“These Korean corn dogs are made with hotdog and mozzarella cheese coated in a batter, then deep fried and garnished with sugar, mustard and ketchup. Crunchy, sweet and salty, they’re absolutely addictive!”

Korean corn dogs are popular street food you’ll find in Korea. Koreans and non-Koreans alike love this dish and is becoming more and more well-liked worldwide.

If you’ve ever watched a K-drama or have even the slightest interest in Korean culture, you’ve probably seen Korean corn dogs.

They are hotdogs and/ or mozzarella on a stick. It is covered with batter and have been expertly fried, dusted with sugar and finally garnished with ketchup, mustard or mayo.

I love the sweet and savory combo of the elastic cheese pulls and the crispy outer batter!

Corn dogs became a famous street dish in Korea in the 1980s. However, the Myungrang Hot Dog chain, which began at a market outside Busan in 2016, is largely credited with starting the current corn dog fad, which sees more than simply hot dogs wrapped in batter.

Corn dogs went from being a favorite of street vendors to a franchise favorite thanks to Myungrang, who opened 650 outlets in Korea in just three years. As social media increased the trend’s global appeal, many people would like to try this tasty delicacy.

You don’t have to line up in long queue to have a taste of these corn dogs, you can actually make them at home in about 30 minutes.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

• Perfectly crunchy: Deep-fried Korean corn dogs are always crunchy, regardless of the topping. Try crumbled ramen noodle topping for more crunch.
• So tasty: A lovely combination of savory and sweet flavor that is so addictive.
• Filling and satisfying: It’ll definitely satisfies your tummy and makes you feel full.
• Never boring: One of the best things about Korean corn dogs is that you can make them with a variety of toppings and fillings. You can try all kinds of weird and enjoyable combinations since anything goes!
• Simple to make: Making these corn dogs only takes a few minutes. After a brief period of frying, they are hot and ready to eat.

WHAT IS KOREAN CORN DOG

Korean corn dog is a popular Korean street food, often comprised of hotdogs/ sausages or mozzarella cheese (or both) served on sticks, wrapped in a batter and dusted with panko breadcrumbs before being deep-fried to a golden brown color.

After being fried, some sugar is added for extra sweetness. It is the lavishly drizzled with condiments of your choice.

What’s good about the Korean corn dog is that has crunchy and sweet crust that complements the salty filling inside. Adding to the flavors are the sugar and condiments such as ketchup, mustard, or mayo that makes it even more appetizing.

Korean corn dogs are a delectable sweet and savory delight that may be prepared in numerous ways!

Some Korean hotdogs are produced using a batter created with yeast, while others are made with a batter made with flour, like this recipe.

Other versions uses rice or fish cakes, sausage or hotdogs, mozzarella cheese or any other cheese as filling when making Korean corn dog.

As for the toppings, some popular options are French fries, cornflakes, ramen noodles, and panko breadcrumbs.

KOREAN CORN DOG VS AMERICAN CORN DOG

The Korean corn dogs differ from the corn dogs you’re used to in some ways:

• Batter. American corn dogs are dipped in a batter made of cornmeal and eggs as a binder, while Korean corn dogs are dipped in a batter made of flour or yeasted dough.
• Fillings. Hot dogs are not a need for Korean corn dogs. There are lots of Korean corn dogs that are nothing more than rice cakes, fish cakes, or mozzarella cheese.
• Coatings. To make it crunchier, Korean corn dogs are usually covered with panko breadcrumbs. Ramen, cornflakes, and French fries are also used. The end effect is a crispier batter, which is considerably better in my opinion. The batter on American corn dogs is typically soft and doughnut-like.
• Sugar. It is fried till golden brown and then sprinkled with sugar to complete Korean corn dogs.
• Toppings. Korean Corn Dogs are top-notch when it comes to topping. While the Korean versions might have several toppings, the American form is simply coated in batter.

INGREDIENTS IN MAKING KOREAN CORN DOG

Hot dogs. You can use any of your preferred brand of hotdogs, including those made of pork, beef, chicken, fish, or vegan. I used the regular chicken hotdogs. You can also use sausage if so desired.

Mozzarella cheese. For this recipe, it’s best to get a block of mozzarella cheese with low moisture and chop it into sticks. The cheese will hold up better when deep-fried and will produce greater cheese pull. If you don’t have mozzarella, you can use whatever type of cheese you like! You can substitute cheddar, pepper jack or Monterey jack.

Batter. The ingredients for the batter are flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, sugar, and a little salt. Expect the batter to be sticky.

Panko breadcrumbs. Using panko breadcrumbs will help hold everything together and give it a great color and crunch. Panko is a fluffy Japanese breadcrumb and is used to coat the majority of Korean corn dogs. Comparatively speaking, ordinary breadcrumbs are smaller and more uniformly shaped than panko. It is the key to making crispy and light breading.

Oil. To deep fry Korean corn dogs, you will need roughly 2-4 cups of oil or less if you prefer pan fried. Choose a flavorless, neutral high smoke point oil since you want the oil to be heated to a temperature of 350° to 375°F. The best cooking oils are safflower, rice bran, soybean, corn, sunflower, canola, or grapeseed.

Sugar. Aside from putting some sugar in the batter, we also requires sugar for coating as it adds a little crunch and sweetness.

Condiments: You can use the standard mustard and ketchup as I did in this recipe. You can also use mayo or any other condiments of your choice.

HOW TO MAKE KOREAN CORN DOG

Prepare the filling.

Most hotdogs and sausage links are already cooked. The one I’m using only has to be fully heated since it has already been cooked, which is accomplished by frying. You must first cook it if yours isn’t.

Just to be in the safe side, better cook your hotdogs or sausages in hot water for at least 5 minutes.

Cut your hot dogs in half. Slice the mozzarella cheese block into sticks about the size of the hot dogs.

Skewer your hot dogs, sausage, or mozzarella first. I skewer a hot dog, followed by cheese. Place in the refrigerator to keep them cold. Note: You can create some with cheese, others with sausages, and some that are half cheese and half sausage, it’s totally up to you.

Prepare the batter.

Whisk the dry ingredient ingredients in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and sticky.  The batter needs to be quite thick and gooey.

Tip. In order to make dipping the hot dogs easier, pour the batter into a tall cup. To ensure that it stays cold, store this in the refrigerator with the hot dogs and cheese.

Assembling the corn dog.

Dip the filling into the batter and hold onto the stick as you dip, making sure the batter sticks to the cheese and hot dog fully.

Place the battered filling right away and coat it with panko, being sure to gently press the panko onto the hot dog to ensure that it is well covered. You can also use cubed French fries or other coatings of your choice.

Frying the corn dog.

In a wide pan, heat the oil to a medium-high temperature. The ideal oil temperature ranges from 350°F to 375°F. The temperature of the oil will drop when the corn dogs are added, so start at 375°F. Use a kitchen thermometer if available.

Cook the coated corn dogs until golden and crispy while avoiding to overcrowd them. Carefully remove from the pan using a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon. Set them aside to drain on a wire rack.

Sprinkle the fried corn dog with sugar and drizzled with a squirt of ketchup, mustard, or both.

TIPS IN MAKING KOREAN CORN DOG

Preparation:

• Skewers to use. Use a strong wooden skewer with pointed tips or a disposable wooden chopstick to support your Korean corn dog. Slender skewer will have the tendency to break when you dip your hotdog/ cheese into the batter.
• Choice of cheese. Using low moisture mozzarella blocks is essential. String cheese or other cheese of your choice might work, but sliced block mozzarella will be much stretchier and meltier.
• Cook your hotdog/ sausage first. To ensure that your hotdogs or sausage are safe to eat, I recommend cooking and boiling them for about 5 minutes.

Batter:

• Batter consistency. Carefully measure the ingredients when making the batter. The batter should be neither too thick nor too runny.  It will be quite challenging to put the corn dogs together if the batter is too runny. If it’s too thick, it will be challenging to wrap it around the skewer, and you’ll end up with a lot more breading than you need.
• Cold batter and fillings. Make sure that your cheese, hotdogs, and batter are cold. When you deep fry them, the cheese tends to flow out if they are left at room temperature for too long or if they warm up. It’s a catastrophe when cheese leaks in hot oil! For best result, keep the cheese and dogs in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Assembling:

• Use clean hands to spread the batter. It can be a bit difficult to dip and spin the skewers to get an even coating of batter around it. If necessary, you can use your fingers to spread the batter around. You can damp your hands with little water so the batter won’t stick to your hands.
• Use a tall glass. Make use of a tall glass when dipping the hotdog in the batter to prevent any mess. I advise choosing a tall glass. The complete hotdog may then be dipped into the batter and easily rolled out. You can use your fingers to scrape out any extra batter.

Frying:

• Use the right temperature when frying. It is essential to use the right temperature when frying the corn dog. Also, maintain a constant oil temperature to ensure that they cook evenly, has a golden exterior and don’t absorb too much oil. I advise using a kitchen thermometer if you have one.
• If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer. You can use a disposable chopstick or a thick wooden skewer to see if your oil is ready. Dip the skewer into the oil, if there are no bubbles, the oil is not heated enough. When the oil begins to gently but steadily bubble around the chopstick, it is time to start frying. When the oil appears to be boiling around the chopstick, it is time to turn the heat down.
• Put enough oil for deep frying. Having enough oil on hand so the corn dogs can float is also essential. You may achieve a uniform golden brown color by doing this.
• Fry right away. Prepare one corn dog at a time and cook it right away. If you try to put them all together first and then fry them, it won’t stay in shape.

Garnishing:

• Don’t skip sprinkling the sugar. Although the sugar coating may seem excessive, the sweet and salty flavor combination is what makes Korean corn dogs so delicious!
• Experiment with other variation.  Enjoy other flavor by using different filling, toppings and condiments. You can check out below suggestions.

VARIATIONS

These corn dogs can be made however you like! Here are some variations that you may like to experiment.

Fillings:

Aside from the popular hotdog, sausage or Mozzarella cheese, you can also try:

• Cheddar cheese
• Pepper jack or Monterey jack
• Fish cake
• Rice cake
• Tikoy (nian gao)
• Spam

Coatings:

There are various coatings you can choose from:

• Potato/ French fried hotdog (Gamja hot dogeu). This is another well-liked coating for Korean corn dogs using chopped-up fries. They are a delectable combination of fries and corn dogs. Roll your battered hot dog in chopped-up frozen French fries and panko to coat it, then fry as usual. Fries should be chopped into small cubes and thoroughly dried with paper towels before the battered filling is rolled through them. They will stick to the batter well as a result. For an even better adhesion, I also suggest coating the potato cubes with corn starch beforehand.

• Cornflakes. Crush the cornflakes and use instead of panko. Cornflakes flavor go beautifully well with the fillings.

• Ramen noodles. Instant ramen packets that have been crushed up offer a ton of crunch. To add more instant ramen flavor, sprinkle on the seasoning packet.

• Crispy rice.  You can either smash up rice crackers or look for Korean rice to roll your corn dog in place of panko for a pleasant addition.

• Furikake. Adds a nice umami flavor into the corn dog. Sprinkling of extra sugar for sweetness will make it super tasty.

• Cheetos. Hot/ spicy Cheetos provide crunch and heat. This is amazing if you add some lime and mayo and make a cheese dog.

Condiments:

There are also several choices of condiments you can use to finish up your Korean corn dog aside from ketchup and mustard. Some of them are:

• Mayonnaise
• Honey mustard
• Sugar
• Condensed milk
• Srirachia
• Wasabi mayo
• Teriyaki sauce
• Chocolate syrup/ sauce
• Korean gochujang mayo

HOW TO SERVE

Korean corn dogs are a common street item that are either eaten alone as a snack or with fries. They are also great pair with hot coffee, tea or chocolate.

It is best to consume them right away while still warm and freshly cooked, so you’ll experience a delightful cheese pull when you bite into it!

They are tasty, delicious, savory and ideal fried food on a stick that can be easily customized according to your preference.

HOW TO STORE

I recommended to immediately savor these delicious Korean corn dogs while hot and fresh. However, you can refrigerate or freeze these into an airtight container or ziplock bag if you want to save any for later.

They can last up to 3 days in the fridge and two months in the freezer.

To reheat chilled corn dogs, bake at 180°C / 350°F for 5-8 minutes or until heated through. Frozen corn dogs should be baked or reheated longer at around 15-20 minutes.

Alternately, you can use an air fryer to restore the crispy outside. You can also utilize the microwave to reheat them, but it won’t have the same crunchiness.

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