MIND-BLOWING KOREAN CHEESE CORN DOG (SO CRUNCHY!)
If you love corn dogs and want an upgrade of the classic American corn dog, you have to try my Irresistible Korean Cheese Corn Dog! This recipe takes the humble American corn dogs up a notch with seriously crunchy French fries, melty cheese, crushed ramen noodles, Panko bread crumbs, and a delicious corn dog batter for a totally fun and mouthwatering experience!
Ingredients
Batter
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 packets active dry yeast
- 3 ½ TBSP sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Hot Dogs
- 8 hot dogs (or sausages; pat dry)
- 5 smoked Mozzarella cheese sticks (use any cheese that is drier, like cheese blocks) - sticks are similar size as hot dogs
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cups diced potatoes (2 medium potatoes)
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 TBSP cornstarch
- 1 pack ramen noodles (crushed)
- 1 cup cornflakes
- 10 wooden chopsticks (or thick wooden skewers)
- vegetable oil for frying
Condiments
- ketchup
- mustard
- sugar (optional)
- mayo (optional)
Instructions
MAKE THE BATTER
- In a small mixing bowl, add 1 cup of the warm water, instant yeast and 1 tsp of sugar. Mix well and let sit for 2-3 minutes until the yeast is activated and becomes foamy.
- In a separate large bowl combine the flour, salt and the rest of the sugar (make sure to use a bowl that is large enough to fit the skewered hotdogs, so you can easily twist them in the batter). Whisk everything well. Then add the yeast mixture and the rest of the warm water. Mix everything until it becomes a sticky dough (see texture in the above pictures). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise. I like to leave my batter develop overnight in the fridge. I find the texture more airy and easier to work with. If you want to use it right away, let the batter rise in a warm place, for around 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
MAKE THE CORN DOGS
- Cut each hot dog into 4 equal pieces. Then cut the cheese sticks into equal pieces (see pictures). Skewer the hot dogs and cheese pieces, alternating them. Start with a hot dog piece, alternate with the cheese and finish with the hot dogs (3 hot dog + 2 cheese in between). If you like, you can use only cheese or only hot dogs, it's up to you. Line them on a tray and place in the fridge until you prepare the potatoes.
Start preparing the potatoes
- Prepare the potatoes: Peel and dice the potatoes into small cubes, around 1/4 inch. Blanch in 4 cups of water and 2 tsp salt for 3 minutes. Make sure they still hold their shape. Rinse them under cold water, and dry them on a kitchen towel or paper towel. Sprinkle with the cornstarch, making sure all the pieces are well coated, so they stick to the corn dog batter. Place on a tray.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients: At the other end of the tray, add the Panko breadcrumbs. In another tray, place the cornflakes on one half, and crushed ramen noodles on the other side (see pictures).
- Fill a large saucepan or Dutch oven with 2 inches of oil. Make sure the saucepan is large enough to fit the skewers. Preheat until the oil reaches 350°F-375°F (175°C - 190°C).
- When the oil is almost ready, take the hot dogs and batter out of the fridge and start making the corn dogs. Keep a small bowl of water next to you. Hold the corn dog by the skewer and start rolling it into the batter, from top to bottom, with a twisting motion. If the batter ends up thicker on one side, dip your free hand into the water and use your wet fingers to even the dough out. It should be neither too thick, nor too thin.
- Take the corn dog and roll it into the potato pieces, then into the Panko breadcrumbs, sprinkling some breadcrumbs on top. Finally, hold and shape with your hands, pressing gently, so everything sticks well to the batter (see picture).
- Carefully drop the skewers into the hot oil and fry for 6-7 minutes until nice golden brown and crispy, turning every 2-3 minutes.
- Once ready, transfer the corn dogs to a cooling rack.
- Finish your corndogs with a sprinkling of sugar, and a drizzle of your preferred condiments - ketchup, mustard or mayo. Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend preparing one corn dog at a time and dropping it right away in the hot oil so the batter holds its shape properly.
- I used smoked Mozzarella cheese, but feel free to use whatever cheese you like. Just make sure it's a cheese that has a lower moisture content, otherwise it will melt right away in the hot oil. Similarly, don't use a cheese that is too dry, or it will break into pieces when you skewer them.
- I prefer cutting the hot dogs in smaller pieces so the cheese and meat alternate in each bite, otherwise you end up eating only meat and then only cheese. But, of course, you do you! And if you love cheese, you can skip the hot dogs altogether and just do cheese sticks.
- Start on the skewer with a piece of hot dog and finish also with a piece of hot dog. This way, the cheese will be a bit more protected from direct heat, and less likely to ooze out.