Corn dogs in the air fryer are American fast food at its most fun: a sausage on a skewer, wrapped in a thick, lightly sweet cornmeal batter and baked until the coating is golden and crisp. Traditionally they are deep-fried, but here they are brushed with oil and baked in the air fryer, so you can skip a whole pot of hot oil on the stove.
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The recipe makes eight corn dogs, which are baked at 190 °C in two batches, and everything is ready in 45 minutes, including 10 minutes of chilling time for the batter. The secret is in the batter: it has to be thick enough to cling to the sausage until the heat has set it.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love corn dogs in the air fryer
I love corn dogs because the contrast is so good: a juicy sausage in the middle and a coating that is crisp on the outside and soft like cornbread on the inside. In the air fryer you get that combination without a deep fryer and without a lot of used oil to get rid of afterwards. Two tablespoons of rapeseed oil for brushing is all it takes.
Corn dogs are also a real crowd-pleaser with children: the food comes on a skewer, and it is meant for dipping.
The difference between the air fryer and deep-frying
In deep-frying, the batter sets almost immediately, because it is surrounded by hot oil on all sides. In the air fryer it takes longer for the batter to set, which is why the corn dogs lie on oil-brushed baking paper for the first 5 minutes. The underside ends up slightly flat from resting on the paper, but that is a small price to pay for skipping the deep-frying. It is the brushing with oil that gives the golden, crisp surface, so brush both before baking and after turning.
My kitchen test of corn dogs
I have tested corn dogs in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 190 °C, and 5 minutes on each side is what works. During the first 5 minutes the batter sets on the baking paper and starts to take on colour. Then I lift them free with tongs, take the paper out, put them back with the pale underside facing up and brush with oil. The Dual Blaze has heating elements both above and below, but the turning cannot be skipped, because only without the paper can the hot air reach all the way around.
Four at a time is the right number, so they do not touch each other in the basket. Eight corn dogs therefore become two batches of 10 minutes each, so 20 minutes of cooking in total. The most important lesson from the test was the batter, though: after 10 minutes in the fridge it is noticeably thicker, because the cornmeal absorbs liquid, and then it stays on the sausage.
Measure the sausage plus skewer against the basket before you dip. If they are too long, cut a piece off the sausage. It is too late to discover this once the batter is on.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The classic mistake is a batter that is too thin. Then it runs off the sausages before it has time to set. The batter should be so thick that it only slowly slides off a spoon, and if it is thinner, whisk in 1-2 tbsp extra plain flour. The next mistake is damp sausages. Pat them completely dry with kitchen paper and roll them in flour, so the batter has something to cling to. The third mistake is confusing cornmeal with cornstarch. Cornstarch (cornflour) is a white thickener and cannot be used instead, so look for fine, yellow cornmeal or fine polenta. Also wait to add the baking paper until the sausages are ready to go into the basket, because loose paper can get sucked up into the heating element during preheating.
How to serve corn dogs
Corn dogs should be eaten warm, while the coating is at its crispest. Let them rest for a couple of minutes, and hold the skewer with a napkin, because metal skewers get very hot in the air fryer. Pull out the skewer before younger children get them. These sides go well with them:
- Mustard and ketchup for dipping
- French fries, if you want a full fast-food meal
- Coleslaw, which adds something fresh and creamy to the crisp batter
- Pickled gherkins, which add acidity and bite
Storage and reheating
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 5-6 minutes, until the batter is crisp and the sausage is heated through. Corn dogs can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Corn dogs in the air fryer are a fun way to make American fast food at home without getting out the deep fryer. Keep the batter thick, the sausages dry and the brush ready, and you get eight golden corn dogs with a crisp coating and a juicy sausage.
FAQ
Corn dogs need 10 minutes per batch at 190 °C, split into 5 minutes on each side. The recipe makes eight corn dogs, which are baked four at a time, so the total cooking time is 20 minutes.
No. Cornstarch (cornflour) is a white thickener and cannot be used instead of cornmeal. Use fine, yellow cornmeal or fine polenta, which gives the batter colour and flavour.
Yes, the recipe also works with chicken sausages or vegetarian sausages. Only use pre-cooked sausages, as raw sausages will not have time to cook through inside the batter.
Recipe
Corn dogs in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 8 Metal skewer - Short, about 15 cm, so they fit in the basket
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Measuring cup - Tall and narrow, or a tall glass for dipping
- 1 Plate
- 1 Paper towel
- 2 Parchment paper (for air fryer) - One piece for each batch
- 1 Brush
- 1 Tongs
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 8 pcs hot dog sausages (About 50 g each, preferably short and thick)
- 2 tbsp plain flour (For rolling the sausages in)
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil (For brushing)
Batter
Serving
- 4 tbsp mustard
- 4 tbsp ketchup
How to make it
Preparation
- Add 1 pcs egg and 2 dl milk and whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. The batter should be so thick that it only slides slowly off a spoon. If it is thinner, whisk in 1-2 tbsp extra plain flour.
- Place the batter in the fridge for 10 minutes. Meanwhile the cornmeal absorbs liquid, and the cold batter becomes thicker and clings better to the sausages.
- Pat 8 pcs hot dog sausages completely dry with kitchen paper. Push a short metal skewer into each sausage from one end, so that about 5 cm of the skewer sticks out as a handle, and check that the sausage and skewer can lie flat in the basket.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 190 °C fan. Wait to add the baking paper until the sausages are ready to go in, as loose paper can get sucked up into the heating element.
- Give the batter a good stir, and scrape it into a tall, narrow measuring jug or a tall glass, so the sausages can be dipped all the way in.
- Place a piece of baking paper in the bottom of the hot basket, and brush it thinly with some of the 2 tbsp rapeseed oil.
- Dip four of the sausages one at a time all the way down into the batter, and turn them slowly as you lift them out, so the batter settles in an even, thick layer. Smooth it over with a spoon if there are bare spots, and place them straight onto the baking paper with a couple of centimetres between them.
- Gently dab the top of the batter with oil from the brush, so the batter layer stays in place, and bake at 190 °C for 5 minutes, until the batter has set and has started to take on colour.
- Remove the finished corn dogs, and repeat with the last four sausages: a new piece of baking paper brushed with oil, dipping, and 5 minutes at 190 °C on each side.
Serving
- Let the corn dogs rest for 3 minutes before serving. The metal skewers get very hot in the air fryer, so hold them with a napkin or a piece of kitchen paper.
- Serve the corn dogs warm with 4 tbsp mustard and 4 tbsp ketchup for dipping.
Our notes for the recipe
The batter needs to be thick, otherwise it runs off the sausages before it has time to set. It should only slide slowly off a spoon, and if it is too thin, whisk in 1-2 tbsp extra plain flour. Pat the sausages completely dry and roll them in flour, so the batter has something to cling to. Use fine, yellow cornmeal or fine polenta. Cornstarch (cornflour) is a white thickener and cannot be used instead. Air fryers vary, so give the corn dogs 1-2 minutes more if they are not golden after 10 minutes. Oil instead of deep-frying:
Corn dogs are traditionally deep-fried. In the air fryer it is the brushing with oil that gives the golden, crisp surface, so brush both before baking and after turning. The underside ends up slightly flat, because the batter rests on the baking paper while it sets. Skewers and safety:
Use short metal skewers of about 15 cm, and measure the sausage plus skewer against the basket before you dip. If they are too long, cut a piece off the sausage. Metal skewers get very hot, so let the corn dogs rest for a couple of minutes, and pull out the skewer before younger children get them. Never put loose baking paper in the air fryer during preheating. Variation:
Stir 1 tsp paprika or a pinch of cayenne pepper into the dry ingredients for more colour and flavour. The recipe also works with chicken sausages or vegetarian sausages. Only use pre-cooked sausages, as raw sausages will not have time to cook through inside the batter. Serving:
Serve with mustard and ketchup for dipping, preferably together with French fries, coleslaw or pickled gherkins. Portion size:
The recipe makes 8 corn dogs, 2 per person. They are baked in two batches of 4 at a time, so they do not touch each other. If your air fryer has two baskets, both batches can be baked at the same time.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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