Similar to an American corn dog, a Korean corn dog is a deep-fried street food featuring a central sausage and a crunchy coating. But they differ significantly in flavor and preparation.
One of the distinctive features of Korean corn dog is the melty cheese filling, often crafted with mozzarella cheese sticks skewered with the sausage, delivering a delightful burst of cheesy goodness upon each bite.
Whereas American corn dogs feature a simpler cornmeal-based batter, Korean corn dogs use a wheat and yeast-infused batter, yielding a chewier, bread-like texture.
This recipe shows us how to make these crispy and cheesy treats with simple tools in your own kitchen. Let’s get started!
Tips for making Korean corn dog
1. Yeast vs Baking Powder
Yeast yields a chewier, bread-like texture and adds a mild, fermented flavor, but it requires proofing and more time (about 1 hour).
Baking powder provides a softer and less chewy texture. But the batter can be used immediately after mixing, making it a quicker option for those looking to enjoy Korean corn dogs without the wait for dough proofing.
Both options can result in delicious Korean corn dogs; it’s a matter of which texture and flavor profile you prefer and how much time you have available for preparation.
2. Sausage and cheese patterns
While a classic Korean corn dog typically consists of half a sausage skewered at the bottom and half a cheese stick skewered on top, you have the creative freedom to personalize your own arrangement.
For instance, I’ve discovered that cutting cheese sticks and sausages into smaller pieces and skewering them alternately allows me to enjoy both cheese and sausage in each bite. Additionally, some people would wrap a sausage in a slice of cheese rather than using cheese sticks.
3. Add corn kernels to corn dogs
The traditional corn dog gets its name from the cornmeal-based batter it features. Interestingly, in the case of Korean corn dogs, we substitute wheat flour for cornmeal, which means that the classic Korean corn dog does not actually contain corn.
However, Korean corn dog is often coated with small potato pieces which creating a different texture and appetizing appearance. Why don’t we use corn kernels to substitute the potato pieces?
To coat Korean corn dogs with corn kernels:
- Place ½ cup of fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels on paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Add 1 tbsp of all purpose flour to the corn kernels, mix with your hand until each corn kernel has been evenly coated with a thin layer of flour. (Pat them dry and coat them with flour can prevent excessive splattering during frying.)
- Roll a sausage and cheese skewer in the batter until it’s well coated.
- Roll the battered skewer in the corn kernels, then roll it into the breadcrumbs. Press gently with a dry hand to ensure the corn kernels and breadcrumbs stick to the batter.
- Deep-fry the corn kernel-coated corn dog following the same process as the others.
Besides corn kernels, you can also use diced frozen French fries or crushed instant ramen noodles to add a crunchy out layer to the Korean corn dog.
4. Oil temperature and frying time
Maintain the oil temperature around 350°F (175°C) for frying.
You can dip an end of a wooden chopstick into the hot oil. If the oil is hot enough, you’ll see small bubbles form around the submerged end of the chopstick.
To maintain a consistent oil temperature, it’s advisable to fry only 1 or 2 corn dogs at a time, ensuring that the temperature doesn’t experience a significant drop.
Fry each corn dog in hot oil for approximately 3 minutes or until it rises to the surface. Over frying may lead to over-browning and the potential for the cheese filling to ooze out.
5. Sugar vs Ketchup & mustard
Different from classic American corn dog, Korean corn dog is often coated with sugar instead of ketchup and mustard. A sugar coating adds a sweet element to the corn dog, creating a sweet and savory contrast with the salty sausage and cheese filling. However, if you prefer a more traditional, tangy, and savory flavor profile, the ketchup and mustard coating may be the better choice for you.
EQUIPMENT
- Kitchen scale (Or measuring cups)
- 10 Bamboo skewers
- Large saucepan (Or a deep fryer)
- Cooling rack
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g water or milk (1 cup)
- 3 g instant yeast (1 tsp; You can also use 1 tsp of baking powder to substitute the yeast.)
- 270 g flour (1½ cup + 3 tbsps of bread flour or all purpose flour; See Note 1)
- 30 g granulated sugar (2½ tbsps)
- 1 g salt (¼ tsp)
- 1 large egg
- 5 sausages
- 5 mozzarella cheese sticks
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
Other ingredients
- Oil (Use oil with high smoke points for deep frying, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, corn oil …)
- Ketchup and mustard
Step-by-step INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and optionally incorporate baking powder (or alternatively, you can introduce instant yeast in the subsequent step). Whisk the ingredients together.
2. In a separate bowl, pour in water (or milk), and if you didn’t include baking powder in the previous step, gently sprinkle instant yeast on the surface. Stir until thoroughly combined.
3. Pour the dry ingredients into the water, incorporating an egg, and use a spatula to stir until a smooth and dense batter forms.
4. Cover the batter with plastic food wrap and let it rest. (If you used instant yeast, allow the dough to proof for one hour. If you used baking powder, you can use the dough immediately later on.)
5. Cut the sausages and mozzarella cheese sticks into halves. Skewer the sausages and cheese on bamboo skewers, with the sausages on the bottom and cheese on top.
6. Add breadcrumb in a shallow dish.
7. Roll each sausage and cheese skewer in the batter until it’s well coated. As you lift it out, give it a gentle twist to ensure an even coating. Wet your fingers with cold water to prevent sticky, use wet fingers to smooth out any spot where the cheese may not be completely covered by the batter.
8. Roll the battered skewer in the breadcrumb, press gently with a dry hand to ensure the breadcrumbs stick to the batter.
9. Heat oil in a large saucepan to 350 °F (175 °C).
10. Carefully lower the skewered sausages into the hot oil to fry for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the corn dogs from the oil and drain them on a cooling rack or on a paper towel-lined plate.
11. Place the corn dogs on a serving plate. Drizzle with ketchup and mustard. Serve hot.
My other Korean Recipes you will also like:
Korean Corn Dog
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen scale (Or measuring cups)
- 10 Bamboo skewers
- 1 Large saucepan (Or a deep fryer)
- 1 Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 250 g water or milk (1 cup)
- 3 g instant yeast (1 tsp; You can also use 1 tsp of baking powder to substitute the yeast.)
- 270 g flour (1½ cup + 3 tbsps of bread flour or all purpose flour; See Note 1)
- 30 g granulated sugar (2½ tbsps)
- 1 g salt (¼ tsp)
- 1 large egg
- 5 sausages
- 5 mozzarella cheese sticks
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Others
- Oil (Use oil with high smoke points for deep frying, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, corn oil …)
- Ketchup and mustard
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and optionally incorporate baking powder (or alternatively, you can introduce instant yeast in the subsequent step). Whisk the ingredients together.
- In a separate bowl, pour in water (or milk), and if you didn't include baking powder in the previous step, gently sprinkle instant yeast on the surface. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the water, incorporating an egg, and use a spatula to stir until a smooth and dense batter forms.
- Cover the batter with plastic food wrap and let it rest. (If you used instant yeast, allow the dough to proof for one hour. If you used baking powder, you can use the dough immediately later on.)
- Cut the sausages and mozzarella cheese sticks into halves. Skewer the sausages and cheese on bamboo skewers, with the sausages on the bottom and cheese on top.
- Add breadcrumb in a shallow dish.
- Roll each sausage and cheese skewer in the batter until it's well coated. As you lift it out, give it a gentle twist to ensure an even coating. Wet your fingers with cold water to prevent sticky, use wet fingers to smooth out any spot where the cheese may not be completely covered by the batter.
- Roll the battered skewer in the breadcrumb, press gently with a dry hand to ensure the breadcrumbs stick to the batter.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Carefully lower the skewered sausages into the hot oil to fry for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the corn dogs from the oil and drain them on a cooling rack or on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Place the corn dogs on a serving plate. Drizzle with ketchup and mustard. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
1. Flour
For my Korean corn dogs, I used bread flour with a protein content of 12.7%. All-purpose flour can also be used to achieve a similar result. When measuring flour using cups, I noticed that each cup of flour weighed around 160g. However, after researching online, I discovered that the weight of a cup of flour typically ranges from 120g to 136g. I’m unsure why my bread flour and all-purpose flour are heavier than others’, but I’ve consistently measured them with different cups and always obtained results between 160g and 170g. Therefore, while I list measurements in cups and tablespoons, I strongly recommend using a kitchen scale instead to ensure consistent results. Measuring with cups and tablespoons can lead to inconsistencies in your final product.
Could you air-fry this? If so, how long and at what temp?
nice
We enjoyed the recipe, however, we were wondering why the cheese melted while frying?