Korean Corn Dog is gaining popularity around the world. But more than street food, it is also a great and fun snack to make for your next movie night, game day, or K-drama binge session!
Classic corn dogs that originated from the US are simply sausages on a stick coated thickly with cornmeal batter and then deep-fried, thus the name. With its popularity in the West, several countries have adopted it as part of their food culture too. And of course, South Korea being a diverse and flamboyant country, also made their version- with a flair!
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What is a Korean Corn dog?
Korean corn dogs or Korean hot dogs are popular local street food, typically made of sausages or mozzarella cheese (or both together) on sticks wrapped with yeasted batter and coated with Panko breadcrumbs then deep-fried to golden. They are then dusted with sugar and drizzled with ketchup and yellow mustard.
Variations
The most well-known variation is the 'gamja-hotdog' (gamja=potato or french fries) wherein, aside from the usual coating, the corn dog is also covered with french fries bits.
There is also the mozzarella cheese corn dog, where a thick mozzarella stick is used, instead of a sausage. If you can't decide between the two, you can have them both in one. Cut the hotdog in half and place it on a skewer, then place the mozzarella stick next.
It is not limited to sausages and mozzarella, other variations use spam, (injneolmi) rice cake, fish cakes, squid, and cheddar cheese
The same goes with the coating, aside from panko and french fries, other options can be crispy rice and ramen noodles.
How to make Korean Corn Dog
- The first step is to skewer the sausages or mozzarella sticks. I used disposable wooden chopsticks for this which is a better option than metal because you will fry them in.
- Nest is to prepare the yeasted batter. After letting the batter rise, it should have a thick, sticky, and elastic consistency. This is important because it needs to cling to the hotdog as you roll it. This won't happen if the dough is too watery or too dry.
- Coating the sausage or cheese with the batter. I find that rolling instead of dipping the sausage on a stick in the batter is easier to do and you have more control over the thickness of the coating.
- Roll the coated sausage or cheese in Panko breadcrumbs and then with the french fries bits, if using.
- Fry in enough hot oil to reach halfway up the coated and breaded sausage or cheese. Turn and fry the other side once the bottom turns golden brown.
- Roll or sprinkle with granulated sugar and drizzle with ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise
Storing
These are best enjoyed freshly fried and still warm! However, if you do have some left, place them in air-tight containers or in individual sealed plastic bags. You can keep them in the fridge for at least 3 days. Reheat them using the microwave. It won't have the same crunchiness, of course.
You can also freeze them up to a month. When ready to eat, just put them in the oven from the freezer at 180°C / 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
More Korean Food
FAQs
You can use any type of hotdog or sausage you like. Beef, pork, chicken, combination, spicy, cheesy, or even veggie if you are on a vegan diet.
Yes, make sure to hydrate it first in warm water for a few minutes or until foamy before using it.
You can still make Korean corn dogs without yeast. Just add 3 teaspoons of baking powder. Skip the resting period for the batter.
Although it will not have the same texture, regular breadcrumbs will also work. You can also try crushing crackers, toasted bread, tortilla or other chips,
Printable Recipe
Korean Corn Dog
Ingredients
For batter:
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast
Other ingredients:
- 5-6 pieces sausages/hotdogs
- 1 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1-2 cup frozen french fries thawed and cut into small cubes -optional
- Flour for dredging
- canola oil or corn oil for frying
For drizzling:
- Sugar
- Ketchup
- Mustard
Instructions
MAKE THE BATTER:
- In a large bowl, combine and mix flour, sugar ,and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the lukewarm water in the middle and add the instant yeast. Let it sit for a few seconds to hydrate the yeast a bit.
- Using a wooden spoon, mix from the middle going outwards until a wet, sticky dough is formed. Mix until smooth and no longer lumpy and gluten forms, about 3-5 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough is ready, start to heat about 3-inch oil in a deep pan to 160°C/315°F.
PREPARE THE SAUSAGES
- Skewer the sausages on wooden skewers or chopsticks.
- Place panko and and cubed French fries, side-by-side on a baking pan or on separate plates. Transfer the batter on a baking pan.
- Dredge a sausage in flour coating it thinly, tap to remove excess flour. Roll the sausage in the sticky dough until it wraps around the hotdog.
- Now, roll it in the potato cubes, lightly pressing with your hands so they will stick to the dough. Next roll it with panko to fully cover the dough.
- Fry coated corn dogs directly in hot oil for about 6 minutes turning it in between once the bottom part turns brown.
- Remove the fried corn dog from the oil and liberally dust with sugar then drizzle with ketchup and mustard.
Laura says
First off, listen to the author of this recipe. LISTEN TO HER!! When she says to use sheet pans for the ingredients, USE THE SHEET PANS!! I unfortunately did not use those sheet pans. I kept thinking of all of the sheet pans I would have to clean. And heck to the NO did I want to do that!! Oye. I had panko crumbs over every inch of my kitchen. Every inch. I’m not kidding. Now I’m thinking of those sheet pans and wishing I had listened. I unfortunately used plates and what a mistake that was! So on to the recipe.
The Korean corn dogs were super amazing. I ended up doubling the dough due to the number of corn dogs I was doing and the fact I had 12 inch sticks. (Don’t make that mistake. Use 10 inch at the very longest.) These suckers would’ve been so much easier using shorter sticks. When making the dough, I measured out the flour using a spoon to fill the measuring cup and then using a knife to level it off. Don’t use this method. Just fill the measuring cup with loose flour and shake off excess. I had to use about 3 additional spoons of flour to get it to a thick sticky dough that would work.
As for the rest of the toppings? Triple and maybe quadruple the chopped French fries. I thought I had enough. I put out between 3 to 4 cups of them. I ran out of the fries quick. Everyone wanted them (but me) and I didn’t have nearly enough.
Make sure u have enough panko crumbs! I went through close to 4 cups of these. Because of the sticky dough, the panko crumbs have a lot to adhere to. (Unless my dough could’ve had more flour? I’ve never had them before so I was guessing.)
Last but not least, the cheese. I used string cheese. I felt like they weren’t thick enough and would make them thicker by cutting my own. The string cheese worked well enough though.
And for the deep frying? I don’t do a heck of a lot of that at all. So I was winging it with a prayer. I managed to cook them all without burning a single one so it worked.
And now the flavor. These were super crunchy. Even after cooled. I loved the sweet and savory factor of them so well, I think next time I will drizzle them with a sweet glaze. (Think glazed doughnut! Yum!) I’m not sure if I will make them again since I destroyed my kitchen with panko crumbs. But thinking of all the advice I didn’t use, and the fact that shorter sticks would’ve been so much easier, if I did do these again, I WOULD USE SHEET PANS! 😂 And of course shorter sticks.
Bebs says
Hi Laura, yes, it could turn messy but seems like it was worth every Panko crumb scattered in your kitchen, LOL!😊 Thank you for sharing your experience doing this recipe and for the 5 stars...
Kju says
For how long this batter can stay in fridge and still be usable?
Bebs says
The yeast batter can be refrigerated overnight.
Ore says
This was so good my family ask for some too would do this again 10/10
Bebs says
Thank you, Ore. Glad the whole family enjoyed it.
Rebecca says
I made these today and they were a hit, everyone loved them. Well definitely be making again.
Arleen says
Thank you for this recipe! About the yeasted batter, can I prep it the night before, proofing overnight in the refrigerator? Or can I already prep in advance my skewered cheese+hotdog coated with the yeasted batter, store in the ref and fry later? Thank you very much in advance
Bebs says
The first, just refrigerate your yeasted batter after mixing. Use active dry yeast so it rise slower.