Mini Corn Dogs Beef Franks (Printable)
Bite-sized treats featuring juicy beef franks coated in a crisp cornmeal batter, ideal for snacks or gatherings.
# What goes in:
→ For the Mini Corn Dogs
01 - 8 beef franks (hot dogs), cut into thirds
02 - 24 wooden toothpicks or mini skewers
→ For the Batter
03 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
06 - 1 tsp baking powder
07 - ½ tsp baking soda
08 - ½ tsp salt
09 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
→ For Frying
13 - 3 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying
# Directions:
01 - Pat the beef franks dry with paper towels. Insert a toothpick or mini skewer into each piece.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
03 - In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and melted butter until combined.
04 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined; do not overmix.
05 - Pour the batter into a tall glass or jar for easy dipping.
06 - Heat the oil in a deep saucepan or Dutch oven to 350°F.
07 - Dip each frank piece into the batter, coating fully. Let excess batter drip off.
08 - Carefully lower the coated franks into the hot oil. Fry in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown.
09 - Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm with ketchup, mustard, or your favorite dipping sauces.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The homemade batter fries up lighter and crunchier than anything frozen
- Perfect party food that disappears faster than you can fry them
02 -
- Oil temperature that drops too low makes soggy greasy corn dogs, so let it rebound between batches
- The batter should coat the back of a spoon but still drip off, not run like water or stay thick like paste
03 -
- Room temperature franks hold batter better than cold ones straight from the fridge
- Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne to the batter if you want a little heat that sneaks up on you