Corn dogs in the Air Fryer
American corn dogs with a juicy sausage on a skewer and a crisp, golden coating of cornmeal batter. Here they are brushed with oil and baked in the air fryer instead of deep-fried, and they are served with mustard and ketchup for dipping.
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
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
- 150 g cornmeal Fine and yellow, not cornstarch
- 150 g plain flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
1 pcs egg
2 dl milk
Serving
- 4 tbsp mustard
- 4 tbsp ketchup
Instructions
Preparation
- Mix 150 g cornmeal, 150 g plain flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and 0.5 tsp salt in a mixing bowl.
- 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.
- Spread 2 tbsp plain flour on a plate, and roll the sausages in the flour until they are covered with a thin layer. Tap off the excess flour.
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.
- Lift the corn dogs free of the baking paper with tongs, take the paper out, and place them back in the basket with the pale underside facing up, so the hot air can reach all the way around. Brush them with oil, and keep baking at 190 °C for 5 minutes, until they are golden and crisp.
- 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.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 650kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 22gFat: 32gSaturated fat: 10gPolyunsaturated fat: 5gMonounsaturated fat: 15gTrans fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1680mgPotassium: 480mgFiber: 4gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 240IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 2.7mgNet carbohydrates: 65g
