Corn Dogs in Air Fryer (Recipe + Video!)
Can you air fry corn dogs? You sure can! Learn how to make homemade corn dogs in the air fryer. It’s easier than you might think!
Ingredients
- 7 hot dogs
- 1 cup milk, 2%
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup fine-ground cornmeal
- 1½ cups whole grain spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 large egg
- cooking oil spray of choice
- condiments for topping (if desired)
Instructions
- Put the milk in a saucepan and heat it to 110°F (43°C). Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure it reaches the correct temperature.
- Gently stir the yeast into the warmed milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes is up, stir the olive oil and cornmeal into the milk mixture. Then add the spelt flour, salt, baking soda, and paprika.
- Stir until the ingredients are well-incorporated. Then knead the dough with clean hands for five minutes. Oil or wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking so much.
- Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and let it rise for 45-60 minutes. The dough will get puffy from the action of the yeast.
- Cut the hot dogs in half widthwise. Insert the pointy end of a skewer into the cut ends of the hot dogs. Push the skewer through almost to the other end of each hot dog. (Watch the video in the recipe card if you need visuals!)
- After the dough has risen, divide it into 14 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin 12-inch-long rope (30.5 cm). Feel free to use a ruler if it helps you get the right length- I did!
- Spiral each rope of dough around one of the cut hot dogs, trying to cover each frankfurter as much as possible.
- Mist your air fryer trays or air fryer basket with cooking oil spray.
- Lay the uncooked corn dogs out in a non-touching single layer on the trays. (I needed to cook them in two batches.)
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the corn dogs with the egg wash.
Air frying with two air fryer trays:
- (Total cooking time is 12 minutes.) Air fry for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C), switch the position of the air fryer trays, and air fry an additional 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
- Switch the position of the trays one more time, and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 2 minutes. There's no need to flip the corn dogs as they cook.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to check that the corn dogs reached the safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Let the corn dogs cool for 3-5 minutes before eating. Serve with your favorite condiments.
Air frying with one tray or an air fryer basket:
- (Total cooking time is 8-10 minutes.) Air fry for 8-10 minutes at 400°F (200°C) in the top rack position (closest to the heating element). There's no need to flip the corn dogs as they cook.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to check that the corn dogs reached the safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Let the corn dogs cool for 3-5 minutes before eating. Serve with your favorite condiments.
Notes
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Covering our protein source (the hot dogs) with dough really increases the calories without adding a lot of volume. As always, recipes with flour get the bump to level three.
I’m going to let you in on a secret. If you are trying to lose weight, it is easier (and possibly healthier) to eat plain hot dogs. Though I enjoy corn dogs once in a very great while, I typically like hot dogs better plain.
If you want to incorporate hot dogs into a meal that is more supportive of weight loss, try soup! I used to make a fabulous soup with sliced hot dogs, kale, seasonings, and potatoes. I always mashed some of the potatoes into the broth to make a creamier soup without having to add cream.
The soup idea may sound weird, but it was a family favorite around here when my son was younger. It gives you a high protein, high volume, low calorie meal. It’s the perfect combination when you want to feel full while maintaining the calorie deficit you need for weight loss.
Another option to make corn dogs a lower calorie but filling meal is to add some large side salads. The non-starchy veggies with a light dressing will add in more fiber and fluid volume, components lacking in the corn dogs alone.
On the other hand, what if you’re looking to gain weight, or having trouble maintaining a healthy weight? In that case, these energy-dense whole grain corn dogs might align well with your goals. I know I find it difficult to stick to eating just a couple!
This recipe was adapted from a Food Network recipe. I swapped the refined grains for whole grains, nixed the added sugar, and made it into an air fryer recipe. :)
Nutrition information is for one serving of two corn dogs (without any toppings).
Nutrition
Calories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 36.4gProtein: 14.5gFat: 13.8gSaturated Fat: 4.9gSodium: 910.9mgPotassium: 238.1mgFiber: 4.1gVitamin A: 5% DVVitamin C: 0.6% DVCalcium: 4.8% DVIron: 13.9% DV
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