Crispy, golden, and outrageously stretchy, these Korean cheesy corn dogs are the ultimate street-food treat you can make right at home.
That fluffy yeast batter complements the melty mozzarella, and a crunchy nacho crust, to make every bite an explosion of flavors and textures. Top them with some spicy jalapeno mayo to make them even more addictive!
Korean corn dogs, also called Hotteok-style corn dogs, became wildly popular through social media and K-drama snacks. They’re known for those playful coatings like breadcrumbs, potatoes, cereal crumbs. I created this slightly simpler version that leans into that fun, crunchy spirit, but with ingredients that you already have.
Just like my Korean vegetable pancakes, these have become a huge hit in my household, and I'm sure you're going to love them too!
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 15 minutes
- ⏲️Cook time: 15 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 4
- 📋Main ingredients: Mini sausages, mozzarella sticks, all-purpose flour, instant yeast, breadcrumbs, crushed nachos, oil.
- ♨️Cooking method: Combine yeast and flour to make a batter 🡢 thread cheese and sausages in skewers 🡢 dip in batter and roll in breadcrumbs 🡢 deep fry 🡢 roll in crushed nachos 🡢 top and serve.
- ⭐Difficulty: Medium
- 🥣Serving ideas: Enjoy these Korean cheesy corn dogs with extra dipping sauces, alongside pickles or a simple Pa Muchim green onion salad.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- This delicious snack is crispy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside and with an incredible cheese pull.
- It's super fun to make, customizable with toppings and sauces (I love using my fermented jalapeno sauce) and is perfect to make for days when you want to have something different.
Recipe Ingredients
Mini sausages: I used small sausages that are fully cooked or quick-cook. If you have full-sized sausages, chop them up into halves.
Mozzarella sticks: Low-moisture mozzarella sticks work best for this recipe. Make sure you keep them cold (even briefly frozen) so they don’t leak out during frying.
All purpose flour + yeast: To make the batter. I used instant yeast here to make things quicker.
Breadcrumbs: For that extra crispy coating. I like using my homemade breadcrumbs for this one.
Crushed nachos: For that beautiful color and pop of flavor. You can use pretty much any flavor you like.
Toppings: I kept it simple and used classic mayonnaise and my hot mustard here. You can try using almost any other sauce you like!
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of mini sausages, you can use cocktail franks or sliced hot dogs.
- If you don't have mozzarella sticks, you can use a block of low-moisture mozzarella, cut it into sticks for a bigger cheese pull and less melting mess.
- Instead of crushed nachos, try crushed using cornflakes, Panko or experiment with crushed noodles (I love using my Air Fryer crispy noodles) or even tortilla chips (I use my leftover air fried tortilla strips).
- Another great idea is chop up some frozen French fries and roll the battered skewers in them before frying!
How to Make Korean Cheesy Corn Dogs
Step 1: Add instant yeast with a pinch of sugar to a bowl of lukewarm water. Mix and set aside to bloom.
Step 2: Once the yeast starts to bubble up and the mixture looks frothy, it's time to add in the flour and salt.
Step 3: Gently mix in the all purpose flour, cover and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
Step 4: Meanwhile, thread the mini sausages and mozzarella sticks in skewers.
Step 5: Once the mixture has doubled in size, dip the skewers into it, coating the sausages and cheese nicely.
Step 6: Lightly roll onto breadcrumbs.
Step 7: Carefully cook the corn dogs in oil over medium heat until golden brown.
Step 8: Now roll the skewers in the crushed nachos. Drizzle your some mayonnaise and mustard over the top before serving.
💭Top Tip
Keep the cheese cold and the oil temperature steady. If the cheese warms up too much, it can burst and leak during frying.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Pat sausages and mozzarella well and remove any moisture before skewering them. This will ensure the batter and crumbs adhere evenly.
- If your batter feels too thick to coat smoothly, add a tablespoon or two of lukewarm water. If it’s too thin, add a bit more flour.
- To lend a spicy kick to the Korean cheesy corn dogs, brush them with some Gochujang before rolling them in the crushed nachos. I used this paste to make Korean Buldak chicken and it was absolutely addictive!
- Fry at steady medium heat so the batter cooks through before the outside over-browns. If the oil is too hot, the outside will turn dark and the inside will stay undercooked.
- Experiment with toppings. I like using my jalapeno honey mustard sometimes for a bit of sweetness, or my homemade BBQ sauce for a bit of smoky depth.
How to Serve Korean Cheesy Corn Dogs
Serve the corn dogs hot and freshly rolled in crushed nachos so the coating crackles when you bite in. You can arrange them on a platter with generous drizzles of mayonnaise and mustard, and add little bowls of extra sauces for dipping.
Feel free to play around with different sauces and condiments like garlic habanero hot sauce and Carolina Gold BBQ sauce.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
The oil was likely too hot or the cheese was too warm. Make sure you chill the skewered mozzarella before battering and keep the fry temperature at medium so the batter sets before the cheese fully liquefies. Also make sure the cheese is fully covered in batter and has no exposed edges.
If your batter isn't sticking to the skewers, moisture is usually the culprit. Pat the sausage and cheese dry and make sure the batter has rested and thickened slightly after blooming. If it’s still sliding off, thicken with a bit more flour and dip/coat quickly, then go straight into breadcrumbs.
These Korean cheesy corn dogs taste best right after frying for maximum crunch and cheese pull, but you can prep the skewers ahead and refrigerate them until ready to batter and fry.
To reheat leftover Korean cheesy corn dogs, use an oven or Air Fryer to re-crisp them. Don't microwave, as it can soften the coating.
More Asian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Korean cheesy corn dogs or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Korean Cheesy Corn Dogs
Ingredients
- 4 mini sausages
- 4 mozzarella sticks
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup crushed nachos
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Add instant yeast with a pinch of sugar to a bowl of lukewarm water. Mix and set aside to bloom.
- Once the yeast starts to bubble up and the mixture looks frothy, it's time to add in the flour and salt.
- Gently mix in the all purpose flour, cover and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, thread the mini sausages and mozzarella sticks in skewers.
- Once the mixture has doubled in size, dip the skewers into it, coating the sausages and cheese nicely.
- Lightly roll onto breadcrumbs.
- Carefully cook the corn dogs in oil over medium heat until golden brown.
- Now roll the skewers in the crushed nachos. Drizzle your some mayonnaise and mustard over the top before serving.
Notes
- Pat sausages and mozzarella well and remove any moisture before skewering them. This will ensure the batter and crumbs adhere evenly.
- If your batter feels too thick to coat smoothly, add a tablespoon or two of lukewarm water. If it’s too thin, add a bit more flour.
- To lend a spicy kick to the Korean cheesy corn dogs, brush them with some Gochujang before rolling them in the crushed nachos. I used this paste to make Korean Buldak chicken and it was absolutely addictive!
- Fry at steady medium heat so the batter cooks through before the outside over-browns. If the oil is too hot, the outside will turn dark and the inside will stay undercooked.
