Easy Homemade Hand-Dipped Corndogs Recipe Just Like the County Fair by Chef Gigi

I love, love, love a good ol' hand-dipped corndog. I've been known to attend a county fair once a year only to sneak one out. But now, I make them at home anytime with easy corndog recipe.

Don't be intimidated by making corndogs at home. It's not that hard! First, you need all the ingredients: hot dogs, yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, buttermilk, an egg, cooking oil and honey. You'll also need sticks for the corndogs. Thick sticks work better and are easier to work with, but you could use skewers in a pinch. The batter ingredients are mixed together, the hot dogs skewered on the sticks, dipped into the batter and carefully fried in hot oil.

Be sure to use a cooking oil with a high smoke point like peanut oil or canola oil. Olive oil is a great ingredient and cooking oil, but not for this recipe. Serve these crunchy corndogs for lunch or dinner with your favorite side dishes, and don't forget the mustard and ketchup for dipping!

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Corndogs

• 12 hot dogs
• 12 thick sticks, like for candy apples (not skewers)
• high-smoke point oil (peanut oil, canola oil or Crisco)

Batter 

• 1 1/2 cups fine-grain yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon honey

Here's how to make it: 

1. Pour about 3 inches of oil into a large pot or Dutch oven and heat 350 degrees F over medium heat using a candy thermometer. Keep the frying temperature between 340 and 360 degrees F to avoid soggy dogs.
2. Line a baking sheet with a few layers of absorbent paper towels, and top with a wire rack. Set aside. Pat hotdogs dry with a paper towel and insert sticks. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, flour, salt and baking soda. Mix to distribute the cornmeal and baking soda well. Add the buttermilk, egg, oil and honey. Stir well to combine.
4. When the oil has reached the desired temperature, pour a portion of the batter into a tall wide-mouth mason jar, filling it an inch below the top. Dip one corndog at a time directly into the batter to thoroughly coat the hot dog, swirling as you lift. Allow any excess batter to drip off; continue refilling the jar with batter as necessary.
5. Wearing an oven-proof glove, carefully hold the corndog at an angle in the hot oil for 5 to 7 seconds, then gently drop it into the oil. Fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Fry only 2 to 3 at a time so you don't decrease the oil's fry temperature. With long cooking tongs, turn them as needed to brown evenly. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm with mustard and/or ketchup. 

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