This Korean corn dog recipe is a copycat of Korean corn dog and Korean mozzarella dogs from Korean street food. The corn dogs are coated in a yeast batter with panko and fried till golden brown. Paired with cheesy, stretchy mozzarella, Korean corn dog is like the perfect mesh between a corn dog and mozzarella stick!
Korean corn dog is seriously sooo good! They're like a mesh between a classic American corn dog and a good, cheesy mozzarella stick!
This Korean corn dog recipe features half and half hotdog and mozzarella that's coated in a yeast batter and rolled in panko. They are then fried till golden brown perfection. These Korean corn dogs are no joke. And they taste even better with some ketchup and mustard!
So if you enjoyed this Korean cheese dog as much as Han Ji Pyeong did, you may also like our other Korean street food recipes like hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes), Korean cream cheese garlic bread, and this simple budae jjigae.
Jump to:
- What is Korean corn dog?
- Korean corn dog with yeast batter
- Ingredients for making Korean corn dog
- The best mozzarella for making Korean corn dogs
- Active dry yeast substitute
- How to make Korean corn dog
- Proper battering technique for Korean corn dog
- Try out different skewers
- Tips to make perfect Korean corn dogs
- Korean corn dog variations
- Storage
- How to reheat Korean corn dog
- FAQ
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Feedback
What is Korean corn dog?
Korean corn dogs are hotdogs that are battered and coated in panko then deep fried to golden brown perfection. They also come in different variations from half and half hotdog and mozzarella to ones coated with potato chunks on the outside.
This Korean corn dog recipe is also known as Korean cheese corn dog or Korean mozzarella dog. It's one of the most popular option featuring half a hotdog with melted, gooey, stretchy mozzarella. Top it with some tangy mustard and ketchup, it's a party in your mouth!
Korean corn dog with yeast batter
As this is a Korean corn dog copycat recipe, we tested out many different batters before settling on using this yeast dough batter.
This yeast dough batter coats the cheese and hotdog skewers like how Korean street food vendors batter their Korean corn dogs. The batter also give these Korean corn dogs that natural puff and chewy bread texture without the greasy taste.
The other close contender was a baking soda based batter. This type of batter yielded a nice puffy corn dog shell but lacked the slight chew you'd want in Korean corn dogs. It also soaked up more grease than what we liked.
Ingredients for making Korean corn dog
- Hotdog - The star of this street food snack! Use any hotdogs you prefer, as long it is cooked.
- Mozzarella - We recommend using whole milk mozzarella blocks for making Korean corn dogs. Mozzarella sticks work too, but they don't melt as well as whole milk mozzarella.
- Panko - Sometimes known as Japanese bread crumbs, is used for coating the yeast batter. Panko adds extra texture and also prevents the cheese from oozing out and the batter from soaking up too much oil.
- All-purpose flour - The yeast batter requires a flour that develops some gluten, so all-purpose flour is a great, accessible choice.
- Water - For making the yeast batter. Make sure the water is warm (95°F to 110°F) so the yeast can dissolve and work faster.
- Active dry yeast - We use active dry yeast often for most of our bread recipes, so we always have it around. This yeast requires to be dissolved in water before using. If you don't have active dry yeast, you could use instant yeast instead.
- Sugar and salt - For seasoning the yeast dough batter. You can decrease the amount of sugar used if you prefer.
- Oil (for frying)
The best mozzarella for making Korean corn dogs
For these Korean corn dogs, we highly recommend using mozzarella blocks made with whole milk. Whole milk mozzarella melts better and stay melted and stretchy for a longer time compared to low moisture mozzarella.
The only downside to using block mozzarella is that you'll have to cut the mozzarella to the thickness of your hotdog, but it's totally worth the trouble!
We've also tried making these Korean cheese dogs with mozzarella sticks. They are convenient to use and perfect for when you're in a pinch. However, compared to whole milk mozzarella, you can see the difference in how fast the string mozzarella solidifies.
Active dry yeast substitute
We listed active dry yeast in the ingredient list because we always have it around for bread making. If you don't have active dry yeast in your pantry, don't fret! You can use instant yeast instead.
For instant yeast, you won't have to pre-dissolve it in water. Simply add it to your flour mix and add water.
How to make Korean corn dog
Make the yeast batter:
1. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the warm water and give it a stir. Set it side to let the yeast dissolve, about 3 to 5 mintues.
2. In a shallow pan (like a pie dish or Pyrex container), mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
3. When the yeast has dissolved, add the water to the flour mixture. Mix until no more dry flour is visible. Cover and set aside and let it proof in a warm area until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Make the Korean corn dogs:
4. Once the yeast batter is ready, preheat the fryer to 350°F or prepare a pot with 3 to 4 inches of oil, heated to 350°F. Make sure the pot is wide enough to accommodate the entire corn dog and skewer!
5. While the oil is heating, cut the hotdogs in half and cut the mozzarella into smaller blocks, about 2 to 2 ½ inch long and similar thickness as the hotdogs.
6. Assembled the hotdogs and mozzarella onto skewers, with the hotdog on the bottom and mozzarella on the top. Try to keep everything as centered as possible.
🌟 Pro tip: You can assemble the Korean corn dog skewers ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to use. This will give you more time to prepare and keep the mozzarella cold.
7. Dip the tip of an assembled skewer into the yeast batter and start turning the skewer in one direction to coat the corn dog. Try to keep the corndog evenly battered. You can use a fork or kitchen shears to help pull the dough batter around the skewer. If you have trouble breaking off the batter, you can snip it with the shears.
8. Place the battered corn dog skewer into the panko and roll the skewer around to to coat. Gently compact the panko onto the corn dog to make sure it is well coated.
9. Carefully place the Korean corn dog into the hot oil and fry until it turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the corn dog from the oil and let it cool on wire rack or paper towel for a couple of minutes before enjoying. Repeat with the battering and frying process with the remaining corn dogs.
🌟 Pro tip: When frying, place the corn dog into the oil AWAY from you to prevent burning yourself if oil splatters.
Proper battering technique for Korean corn dog
Unlike regular corn dogs, you can't just dip Korean corn dogs straight into the batter. Instead use a twisting technique!
First, dip the tip of the skewered corn dog into the batter. Then, kind of hover/ lay the corn dog in the batter and slowly pull the corn dog up horizontally while slowly turning the skewer until the batter gets completely wrapped around the corn dog. You can also use a fork or kitchen shears to help wrap the batter around the corn dog.
Try to be as even as possible so that there's not a thick layer of dough in one area.
Try out different skewers
Skewers for corn dogs may be a minor detail, but they can make your life easier if you pick the right one for you! These are some of the ones we used:
- Standard grilling skewers - These are the first ones we used. They are really skinny and not our favorite for making Korean corn dogs. But they did their jobs. If the bamboo skewers are too long, you can cut it to your preferred length.
- Thick bamboo skewers - These thick bamboo skewers are commonly used for candy apples, but we love using them as Korean corn dog skewers because they're thick and easier to hold and twist. Also because of their sturdiness, you can wash and reuse them.
- Bamboo disposable chopsticks - We collect these bamboo chopsticks when we order Asian takeouts. They are perfect for making Korean corn dogs! They're thick, sturdy, and also reusable. The only downsides are how long they are and if you collect them like we do, you may have mix matched ones.
Tips to make perfect Korean corn dogs
Here are a few tips to help prevent your mozzarella from leaking from the Korean corn dogs:
- Keep the mozzarella chilled. Cold mozzarella takes longer to melt than room temperature ones. This gives the batter enough to fry and set before the mozzarella melts.
- Work with a couple of corn dogs at a time. Until you become more comfortable with battering the Korean corn dogs, we highly suggest working with one or two corn dogs at a time. This way, the cheese will stay chilled and the dough batter around the corn dog won't slide off or droop all to one side.
- Cover the entire corn dog with an even layer of yeast batter. Melted mozzarella will leak out from areas with thin patches of batter. So try your best to get about ⅛ inch of batter evenly around the corn dog. The batter will puff and expand when fried. Do patch up thin areas if needed.
- Be generous with the panko. Use your hands to gently pack the panko around the entire corn dog. There shouldn't be any patches of batter without panko. This will keep the dough compact around the corn dog and prevent the mozzarella from leaking when it melts.
- Fry the Korean corn dog at the right temperature. Make sure the oil is at 350°F when frying these corn dogs. If the oil is too low, the batter will not set before the mozzarella starts to melt.
- Also, if the oil is too hot, the corn dogs will brown too fast, which will result in undercooking. If the temperature is too low, the batter will absorb more oil, which will make the corn dog taste really greasy.
Korean corn dog variations
Korean corn dog comes in many different variations and toppings. Here are some of the most popular:
- Cheese only - This version is similar to the this Korean corn dog recipe, except the corn dog is a whole stick of mozzarella and no hotdog. So kind of like a mozzarella stick.
- Cinnamon sugar - Mix 2 parts granulated sugar with 1 part ground cinnamon. Roll your fried corn dogs in the cinnamon sugar blend after letting the corn dog cool for a few seconds.
- If you make this version with only cheese and no hotdog, it kind of taste like a cheesy churro!
- Potato (also known as gamja hotdog or Korean french fry corn dog) - Instead of coating the battered corn dog in panko, it's rolled in potato chunks. The potato for this variation is peeled, small diced, and par cooked (fried or boiled).
- Chips - Korean corn dogs are rolled in crushed up chips after frying for some extra flavor.
- Instant ramen - Battered corn dogs are coated with crushed up instant ramen instead of panko for an extra crunch.
Storage
Store any leftover fried Korean corn dogs in an airtight container or wrap them well in plastic wrap after they are completely cooled.
They will be good in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.
How to reheat Korean corn dog
These Korean corn dogs can be easily reheated after they're fried. You can reheat them in the air fryer at 325°F for about 7 to 10 minutes (from the fridge) or about 15 minutes from frozen. Just check to make sure they are hot throughout.
You can also reheat them in the oven, although it's not as good as the air fryer. Reheat at 350°F for about 10 minutes in a preheated oven (from the fridge) or about 15 to 20 minutes from frozen.
FAQ
Sometimes Korean corn dogs can look misleading. But generally, if the corn dog is fried at 350°F for 5 minutes and it looks golden brown, it's done. The inside may look a little wet because of the mozzarella, but the breading should look fluffy.
Because Korean corn dog's battering method requires gluten development, proofing the yeast batter is crucial. You'll know the batter is ready when it has doubled. You can also check by pulling on a small amount of batter. If it stretches easily, it's ready.
There are a few reasons why the mozzarella leaks out of the Korean corn dog. The most common reason is not properly coating the corn dog with enough batter. The second most likely reason is that the oil is not hot enough.
If you don't have active dry yeast, you can use instant yeast instead. All you have to do is add the instant dry yeast straight into the flour mixture and mix with water. No need for pre-dissolving.
Once fried, you can reheat the Korean corn dogs in an air fryer. They'll taste just as good as freshly fried ones!
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Korean Cheese Corn Dog
Ingredients
For the yeast batter:
- 1 cup warm water (95°F to 110°F)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Korean corn dogs:
- 4 hotdogs cut in half
- 6 ounce mozzarella block
- 2 cups panko (also known as Japanese bread crumb)
- oil (for frying)
Instructions
Make the yeast batter:
- Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the warm water and give it a stir. Set it aside for a few minutes to let the yeast dissolve.
- In a shallow pan (like a pie dish or Pyrex container), mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Once the yeast has completely dissolved into the water, pour the mixture into the flour mix. Stir the batter together until no more dry flour is visible. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a lid and let the dough proof in a warm area for about 45 minutes or until doubled.
- Once the yeast has dissolved, pour the water into the flour mixture. Mix the batter until no more dry flour is visible. Cover the yeast batter and let it proof in a warm area until doubled, about 45 minutes.
For the Korean corn dogs:
- Once the yeast batter has doubled, preheat the fryer to 350°F or prepare a pot with 3 to 4 inches of oil heated to 350°F.*If frying in a pot, make sure the pot is wide enought to accommodate the entire corndog and skewer.*
- Cut the mozzarella block into 8 pieces, each around 2½ inches long and around the same thickness as the hotdogs. Assemble the hotdog and mozzarella onto the skewers. The hotdog should be the bottom half while the cheese is on the top half.*Feel free to assemble your skewers ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until needed. We highly recommend keeping the cheese cold for easy battering and frying.*
- Dip the tip of the skewered corn dog into the yeast batter and start turning the skewer in one direction until the entire skewer is evenly coated. Make sure there's no patches of batter that are too thick or thin.*Refer to the post for photo references. Also, you can use a fork or a pair of kitchen shears to help wrap the batter around the skewers.*
- Place the battered corn dog on the panko. Use your hands to gently pack the panko on the corn dog. Carefully place the corn dog into the hot oil and fry for about 5 minutes, or until it's golden brown and crispy.*We recommend battering and frying one to two corn dogs at a time until you get comfortable with the process. If you batter all of the corn dogs at one time, it is very likely that the batter will come off or become very uneven.*
- Remove the corn dog from the oil and let it cool on a wire rack or paper towel for a couple of minutes. Repeat the battering and frying process until the remaining corn dogs are complete.
- Enjoy the cheesy corn dogs while they're hot! Try them with some ketchup and/or yellow mustard for some extra tang.
Notes
- Coat the corn dogs well. Make sure the corn dogs are well coated with batter and panko to ensure that the mozzarella doesn't leak while frying.
- Make the yeast batter is close to doubled before using. Gluten development is crucial for properly battering Korean corn dogs. So make sure to let the yeast do its job and let it proof well before using.
- Fry at the correct temperature. Try your best to maintain the oil temperature at 350°F when frying. If the oil is too hot, the corn dogs will brown too fast before the batter gets cooked. If the oil is not hot enough, the batter will not be cooked enough before the mozzarella starts to melt, which means the cheese will ooze out.
Soo Han says
Perfect for Korean Drama Night!!!
Mei says
Hi Soo!
Yes, indeed! It completes the whole Kdrama experience! 😁
Cook with love!
Mei ❤️
Courtney Smith says
I want to make the dough the night before, is that okay?
Mei says
Hi Courtney!
Thank you for checking out our recipe! Absolutely! We actually prefer making our dough the night before and letting it slow proof in the fridge overnight. It helps the gluten relax and makes coating the corndog much easier.
Happy cooking!
Mei ❤️
Rebecca says
Hi! How long should I slow proof the dough in the fridge if im wanting to make the dough the night before?
Mei says
Hi Rebecca!
Thank you so much for checking out our recipe! If you want to slow proof the dough in the fridge overnight, I recommend minimally 3-4 hours, or until the dough doubles, up to 12-16 hours. I don't recommend letting your dough hanging out in the fridge for past 16 hours because there's not enough sugar/ flour to feed and keep the yeast alive for that long.
Hope this helps!
Bake with love!
Mei ❤️
Rebecca says
Thank you! How long can i keep it out on the counter after taking it out of the fridge?
Rebecca says
Thank you! How long can i keep it out on the counter after taking it out of the fridge? I also plan to double the recipe so im not sure if that changes anything.
Mei says
Hi Rebecca!
You can use the batter almost immediately after taking it out from the fridge. Although, the dough can become even more flexible when it's not as cold. So, it's really personal preference. We personally preferred using it straight from the fridge and have had no trouble at all. =)
Happy cooking!
Mei ❤️
Maria Luz Roldan says
Your yeast dough is perfect. Way better than using baking powder. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Mei says
Hi Maria!
Thank you so much for trying out our recipe and giving us feedback! So glad you liked the recipe!
Happy Cooking!
Mei ❤️
Maria Luz Roldan says
Hi there. For my 2nd and 3rd time in making your recipe... My dough did stick very well, it just slides... I did not even use the whole 1 cup of water thinking it might be too wet. I proofed for 45 minutes. What seems to be my problem?
Mei says
Hi Maria!
We found that usually when we have issues with the dough not sticking, it's due to the condensation on the hotdog and mozzarella. Now that it's humid and hot where we live, we did experience the same issue as you. Once taken out of the fridge, the hotdog and mozzarella becomes really humid because of the temperature difference.
I suggest that you dry the hotdog and mozzarella right before you apply the dough or you could also dust a light coating of flour on the hotdog and mozzarella to help the dough stick better.
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions!
Cook with love!
Mei ❤️
Minh says
Hi. Awesome recipe, very tasty! In my first attempt after frying, there is separation space between the dough and hotdog (and the thickness of the cooked dough is much thinner than your picture). Thoughts on what I may have done incorrectly?
Mei says
Hi Minh!
Thank you for trying out our recipe! The separation between the dough and the hotdog and cheese is usually caused by condensation/ moisture released by the hotdog and cheese. Dusting the skewered hotdog and cheese with a small amount of flour before coating in the dough will help a little. You can also dry the skewered hotdog and cheese with a paper towel prior to coating in dough.
As for the thickness of the dough, you could apply a thicker coat of the dough onto the corndog. Also, do check to make sure the yeast is still alive. The carbon dioxide released from the yeast helps the dough puff up when fried.
Hope this helps!
Mei ❤️
Anne Hor says
Hi Mei, Thanks for sharing your recipe! I intend to do the Korean Corndog start-up outdoor. May I know how could we know the yeast is still alive? If we can't finish the batter, could we store it in the fridge and reuse it the next day?
Also, if the outdoor weather is around 10 degrees Celcius, will it affect the batter?
During the summer, the weather will be around 20-25 degrees celcius, will the batter turn sour?
Thanks so much for your advice and very appreciated.
Mei says
Hi Anne!
Congratulations on your start-up! We're so excited for you!
1) I usually check to see if our yeast is alive by combining 1 tsp of yeast with a cup of warm water and 1 tsp of sugar. Check back in a 5-10 minutes. If the mixture bubbles, your yeast is alive.
2&3) Leftover batter should be reusable the next day if you refrigerate it. However, I'm not certain if having the batter sit out at those varying temperature will affect how much longer or shorter the batter would be good for. But definitely, the difference in temperature will affect how long the batter will take to double.
4) In our experience, doughs usually don't sour in 1 day at room temperature (75°F/ 24°C). But to help your batter preserve it's freshness and for food safety, we recommend keeping the dough refrigerated when possible.
Lastly, we are ever grateful that you are considering using our recipe for your start-up, but as our recipe is curated for home kitchens and made in small batches, we highly recommend that you modify our recipe as needed for better bulk production.
Hope this helps and wishing you guys the best of your start-up endeavors!
Cook with love!
Mei ❤️
Sane says
Hi thanks for the recipe..
The result is good well in my eyes.. (2nd time)
So
I want to use your recipe at my friend's birthday.. so i want to ask if i make the dough at home than move the dough to my friend house.. will the dough ok??
And how long the dough can be use after we use it?? if we still have left over dough..
Thankss
Mei says
Hi Sane!
Thank you so much for dropping by and trying our recipe! So happy that you enjoyed it!
Yes, the dough should be fine for transporting, as long it doesn't become too hot or the dough may overproof.
From our experience making this recipe, we never had much leftover dough, so we've never tried storing the dough. However, because of how little flour is in the dough (in percentage), we don't recommend keeping the dough after the 1st use, because there won't be enough nutrition/ sugar left in the dough for the yeast to feed off of by the second round.
But if you try to store or freeze the dough, we would love to know the result!
Cook with love!
Mei ❤️
Arleen says
Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing recipe. One option you shared was that we can store the yeasted batter in the ref overnight. Can I make pre-made, skewered cheese+hotdog coated with the batter (and breadcrumbs) already, store in the ref for frying later?
Mei says
Hi Arleen!
Thank you so much for trying our recipe! Yes, the yeast batter can be made the night before and stored in the fridge overnight to be used the next day.
Unfortunately, the corndogs cannot be battered and coated in panko ahead of time because the yeast dough batter will not be able to hold its shape since it's a really wet dough. However, you can pre-skewer the hotdog and cheese to be used the next day.
Hope this answered your question!
Happy cooking!
Mei ❤️
Sheng says
We try to cooked the cheese corndog the cheese always overflow its for business purpose so we always do 1kilo of flour I dont know whats the problem because even though the cheese is fully cover its always overflow what to do? Pls notice I need the answer 😭
Mei says
Hi Sheng!
Thank you for trying out our recipe! We're so thrilled that our recipe gets to part of your business venture! Is it a Cafe?!
We're sorry to hear the corndog didn't come out successfully. There are many factors that can contribute to the cheese oozing out, but the main reasons are usually:
- Corndog is not properly coated.
- Batter was too thin. Sometimes depending on the weather, you may or may not need to adjust and add a little more flour.
- Packing the outside with panko. It may be surprising, but packing enough panko on the batter can help seal the corndog more evenly.
- Oil is not hot enough, which means the cheese will melt before the batter is sealed.
- Too many corndog was fried at the same time, which leads to cooling the oil too much.
Because you are making bulk quantity of the dough batter, you need to adjust the amount of water accordingly, as bulk multiplication sometimes can change the outcome of the recipe. I highly suggest making the recipe in a small quantity first then adjust your bulk recipe as you see fit. Our average hydration for this dough batter is around 130% water to flour.
Hope this helps! And best of luck to you!
Cook with love!
Mei ❤️
Therese says
If I'm making 100 mini corndogs for a party, is this something I Can fry partially the night before then finish off right before the party? I'm making several other dishes and want to know if this something I can do. Your wisdom will be greatly appreciated! =-)
Mei says
Hi Therese!
Thank you for dropping by! Yes! You can fry the corndogs till about 90 to 95% done, let them cool completely, then refrigerate it until needed. When ready to serve, you can fry them again until hot or you can even bake it in the oven at 350°F until hot. We recommend a using a rack if you are baking so that the corndogs get even heat all around.
But making 100 corndogs is a great feat! So jealous of all the good food you're whipping up for the party!
Mei ❤️