American Corn Dog
A hot dog on a stick, twirled in a cornmeal and buttermilk batter and fried golden, with a squiggle of yellow mustard.
Four places claim the corn dog. Stanley Jenkins of Buffalo, New York filed a patent for frying wieners on sticks in batter in 1927, granted in 1929. George and Versa Boyington began making Pronto Pups in Rockaway Beach, Oregon in 1939 after rain ruined their buns. Ed Waldmire Jr. debuted the Cozy Dog in Springfield, Illinois on June 16, 1946. Neil and Carl Fletcher's Corny Dogs debuted at the State Fair of Texas in 1942. No one has a settled claim.
🇺🇸 This one is American
A hot dog on a stick, twirled in a cornmeal and buttermilk batter and fried golden, with a squiggle of yellow mustard.
🇦🇹 The original
In Vienna the same sausage comes in a pair, warmed in water below the boil, with mustard, horseradish and the roll on the side, not around it. See the Frankfurter Würstel with Mustard and a Roll recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
The flour dredge
A dry coat of flour gives the wet batter something to grip, so it doesn't slide off the slick hot dog.
The tall glass
Dipping in a narrow glass coats the whole dog in one twirl, with no thin spots that burst in the oil.
Step by step
- Step 1
Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk the cornmeal, 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cayenne in a bowl, then whisk in the buttermilk and eggs until smooth.
- Step 2
Pat the hot dogs dry, roll them in the 1/2 cup flour, shake off the excess and push a skewer lengthwise into each one.
- Step 3
Heat 2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350°F, about 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Pour half the batter into a tall drinking glass. Dip a hot dog, twirl to coat, let the excess drip off and lower it into the oil. Repeat with 3 more.
- Step 5
Fry 4 to 6 minutes, turning, until deep golden brown and the hot dog inside is steaming hot (165°F for higher-risk eaters). Drain on the rack.
- Step 6
Bring the oil back to 350°F, about 2 minutes, refill the glass with the rest of the batter and fry the last 4. Serve hot with mustard.
American Corn Dog
Serves 4 (2 corn dogs each) · 8 corn dogs · 55 min total
Batter
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Dogs and frying
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
- 8 hot dogs
- 8 wooden skewers, 8 inches long
- About 3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
To serve
- Yellow mustard (and ketchup, if you must; see Rules)
Method
- Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk the cornmeal, 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cayenne in a bowl, then whisk in the buttermilk and eggs until smooth.
- Pat the hot dogs dry, roll them in the 1/2 cup flour, shake off the excess and push a skewer lengthwise into each one.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350°F, about 10 minutes.
- Pour half the batter into a tall drinking glass. Dip a hot dog, twirl to coat, let the excess drip off and lower it into the oil. Repeat with 3 more.
- Fry 4 to 6 minutes, turning, until deep golden brown and the hot dog inside is steaming hot (165°F for higher-risk eaters). Drain on the rack.
- Bring the oil back to 350°F, about 2 minutes, refill the glass with the rest of the batter and fry the last 4. Serve hot with mustard.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen / Cook's Country, "Homemade Corn Dogs" (makes 8). America's Test Kitchen. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
Tips
- Keep the oil at 350°F between batches. Cooler oil makes the coating greasy, and hotter oil browns it before the center heats.
- Leftover batter can be fried in spoonfuls as corn dog "nuggets", hush-puppy style.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Mustard, not ketchup. Documented as the Fletcher family position: "mustard is the proper topping for a corny dog". Fletcher's added ketchup only in 1994 after customer demand, and the fair goes through about 1,500 gallons of mustard to 800 of ketchup.
- Who invented it. Disputed, and every brand claim is lore: Cozy Dog says "first on a stick"; Pronto Pup says no one did it before about 1939; Fletcher's family claims 1938. The 1927 patent and a 1926 "Krusty Korn Dog" baker's machine in a catalog predate them all. The patent batter had no cornmeal.
- Boyington's first name. Disputed: Versa or Vera.
Every other hot dog style
Frankfurter Würstel with Mustard and a Roll
Two slim smoked sausages, warmed in hot water that never boils and served in a pair with sharp or sweet mustard, horseradish and a crusty roll on the side.
Chicago-Style Hot Dog
An all-beef frank in a steamed poppy seed bun, "dragged through the garden" with seven toppings, and never ketchup.
New York Street Cart Hot Dog
An all-beef frank held in a hot "dirty water" bath, in a steamed bun with sweet red onion sauce, sauerkraut and mustard.
Detroit Coney Island Hot Dog
A natural-casing dog in a soft bun under a fine, beanless meat sauce, a stripe of yellow mustard and a pile of chopped onion.
Sonoran Hot Dog
A bacon-wrapped dog in a soft bolillo split along the top, loaded with pinto beans, tomato, onion, jalapeño salsa, mustard and a zigzag of mayo.
New Jersey Italian Hot Dog
Hot dogs fried in oil with peppers, onions and potato rounds, stuffed into a pocket of round Italian pizza bread over a line of mustard.
DC Half-Smoke
A coarse, smoky pork-and-beef sausage, grilled until browned, in a soft steamed bun with yellow mustard, onion and a scoop of smooth, spicy chili.
Seattle Cream Cheese Dog
A butterflied, griddle-browned dog on a toasted bun spread with cream cheese and piled with golden onions, jalapeños optional.
Chilean Completo Italiano
A long hot dog in a big soft bun, buried under diced tomato, salted mashed avocado and a heavy line of mayonnaise, in the red, green and white of the Italian flag.
Danish Ristet Pølse
A griddle-browned sausage poking out of both ends of a soft bun, striped with ketchup, mustard and remoulade, buried in raw and crispy onions and topped with sweet cucumber.
Korean Corn Dog (Gamja Hotdog)
A hot dog on a stick wrapped in chewy yeast dough, rolled in potato cubes and crumbs, fried and dusted with sugar, then zigzagged with ketchup and mustard.
Coney Island Griddled Dog, Inspired by Nathan's Famous
An all-beef natural-casing frank cooked whole on a flat-top, gently first and hot at the end, for a blistered, snappy skin.
25-Minute Air-Fryer Chili Cheese Dogs
Air-fried franks, a quick skillet chili and melted cheddar, on the table in about 25 minutes.
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