

Toasting Your Corn Dogs

A toaster oven is another solution for reheating corn dogs. It is a good solution because like the oven it produces a drier heat that allows the outside to stay crisp. Use a time and temperature similar to the oven of 10 minutes at 375 degrees for your toaster oven.

Air Fried Corn Dogs

Using an air fryer to reheat corn dogs is another good solution. It’s going to give you results that are better than the mushy results the microwave provides. And it tends to be faster. Use 400 degrees for 3 minutes.

How To Store Homemade (Better Than Frozen) Corn Dogs

These homemade corn dogs can be stored in an airtight container or zipped bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make sure they’ve cooled completely before stacking them or the batter tends to want to stick together. They can be frozen in an airtight container or zipped bag in the freezer for up to three months. As most any food does, they taste the best when they’re enjoyed fresh.

If You Decide To Settle For Frozen Corn Dogs

If you decide you want to perfect cooking a frozen corn dog, rather than making them fresh, here are some tips to help you achieve perfection. Remember that frozen corn dogs have already been cooked and deep fried. They just need to be reheated.

We’ve taken a look at the frozen corn dogs on the market and have done our own testing. What is sure is that with frozen corn dogs you don’t have the luxury of choosing the dog that goes inside, so they tend to not be as healthy as if you were to make them yourself. But hey, maybe you want to have a rare treat and want to know how to do it up right.

The Best Way To Cook Frozen Corn Dogs

Air Fryer Frozen Corn Dogs

The best way to cook a frozen corn dog is hands down, with an air fryer. If you have that option, then great. It will save you on indulging in a bunch of extra calories from the grease since an air fryer uses, well just air.

To achieve the perfect frozen corn dog, unwrap it and place it directly in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 7 minutes.

What You Need For Corn Dogs in Air Fryer

In order to cook corn dogs in an air fryer, you really only need two things, an air fryer and some corn dogs.

Tips for Fair-Worthy Air Fryer Corn Dogs

Whether your corn dogs are planned as a snack or a meal, here are some tips to help you achieve corn dogs that taste like they just came from the fair.

Thaw.

The great thing about cooking frozen corn dogs with an air fryer is that you don’t need to thaw them first.

Do Not Overcrowd.

Be sure to not overcrowd the space inside the air fryer. Leave plenty of room for the air to circulate around each corn dog. Heat them in batches if needed.

Will the Sticks Burn?

No. The sticks should not burn while cooking inside your air fryer.

Turn.

If you want to, you can turn the corn dogs part way through. Be sure to use a set of tongs or oven mitts so that you don’t burn your fingers.

How Long Do You Microwave a Frozen Corn Dog?

Using a microwave is fine to heat a frozen corn dog, but it is not the most reliable for achieving the delicious crispy outside. In our experience, frozen corn dogs heated in the microwave tended to turn out mushy on the outside and the hot dog was somewhat dry and shriveled on the inside. But if you’re short on time, the microwave can be a viable solution. Just unwrap your corn dog and place it on a microwave safe plate. Heat it in the microwave for two minutes and you’re good to go.

Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.
Better Than Frozen Corn Dogs. Photo by CookThink.

What Temperature Do You Fry Frozen Corn Dogs?

350 degrees is the temperature you’ll want to achieve with your oil. Just heat the oil then carefully add the frozen corn dog. Allow it to simmer in the oil for about 9 minutes, turning it regularly. This approach will give you a delicious crispy and golden outside, but obviously is not as healthy as the air fryer. So, it depends what aspect you’re focusing on as to which approach you choose.

How Long Do You Cook Frozen Corn Dogs In A Toaster Oven?

If you happen to still own a toaster oven, you’ll be delighted to know that this is one of the best ways to cook a corn dog. It is a dry heat which is perfect. Just unwrap the corn dog and place it directly on the rack. Heat to 350 for 8 minutes, turning part way through. Keep an eye on the wooden stick to be sure it doesn’t start smoking.

Are Frozen Corn Dogs Precooked?

Yes, frozen corn dogs are precooked. When you buy the frozen ones from the store, the hot dogs have already been cooked and the corn dogs have already been deep fried. All you have to do is reheat them to perfection.

Can You Cook Frozen Corn Dogs On A Grill?

You can, but it’s not the best way. It’s kind of like cooking them in the microwave and they don’t turn out well. Cooking them on the grill doesn’t provide the nice golden, crispy outside and the soft and warm inside.

Let’s Make Corn Dogs!

Making homemade corn dogs are so much more delicious than frozen corn dogs. It allows you to select the best hot dog for the inside as well as the crispy crust, fair worthy honey coating of corn batter. They’re so delicious! What a great way to celebrate nostalgia. Let’s get started!

Ingredients

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
8 Hot Dogs
8 Wooden Skewers or Popsicle Sticks
2 tbsp Corn Starch
2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Egg
1 cup Water
Canola Oil

Directions

1. Preheat canola oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F.

2. Insert wooden skewers or popsicle sticks into hot dogs. Roll hot dogs in corn starch coating them with a thin layer. Remove any excess. Set aside.

3. Mix corn muffin mix, all-purpose flour, egg and water thoroughly. Pour into a tall drinking glass.

4. Dip corn dogs into the mixture one at a time. Twist while dipped to allow them to become evenly covered.

5. Carefully place in heated oil for 3 minutes, turning regularly until golden brown.

6. Remove and place on a paper towel.


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Sarah
Sarah is known for her extra fancy yeast breads, melt in your mouth pies, and everything salads. She has won awards as a home cook, and is passionate about helping others feel smarter in the kitchen. Sarah is the cooking genius of the sister duo.

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