Learn how long to cook mini corn dogs in air fryer! This mini corn dog air fryer recipe only takes 10 minutes. I’m making Foster Farms mini corn dogs in air fryer. However, you can adapt this recipe to make State Fair mini corn dogs in air fryer or your favorite brand. You’ll love how air fryer mini corndogs come out crispy and golden every time!

Enjoy one of your favorite fair foods all year long with this air fryer frozen mini corn dogs recipe! (Psst... I have a more nutritious option too! Here’s where to find my healthy homemade corn dogs in air fryer recipe.)
I used chicken mini corn dogs here. Feel free to use beef mini corn dogs or turkey mini corn dogs if you'd prefer. I even have some options for vegan and vegetarian corn dogs in the FAQs.
Foster Farms and State Fair seem to be the major mini corn dog brands locally. You can also use Schwan’s mini corn dogs, Johnsonville, or another brand. Keep in mind that the size of your mini corn dogs can impact the cooking time.
Frozen mini corn dogs in the air fryer come out as good as oven baking in less time. I think after you make mini corn dogs in an air fryer, you’ll never want to make them another way again!
Jump to:
- ⭐ Benefits of Making Mini Corn Dogs
- 🥘 Mini Corn Dogs Air Fryer Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Air Fry Mini Corn Dogs
- ️⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
- 🌡️ Leftovers
- 🥗 What to Serve with Mini Corn Dogs
- 📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Frozen Foods Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
⭐ Benefits of Making Mini Corn Dogs
Why make mini corn dogs in the air fryer? It’s safe to say that frozen mini corn dogs are not the most nutritious option. In fairness, however, there are several other benefits to consider outside the realm of nutrition:
- Appetizer or snack: Bite-sized corn dogs are a delicious crowd pleaser that work for a variety of occasions. Serve them at your next party, potluck, or have them on hand for a kid’s afterschool snack.
- Fast: You can cook mini corn dogs from frozen in only 9-10 minutes in the air fryer. It takes 10 minutes to preheat an oven, so air frying is much faster overall.
- Easy: You don't need to meal plan or create a shopping list to make mini corn dogs. All you need is the box of corn dogs and an air fryer. It's so simple!
- Crispy perfection: Air fried mini corn dogs come out crispy and golden. It's faster to microwave, but air frying achieves better results.
🥘 Mini Corn Dogs Air Fryer Ingredients
You need a box of mini corn dogs, an air fryer, and a meat thermometer for this recipe. I also recommend having some dipping sauce.
I’m air frying Foster Farms frozen mini corn dogs. Air frying times may vary slightly between different mini corn dog brands.
Cooking times may also vary between the Ninja Foodi, Kalorik, Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, and other air fryer brands. Check the food early the first time you try any new air fryer recipe. That’s the secret to always having air fryer success!
🔪 How to Air Fry Mini Corn Dogs
Put your frozen mini corn dogs in a single layer in your air fryer basket or tray. I could fit 12 on the tray.
Don't crowd the corn dogs!
️⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long do you cook mini corn dogs in an air fryer? What temperature to air fry mini corn dogs? Air fry frozen mini corn dogs for a total of 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177C).
Use the top rack position for air fryer ovens, and cook one tray at a time. Air fry mini corn dogs for five minutes, flip them, and air fry 4-5 minutes more. You don’t need spray oil, as the breading already contains plenty of fat.
According to my box of Foster Farms mini corn dogs, the product is fully cooked. If you have food safety concerns, you can ensure they reached the minimum safe internal temp for leftovers. Simply check them with a meat thermometer to ensure they’ve reached 165F (74C).
Give the mini corn dogs a minute or two to cool down before enjoying. They’re very hot!
🌡️ Leftovers
Cooked air fryer mini corn dogs can be left in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat mini corn dogs in the air fryer for 3 minutes at 350F (177C). (Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.)
🥗 What to Serve with Mini Corn Dogs
What goes with mini corn dogs? If you want to keep with the fair food theming, here are some sides for mini corn dogs:
- Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings
- Air Fryer Waffle Fries
- Frozen Fries in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
IMVHO, the best dip for mini corn dogs is mustard. Here are a few other dipping sauces to try:
- Ketchup
- Ranch
- BBQ sauce
- Relish
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of air fryer mini corn dogs has 220 calories, 19 grams net carbs, and 7 grams protein. This is for 4 Foster Farms frozen mini corn dogs. Nutrition information will vary depending on the brand you buy and your portion size.
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Are mini corn dogs bad for you? Let’s keep it real- people don’t choose these because they’re the healthy option.
Frozen mini corn dogs are composed of highly processed meat, refined grains, lots of added oil, and sometimes added sugar as well. Though we may be inclined to categorize them as a protein food, some brands get over 50% of their calories from fat. After the fat, carbs are the next highest calorie contributor.
And yes, the calories from fat listed above is for air fried frozen mini corn dogs. Deep frying corn dogs would push the fat content even higher. (Yikes!)
The brand of frozen mini hot dogs I purchased only provided 28 calories from protein in a 220-calorie serving. And speaking of serving size, the four-piece serving felt very unsatisfying and unrealistic to me. I could easily eat 2-3 servings of mini corn dogs (or more) in a sitting.
The combination of fat and refined carbs with little protein characterizes many ultra-processed foods. These foods are often easy to overeat, since they tend to be high in calories by volume. They lack the things that tend to make foods feel more filling: protein, fluid volume, and fiber.
There are other treat foods I’d prefer to have, so I rarely eat mini corn dogs. I’d prefer a 100% beef hot dog without the cornmeal breading. It’s more protein dense (and also a low carb and keto option, if that’s what you’re looking for).
If you want to try and make mini corn dogs more filling, add vegetables to your meal! Choose non-starchy veggies (like broccoli or zucchini) cooked in minimal oil with no breading. Veggies can add a lot of volume to meals for few calories.
FAQs
Though cornmeal is gluten free, mini corn dogs are not gluten free (usually) because the batter or breading also contains white flour. Frozen gluten free corn dogs are available, such as these from Applegate.
Wondering how to bake mini corn dogs? Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Bake the frozen mini corn dogs for 15 minutes. If they’ve been thawed, you only need to bake them for 10 minutes.
Microwave times vary depending on the timing of your microwave. In general, microwave frozen mini corn dogs for one minute on high, flipping halfway through cooking time. Microwave refrigerated mini corn dogs for 30 seconds on high.
You have several options for meat-free plant based mini corn dogs. Field Roast has these vegan mini corn dogs, and MorningStar Farms has these veggie corn dogs that are vegetarian. You can air fry veggie corn dogs using the temp provided here, but cooking times may need to be adjusted.
A pressure cooker like the InstantPot will not get the outside of your corn dogs nice and crispy. I do not recommend cooking frozen corn dogs in an Instant Pot unless you’ll be using an air fryer lid.
👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Frozen Foods Recipes
The air fryer is great for whipping up fun foods in a flash! If you want more air fryer recipes for frozen foods, don’t miss these:
- Best Frozen Foods for Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
- Air Fryer Frozen Pizza Rolls
- Pot Stickers in Air Fryer
- Microwave Meals in Air Fryer
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Watch How to Make It!
Mini Corn Dogs in Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box frozen mini corn dogs
- dipping sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Place your frozen mini corn dogs in a single uncrowded layer in your air fryer basket or tray. I could fit 12 on the tray.
- Air fry mini corn dogs for five minutes at 350°F (177°C), flip them, and air fry 4-5 minutes more. Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.
- The box of Foster Farms frozen mini corn dogs says that they are fully cooked. If you have food safety concerns, check them with a meat thermometer to ensure they’ve reached 165°F (74°C). This is the minimum safe internal temp for leftovers.
- Let cool for 1-2 minutes and serve with your favorite dipping sauce (if desired).
Dominic says
Cedric says