Mini Corn Dogs with Onion Sauce just like the ones that come from the street carts on the streets of New York City, only in miniature!

Give me a mini corn dog and some good dipping sauce and I’ll follow you anywhere. This recipe is such fun to make, and even more fun to enjoy with friends.

Little smokie sausages ready to make into mini corn dogs.

Little smoked sausages are skewered, dipped in cornbread batter, and quickly fried. I used masa harina because it has a finer texture than regular corn meal. That way the coating is fairly light, not dry and stodgy, and it doesn’t overwhelm the mini corn dogs.

masa harina

Masa harina literally translates to “dough flour”. It’s a finely ground flour (gluten free) made from dried corn that has been treated with lime. This gives it a much richer flavor than corn meal.

Masa harina is widely available in grocery stores, usually in the Latin American or international food aisle.

The tangy sweet and spicy onion sauce is classic, and you’ll want to make plenty! This luscious caramelized onion sauce comes straight from the street carts of New York City where it’s a beloved favorite. The dominant taste is a sweet and savory balance from the caramelized onions and ketchup (a reminder that deliciousness doesn’t require complex recipes.) It goes perfectly with these mini corn dogs.

You don’t need a deep fryer to make these mini corn dogs, a few inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven will work fine. Since the hot dogs are already cooked, you only need to fry until the crust is puffed and golden.

Other sauces to try with your mini corn dogs

Mini Corn Dogs with Onion Sauce

4.67 from 9 votes

Mini corn dogs are a fun and satisfying hot appetizer for summer cocktail parties and game day gatherings.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Total Time:45

Servings: 6

Equipment

Dutch oven or large skillet

Ingredients

For the corn dogs

vegetable oil, for frying
14 oz package mini smoked sausages
1 cup masa harina, or regular corn meal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, possibly more

for the New York Style Onion Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 cups water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp corn syrup
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp vinegar
pinch hot pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

onion sauce

To make the sauce: saute the onion for five minutes, until it’s softened but not browned.
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, until reduced and thickened.
Cool and refrigerate until needed.

corn dogs

For the corn dogs, pour the oil to a depth of about 2 inches in a saucepan. Heat to 350F degrees.
While the oil is heating spear the mini sausages onto long toothpicks or cocktail skewers, set aside.
To make the batter, whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl
Beat the egg and buttermilk together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well. If the batter seems too thick for dipping, add a little more buttermilk.
Working with 2 at a time, dip the mini dogs in the batter, swirling around to completely coat, then tap off the excess and drop into the hot oil, stick and all. Fry a few at a time, stirring gently to ensure that they brown evenly. They will fry to a golden brown in about 2 minutes.
Set the dogs on a rack or paper towel to drain while you fry the rest.
Serve hot with the onion sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

I didn’t have any trouble getting the batter to stick to the dogs, but if you do, lightly dust them with a little flour or cornstarch first. If you’re wondering whether you can do a baked version, I tried and wasn’t happy with the results. Even with a thicker batter, it slides down off the dog before it can cook in the oven.

*The corn dogs are adapted from the NYT and the onion sauce is adapted from Food.com

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: appetizer, Game day, hot dog

Nutrition

Calories: 451 kcal · Carbohydrates: 40 g · Protein: 15 g · Fat: 26 g · Saturated Fat: 8 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 13 g · Trans Fat: 0.003 g · Cholesterol: 76 mg · Sodium: 1471 mg · Potassium: 415 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 11 g · Vitamin A: 312 IU · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 134 mg · Iron: 3 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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4.67 from 9 votes (5 ratings without comment)