1. Overview
2. Corn Dogs History
3. Popular Frozen Corn Dog Brands
4. Cooking Instructions
5. Sauce Selections
6. Plating Ideas
7. Junkie Lifestyle Tip(s)
8. Appendix

Overview.

Corn dogs elicit the feelings of summer, family, fun, and carnivals. They are great childhood memories for adults and sensory stimulation for our youth. The sights, the sounds, and the smells of local fairs are unforgettable. After playing some games, hitting some rides, and walking for miles it was always time to fill our bellies with some corn dogs. So why wait until summer to devour this delicacy? I’ll show you an ultra-quick way to make some crispy snacks with this easy frozen air fryer corn dogs recipe.

Corn Dogs History.

Before we dive into the air fry cooking process, let’s learn a little bit more about corn dogs. Where did they originate? Who decided to jam a hot dog on a stick, dunk it in batter, and drop it in some burning hot oil? According to Wikipedia, a number of vendors claim responsibility for their invention.

Carl and Neil Fletcher lay such a claim, having introduced their “Corny Dogs” at the State Fair of Texas sometime between 1938 and 1942. The Pronto Pup vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claim to have invented the corn dog in 1941. Cozy Dog Drive-in, in Springfield, Illinois, claims to have been the first to serve corn dogs on sticks, on June 16, 1946. Also in 1946, Dave Barham opened the first location of Hot Dog on a Stick at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California. You can read all about the history here.

Popular Frozen Corn Dog Brands

We all have our favorite regional grocery centers in the United States that carry a vast array of localized products, but I’ll touch on the three most popular frozen corn dog brands. Additionally, I’ll show you a gluten-free and vegan option too. That way there’s something for everyone!

Cooking: Air Fry Frozen Corn Dogs Recipe

Needs: Air Fryer, Frozen Corn Dogs, Cooking Spray, and Olive Oil. The fork is optional for this meal choice. Mini-corn dogs should be adjusted based on the size of the air fryer and number of mini-corn dogs in your basket.

Step 1: Spray

Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Heat

Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees for 3-5 minutes.

Some folks recommend skipping this step. If you want your dogs crispy, pre-heating the basket is a no-brainer to me.

Step 3: Arrange

Arrange the frozen dogs in your basket, allowing for some space between each piece to ensure even, thorough heating. A 6-quart basket should be able to hold 6-8 corn dogs; however, less is more. Do not overstuff.

Step 4: Coat

Spray the frozen corn dogs with your favorite cooking oil (I prefer Pam Butter Oil) or brush on your favorite olive oil here. You must use oil to get that golden, crunchy texture.

Step 5: Cook

It’s time to cook your frozen air fryer corn dogs. Start them off for 9 minutes. Open the basket, move them around with some rubber thongs, then cook them for another 4-6 minutes based on your desired crispiness. It’s a judgment call. When they have that nice golden gleam, you’re ready for your fried feast!

Sauce Selections

Hardcore Midwesterners won’t even entertain this discussion. If you have a hot dog, anything but mustard puts you in the penalty box. I tend to agree, but ketchup is a viable option for these crispy, frozen air fryer corn dogs. You just need to decide if you’re a traditionalist that only uses Heinz 57 or a loyalist who doesn’t stray from Hunt’s. You may even like mayo or the kid-tested mayo-ketchup blend. Just put equal parts Miracle Whip and ketchup in a cup, whisk it together, and start dipping away. And use the squeeze bottles because this is classic finger food, friends!

Circling back, it comes down to mustard for me. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular brands on the market today. Each brand has multiple flavors so I just picked a variety for you.

• French’s Classic Yellow Mustard
• Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
• Gulden’s Sriracha Mustard
• Bertman’s Stadium Mustard

Mustard Descriptions

Ok, so the fourth selection is a local favorite. If you eat hot dogs in my town, especially at a sporting event, it starts and stops with “stadium” mustard. Order some for yourself, your family, or your friends and I’m betting you’ll become fans too.

Plating Ideas

If you watch Food Network you know that plating is everything. Yes, I’m a Food Network junkie, hence the name of this blog. There’s no wrong way to serve this finger food. Get creative, have fun, and mix in something healthy to balance the plate. This image below is called the Corn Dog Burst, featuring corn dogs, starburst candy, and fruit.

• 3 corn dogs
• 1 sleeve of starburst
• 1/2 cup of cherries
• 1 twelve-ounce cylinder

The Junkie Lifestyle

Air frying is a lifestyle. It’s quick, fun, and casual. Just fry, eat and repeat! Look for many more quick recipes, in addition to this frozen corn dog recipe. Check out my recipe for frozen dumplings here.

Since this food reminds us of summertime memories, check out this list of the 10 Best Roller Coasters in the United States. I’m biased towards Cedar Point, which houses the greatest collection of rides in the country in my humble opinion.

Appendix

There are a wide variety of air fryer options on the market. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options according to Google. Ninja is widely considered the best brand for this type of food preparation. These product descriptions were pulled directly from the manufacture’s information on the internet and are not original content.

Ninja Foodi 8-Quart 6-in-1 Dual Zone Air Fryer with Racks & Kebabs

The innovative Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone Air Fryer features the convenience of two independent 4 qt. baskets, so you can cook two foods at once. The baskets are generously sized to fit 4 lbs. of fries or wings in each zone. With the unique Smart Finish function, it’s possible to cook two foods, in two different ways, that finish at the same time. And with the convenient Match Cook feature, you can copy your settings across each zone. Plus, it’s got six preset programs and a temperature range from 105º to 450º F.

• Main air fryer unit with 6 programmable functions
• (2) 4 qt. Cooking baskets for 8 qt. capacity
• (2) Non-stick crisper plates
• Multi-layer rack
• Broiler rack
• (5) Kebab skewers
• User guide
• Quick-start guide
• Chef-created 15-recipe book
• Manufacturer’s 1-year limited warranty

Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 8-Quart Dual Zone Air Fryer with Broil Rack

This innovative, unique Air fryer has two independent 4 qt. baskets that let you cook two foods at once. No need to cook back to back. The Smart Finish function lets you cook two foods, two ways, and finish at the same time! And the Match Cook setting lets you copy the settings across each zone. With six preset programs (air fry, bake, roast, reheat, dehydrate, and air broil) and a temperature range from 105º-450º F.

• Dual Zone air fryer
• Broil rack accessory
• 15-recipe inspiration guide
• Kickstarter recipe
• Quick-start guide
• User guide
• Hot surface warning insert
• Manufacturer’s 1-year limited warranty

6 Qt. Power XL Air Fryer

• EFFORTLESS COOKING: You can oven air-fry rotisserie for savory chicken and pork roasts, mouthwatering turkey breasts, or authentic kebabs. You can even use the dehydrator to make healthy dehydrated veggies, herbs, fruit, and more.
• RAPID AIR TECHNOLOGY: Rapid Air Technology enables the PowerXL Air Fryer to surround your food with a whirlwind of turbo cyclonic air to deliver a healthier version of the same food with the crispy fried taste and texture you love in just minutes.
• 7-IN-1 MULTI-COOKER: Super-heated turbo cyclonic air surrounds your food with crisp 360° air circulation to replace deep fryers, rotisserie, dehydrators, convection oven, oven toasters, and pizza grills. This 1700-watt air fryer oven will even fit a 4-pound chicken.
• COOK WITH LESS OIL: The Power Air FryerXL delivers 70% fewer calories from fat than deep-fried food. The PowerXL AirFryer Pro is a multi-cooker that gives you all of the crispy, juicy, delicious, and healthier benefits of oil-free air frying.
• 8 ONE-TOUCH PRESET BUTTONS: 8 Digital Pre-Set Programs with easy one-touch digital control let you roast, air fry, bake, steam, sauté, and grill. Featuring a digital timer with automatic shut-off as well as a manual time and temperature programming option.

Cosori Air Fryer Max XL

This award-winning air fryer (Red Dot Award, 2019) features 13 one-touch cooking functions and rapid 360° air circulation to provide crispy results using less oil: The air fryer uses up to 85% less oil than traditional deep frying methods while maintaining the same delicious taste, making it the perfect gift for family members and friends Large Capacity: The air fryer’s spacious 5.8-quart square baskets can fit a whole 5-pound chicken. Additionally, the corner spaces provide more cooking footprint and flexibility than round designs. Cook the perfect amount of food for 3-5 people in one go 13 Cooking Functions: 11 presets, Preheat, and Keep Warm help you cook meat, veggies, desserts, and more to perfection. Just choose your preset with 1 easy tap on the display and you’re ready to cook.

You can also set your own temperature and cook time for personal recipes Safe Materials: The removable, nonstick baskets are dishwasher safe, PFOA free, and BPA free. The air fryer dimensions are 14.3 x 11.8 x 12.6 inches (handle included) , while the basket dimensions are 9 x 9 x 3.75 inches. To find air fryer accessories, search for C158-6AC 100 Included Recipes: Find inspiration for every meal with 100 original, Cosori chef-created recipes Convenient Design: The air fryer produces crispy results in less time than a conventional oven and includes a shake reminder function.

Preheat the air fryer before adding your ingredients for improved texture Fully Certified: The air fryer is ETL Listed and has a power rating of 120V / 1700W and a temperature range of 170°-400°F. Please note that this voltage only applies to the US and Canada California Roots: Based in California, Cosori is proud to call the Golden State our home.

Farberware 5.3 Quart Digital Oil-Less Fryer, XL

Requires little to no oil, reducing fat and calories healthy fried food alternative with the same taste and textureCook up to 30% faster with Rapid Air TechnologyDiverse functionality lets you fry, bake, grill, and toast5.3 Quart capacity for extra-large portions easy to use touchscreen panel with 8 cooking preset temperature control up to 400 degrees FahrenheitDishwasher-safe basket and basket Holderness-free, no fried food odorIncludes recipe book English/Spanish instruction manual included model Number: FBW FT 46075.

GoWISE USA Air Fryer

This makes cooking a hassle-free experience. Use the accessory kit to enhance your air frying experience by creating a variety of dishes from juicy meats, pizza, and more. This air fryer comes with a redesigned basket to ensure cooking is always a pleasurable experience. The 5.8 QT capacity makes it ideal for households of 4.

• Dimensions: 12″ x 14″ x 10″
• Includes 8″ baking pan, 8″ pizza/pie pan, 2 insert racks, 3 Skewers, toasting/warming rack, a silicone pot mat, and a booklet with 50 air fryer recipes
• Healthier cooking in 30 min or less: Thanks to Rapid Air Technology, you can now experience your favorite food without the extra calories, this air fryer can fry, bake, grill and roast with little to no oil
• Sleek and modern look with an advanced touch screen menu
• 8 Preset Cooking Options and Manual Controls
• Start/Stop button allowing you to change your program mid-cycle, as well as a built-in alarm function to remind you to shake your ingredients in 5, 10, and 15-minute increments
• Enjoy an easy cleanup by using a non-abrasive sponge and warm water to clean after cooking
• 1 year limited warranty
• Plastic