Mini Jalapeno Corn Dogs and Corn Dog Bites are a spicy twist on the traditional well-loved corn dog recipe. Can be made with regular flour or gluten-free!
When thinking through Americana dishes to reinvent in celebration of Fourth of July, the Corn Dog was something that sprang to mind immediately. At any amusement park, ball game or County Fair one can smell the mix of deep frying, and sweet, corn dough wafting on the breeze beckoning diners to sample the quintessential summertime dish.
Origins of the Corn Dog Recipe
The exact origins of the corn dog are slightly elusive. They showed up on the food scene in the U.S. in the 1920’s, becoming popular in the 1940’s with a patent granted in the late 1920’s covering all fried foods on a stick.
A number of early vendors of beachside stands and State Fairs claim invention for the iconic battered dog on a stick but no true accreditation has been proven.
My most fond recollections of the corn dog were from a job I held in college at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, one of the last seaside amusement parks to be built in the U.S. I was a cashier, flitting from ticket booth to ticket booth with stops to work on the arcade floor. They served alcohol at the Boardwalk so as the hours idled on the interactions become more colorful. A favorite was one tipsy woman who came to buy tickets and confessed she’d really love the beach were it not for the sand; I didn’t have the heart to suggest she consult a dictionary for the definition of the word ‘beach’. Lots of summer fun set to the aroma of, you guessed it, corn dogs.
Regardless of where they started, the Corn Dog is a staple in the summer pastime landscape. Never liking to reproduce what’s been done I took a spin of making them mini and adding roasted jalapeno to provide a skosh of heat. Imagining the mass of grillables for the July 4th festivities some corndog appetizers seemed the ticket to round out the Americana of any celebratory table.
How to Make this Mini Jalapeno Corn Dog recipe – Step by Step:
Recipe
Mini Jalapeno Corn Dogs and Corn Dog Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup Masa Harina (corn flour)
- ¾ cup Flour (I used King Arthur’s Gluten free Blend)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup fine granulated Sugar (I used fine grain baking sugar)
- 1 Egg , lightly beaten
- 1 roasted Jalapeno (about 3 inches long), skin and stem removed; seeded and diced {roasting instructions below}
- 4-5 drops Tabasco sauce
- ½-3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 10 Hot Dogs , halved and/or quartered (halved for minis and quartered for bites)*
- Vegetable oil enough to fill frying vessel 2 inches deep
- A few bamboo skewers (for dipping and dropping into the oil)
- Cornstarch for dusting
- Lollipop sticks from the craft store for the mini corn dogs; toothpicks or appetizer forks for the corn dog bites
- Suggest dipping sauces: Mustard and Homemade Ketchup
Instructions
- Set oven to Broil. Place jalapeno on a baking sheet under the broiler and continue to turn while cooking until blackened completely. Remove and place in a zippered plastic bag. Set aside for 15 minutes. {Start the rest of the recipe}. After 15 minutes remove the chile, wipe off the blackened skin. Remove stem and seeds, and dice the chile. Wash hands thoroughly!
- Pour frying oil into a pot for a depth of 2 inches. Using a candy thermometer to measure the oil temperature, bring oil to 375 degrees. {While oil heats batter can be constructed}.
- In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients: corn flour (masa harina), flour, baking powder, salt, sugar. Mix until fully combine.
- Add egg, jalapeno, Tabasco and ½ cup of buttermilk to the dry mixture. Stir by hand to combine. The batter should resemble pancake batter. If it is too thick, it is hard to coat the hotdogs; too thin and it won’t easily cover the hot dogs fully. If the batter is too thick with only ½ cup buttermilk, add more, small amounts at a time stirring fully to reach desired consistency. Note: I noticed as the batter sat while I dipped and cooked the corn dogs, it became thicker so I added more buttermilk through the process to ensure a good consistency of batter to work with.
- Dab any excess moisture from the hot dogs with a paper towel. Lightly dust with cornstarch which assists the batter to stick to the hot dog.
- Place a hot dog on a bamboo skewer, only inserting the skewer enough to dip the hot dog; it will be removed when frying to if it is inserted too deeply removal is difficult. Place the hot dog in the batter and roll it to cover all sides. An alternative method is to pour the batter in a small drinking glass (larger than the hot dog) and dip the hot dog into the batter.
- Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet or paper towels. Place the hot dog into the heated oil, remove the skewer and allow to cook until golden brown about 1 ½-2 minutes. Remove with a heat-proof slotted spoon and place on the cooling rack. Repeat until all the hot dog pieces are cooked. Note: because the corn dogs cook so quickly I found it most easy to do them one at a time.
- Cool just until able to handle the corn dogs safely. Insert lollipop sticks into the mini corn dogs or toothpicks/forks into corn dog bites. Serve and eat immediately. Mustard and ketchup are typical dipping sauces for corn dogs.
Carol Lander says
I love this idea, but I had to say that the corny dog was invented at the Texas State Fair by the Fletcher brothers in 1942. Anyone who has been to State Fair has had this delicious and decadent snack. (from a Texas girl)
Kiwi says
I am now a new pescatarian so unfortunately I cant indulge in these corndogs. But I do like the concept of jalepenos in the corndogs I wish there were veggie corndogs.
Carol Cassara says
This looks really good and I love the addition of the jalapeno because I’m a huge fan of spicy food. I’ve always liked corn dogs and they’re a staple in the summer! That’s for sure!
Dogvills says
Thank you for sharing your recipe for this jalapeño corn dogs. I haven’t had them in a long time. I think I will make this for the 4th! We’re having a family get together and I am excited to see what my sisters and cousins will bring to the party.
Annemarie LeBlanc says
Oh yum. I would love a corndog right now! It has been quite a while since I made them myself. I always get my fix at a nearby food stall when the craving sets in. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I will try to make them this week.
brianne says
My mouth is watering reading this post. Such a great idea for July 4th!
Becca Wilson says
These corn dogs look so good! I have never thought to add jalapeño to them but that would be an awesome kick.
Tara says
Oh my goodness, these look so delicious! I think I could wat a dozen all by myself!
Dawn Lopez says
My family is all about the spicy foods and I love that this is a gluten-free recipe. These corn dogs look delicious!