Homemade Corn Dog Recipe (Just Like the State Fair) - Restless Chipotle (2024)

There's nothing like the food at the Texas State Fair! If you hate waiting then you'll love this recipe!

Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want.

🗝️ Key takeaways

• Fresh, hand-battered corn dogs have superior flavor plus you control what type of hot dog they're made with.
• Corn dogs are great for weekends, lunches, and tailgating.
• Be sure to read the FAQ section to learn what oils will work best in this recipe.

📖Variations

• Korean corn dogs are lightly rolled in sugar after frying. This gives them the sweet-salty flavor that some of us love.
• Use vegan hot dogs.
• Slice the hot dog and lay a thin piece of cheese inside before dipping in batter.

🔪 Instructions

This is the easiest way that I have found to make a perfect corn dog.

1. Ladle the batter into a quart Mason jar.
2. Remove the hot dogs from the package and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Dust lightly with some flour or cornstarch.
4. Push the sticks firmly into the hot dog.
5. Dip the hot dog straight down into the batter.
6. Pull it straight back up. It comes out perfectly.
7. Let the excess batter drip off and then slowly dip them into the hot oil while you hold the stick.
8. Doing it this way allows the batter to cook on the outside so it doesn't stick to your fryer basket. Once the outside is firm (a couple of seconds) you can drop the rest of the corn dog in.

Plus, if you have some batter left you can just twist the top on the jar and pop it in the refrigerator for next time.

I tried to make these with cheese but it didn't work for me. LOL!

🥫 How to store leftovers

Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze homemade corn dogs and reheat in the oven when ready to eat.

I like to freeze them individually. Place the finished corn dogs on a large baking sheet and put them in the freezer for an hour or two until frozen.

Wrap the frozen hot dogs in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Cover the sticks with aluminum foil before heating them in the oven.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Skewers work better than popsicle sticks to hold the corn dogs.

• Believe it or not if you've got chopsticks at home they work as well or better than the skewers.
• It takes about 3 minutes per corn dog for the crust to be cooked and the hot dog heated all the way through.
• Cut the hot dogs in half crosswise and dip them for mini-corndogs.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

• What kiddo doesn't love a big, messy sloppy joe? I've never met one that didn't.
• Crunchy Corn Flake chicken tenders are easy to make because they're baked in the oven.
• Taco crescent roll pizza takes just minutes to make.

🍽️ Serve with...

While mustard and ketchup are the most common dips for corn dogs there are others that are just as good or better.

• Jezebel sauce
• Campfire sauce
• Queso
• Enchilada sauce

I like to serve these with homemade tater tots, coleslaw, and a stack of oatmeal cookies.

📞 The last word

I don't know when I had my first State Fair corn dog but I do know it wasn't my last.

Not by a long shot. There's something about the mixture of flavors that's just...

Delicious.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published September 19, 2014. Last updated July 27, 2023 for editorial improvements and helpful information.

✍🏻 A note from Marye...

I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.

It's almost time for the State Fair — and if you have to ask me which one you must be visiting for the first time.

The Texas State Fair is an experience that is hard to explain.

I wish Yankee Candle made a Texas State Fair scent. It would be a mixture of popcorn, funnel cakes, hot pavement, and frying oil plus just a touch of something else.

Magic maybe.

One of the most magical foods of all is the original, not to be missed, corn dog.

Homemade corn dog recipes almost never make me happy.

There is some flavor missing or the batter isn't right— I don't know, it's always something. I compare them in my head to the ones at the State Fair and they never measure up.

The frozen ones from the store are just ick.

So, this is simple and there no real trick to it other than the choice of hot dogs. This is going to make the biggest difference in how it comes out.

Please, please do not use cheap ones in this and for the love of God don't use turkey or chicken.

What you want is an all-beef hot dog that has a strong smoky flavor. I think that the Ballpark Franks Angus type are the best here but you may have a local brand that is better.

The perfect homemade corn dog has just the right amount of lightly honey-sweetened batter. The batter should taste delicately of cornbread but not so much that it overpowers the hot dog.

Back in the 70s there was a corn dog place here in the Dallas area that served what they called corn cheese— chunks of cheese that were battered and fried in the same way.

When you bit into them the cheese was melty and gooey. I tried to do that but it didn't work... so it's still in the development process.

More Easy Family Dinner Recipes