A Korean Corn Dog recipe inspired by our visit to New York City! Hot dogs and/or cheese sticks are covered in a yeast-based batter and breadcrumbs, then fried until golden.
We recently visited New York City again for the first time since moving back to the East Coast! Our hotel was in Midtown, so I am featuring some nearby food stops during our trip.
Check out the rest of our visits to NYC:
- Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and New York City
- S’mores Macarons and New York City
- New York Style Bagels and New York City
- Xiao Long Bao (Chinese Soup Dumplings) and New York City
- Matcha Lava Cake and New York City
- Chocolate Hazelnut Babka and New York City
- New York Style Pizza and New York City
- Black and White Cookies and New York City
Courtyard by Marriott New York Manhattan/Chelsea
During this latest visit to NYC, we picked the Courtyard by Marriott New York Manhattan/Chelsea at 135 W 30th Street for our stay.
The location was perfect. We took the train from DC and it was an easy 0.3 mile (0.5 kilometer) walk from Moynihan Train Hall.
The hotel is also less than a mile from Times Square, Empire State Building, Flatiron Building, Chelsea, Grand Central Terminal, and multiple subway stations.
King’s Street Coffee
King’s Street Coffee at 121 W 30th Street is next door to the hotel and we ended up stopping by a couple of times.
I especially liked the Caramel Latte. They also have tea, sandwiches, and pastries.
Liberty Bagels
One morning, I picked up an assortment of bagels and cream cheese from Liberty Bagels at 260 W 35th Street to bring back to the hotel.
Liberty Bagels is open daily with old fashioned, hand rolled, and kettle boiled bagels. This spot gets busy, but the line moves quickly. There is a minimal amount of indoor and outdoor seating. Easy online ordering is available through their website. Additional locations can be found Downtown, Midtown East, and Jackson Heights, Queens.
We got the Rainbow Bagel, Liberty Bagel (red, white, and blue), Plain Bagel, Oreo Cream Cheese, and Peanut Butter Nutella Cream Cheese.
Bear Donut
We stopped by Bear Donut at 40 W 31st Street in Koreatown on our first day for a quick afternoon treat.
Bear Donut is open daily with a variety of rotating donut flavors, soft serve, and drinks. There are a few outdoor tables on the sidewalk.
Claire picked out the pink chocolate donut with milk soft serve (other option was strawberry rose) It was also decorated with a peep for Easter (our trip was in April).
Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao
We walked to Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao at 24 W 33rd Street for dinner on our first night.
Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao’s Manhattan location is across the street from the Empire State Building and open daily for lunch and dinner with seating (walk in only, no reservations) and easy online ordering through their website.
Their menu focuses on Shanghainese cuisine with a variety of dumplings, noodles, soups, rice, cold dishes, and more.
We ordered the Nan Xiang Soup Dumpling (signature pork soup dumplings), Ham and Pork Soup Dumplings (Pork and Vegetable Wonton in Spicy Sauce), Pan Fried Pork Buns, Beef Scallion Pancake (I think this was my favorite- scallion pancakes wrapped with marinated sliced beef), and Cucumber Salad with Garlic.
Food Gallery 32
Food Gallery 32 is a busy three level food court one block south of the Empire State Building at 11 W 32nd Street.
At the time of this post, it is open daily 11 am to 11 pm. Vendors range from Chinese, Japanese, tea, and desserts to quite the variety of Korean options.
Sweet Churros
The kids requested Sweet Churros for the Korean Corn Dogs and Churros.
They ended up getting Original K-Hot Dogs with their usual half sausage/half mozzarella cheese along with a Cinnamon Sugar Churro and Marshmallow Lover (loop-shaped churro with s’mored marshmallow and melted marshmallow glaze).
Noona Noodles
While they enjoyed their churros and corn dogs, Chad and I got big bowls of comfort food from Noona Noodles.
Noona Noodles features cold noodles, ramen, noodle soup, appetizers, and sides.
Chad got the Cowboy Ramen (inspired by NYC diner burgers- a Shoyu ramen base with Korean BBQ steak, pepper jack and American cheese, greens, and a fried egg) while I ordered the Soo Jae Bi/Sujebi (shallow thumbprint hand-pulled noodles in a hearty chicken broth with seasonal greens).
Both were fantastic with massive portions.
Remi43 Flower and Coffee
One of the most beautiful drinks during the trip came from Remi43 Flower and Coffee in Midtown East at 810 2nd Avenue.
Remi43 Flower & Coffee is open daily with a variety of specialty coffee, tea, pastries, and flowers.
I tried the Lavender Latte with striking swirls of purple in the latte art. The interior is just as beautiful as the drinks with plenty of flowers and greenery throughout the space.
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal at 89 E 42nd Street is home to the MTA Metro-North Railroad; the 4, 5, 6, 7, and S subway lines; a connection to the Long Island Rail Road; and a variety of restaurants and shopping across three levels.
It opened to the public on February 2, 1913 and now sees around 750,000 visitors daily.
In 1976, it was designated a National Historic Landmark and notable sites include distinctive Beaux-Arts style architecture, the four-sided clock on the information booth in the center of the main concourse, and the turquoise and gold celestial false ceiling.
Doughnut Plant
While in Grand Central Terminal, we stopped by Doughnut Plant for breakfast in the dining concourse on the lower level.
Doughnut Plant has locations around New York City, but this one is known for the special Grand Central Mini- a unique mini cake doughnut based on the iconic Grand Central Hall ceiling.
They also have other cake, yeast, and sourdoughnut options along with coffee, tea, and ice cream.
Jacques Torres
The original plan was to stop by the Jacques Torres location in Dumbo, but we quickly ran out of time this trip (hopefully next time!). Luckily, there is a location in Grand Central Terminal’s Lexington Passage near the Lexington Avenue exit.
Jacques Torres Chocolate has shelved packed with delicious handmade chocolate treats, cookies, drinks, and ice cream. Since we went the week of Easter, we were also able to pick up a couple of bunnies and chocolate Easter eggs.
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library Main Branch (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building) is located in Midtown on 476 5th Avenue near Grand Central Terminal.
We visited during our 2018 trip and were originally only planning on doing a quick walkthrough, but ended up spending an hour or so here.
One of the the biggest highlights was seeing the original stuffed animals that inspired Winnie the Pooh in the Children’s Center.
Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga (Roo was lost in an apple orchid in the 1930s), and Tigger have been living at the New York Public Library since 1987 with a period of restoration from 2015-2016.
Christopher Robin Milne received Pooh (originally Edward Bear) from his father, A. A. Milne, on his first birthday- August 21, 1921. The rest of Pooh’s friends were given as gifts between 1920 and 1928.
Evan enjoyed seeing the Lego versions of Patience and Fortitude, the Library Lions, at the entrance of the Children’s Center.
We spent quite a bit of time just relaxing and reading books. It was the perfect spot for a break.
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building took 16 years to build. It opened to the public at 9:00 a.m. on May 24, 1911 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
Along with exploring the four stories to take in the incredible architecture, notable features besides the Children’s Center include the Rose Main Reading Room, Dewitt Wallace Periodical Room, Map Division (“one of the world’s premier map collections in terms of size, scope, unique holdings, diversity and intensity of use,” note the photo above with the globe that has been touched so much that New York City is just a white spot), McGraw Rotunda, and more.
Kinokuniya
Directly behind the library is Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore on 1073 6th Avenue.
If you can read Japanese, there is an incredible assortment of cookbooks (plus a large section for learning Japanese, other books in English, manga, DVDs, stationary, and more along with a cafe on the top floor).
While living in Los Angeles, we also often visited their locations in Little Tokyo and Torrance.
Korean Corn Dog
Evan and Claire have been requesting an at-home Korean Corn Dog (핫도그) recipe ever since they first tried them at Two Hands Corn Dogs in Torrance.
Eating them (at every couple of months) here in Virginia and again in NYC was finally the push to make them! It actually isn’t too difficult and so fun to form with a variety of options.
These hot dogs actually don’t have any corn in the batter at all. They are covered in a leavened, flour-based batter and flaky breadcrumbs, then fried until golden.
Serve with a sprinkling of granulated sugar and drizzle of ketchup and mustard for a fantastic contrast of savory and sweet.
Korean Corn Dog Fillings and Toppings
Nearly every part of the Korean Corn Dog is customizable. The kids usually go with the Cheese Hot dog (치즈 핫도그) with half sausage/half mozzarella cheese in the inside.
I have also come across recipes with thin cheese slices wrapped around the entire skewered hot dog. This would be a fun option to get hot dog and cheese in every bite.
Most of the frozen ones at the local Korean grocery store have a fish cake filling.
Another personal favorite is the Injeolmi Dog. These corn dogs have a rice cake filling with a sprinkling of roasted soybean flour (Konggaru, Kinako) and drizzle of condensed milk.
I used a yeast-based batter since it created the best results for us, but have also seen the dough made with baking powder and/or glutinous rice flour.
For the toppings, we covered the batter-coated hot dogs in bread crumbs or crushed instant ramen noodles (so good).
Other popular options include potato cubes or pieces of French fries (감자핫도그), crispy rice puffs, cornflakes, or even cheetos.
A Few Tips
Use sturdy wooden/bamboo skewers or disposable chopsticks to hold the corn dogs. They should be strong enough to handle the weight of the batter and deep-frying.
The batter should be thick enough to coat the hot dog as you roll it to create an even layer. If too loose to stick, gently mix in a little more flour. If too thick, add a little more water.
To coat, dip the skewered hot dog in the rested batter and carefully, but quickly, roll the dog in a single direction to evenly coat. It is especially important to fully coat and seal if using a cheese filling.
Fry the Korean Corn Dog immediately after covering in the batter and coating at 350˚F (180˚C). They will start to fall apart if set aside for too long.
Only fry until golden brown and crispy. Adjust the heat of the oil as needed. Don’t cook too long with a cheese filling or the melted cheese may get too hot and burst out.
The cheese is best made by cutting thick sticks from blocks of cheese, not already pre-made cheese sticks.
Since the skewers are thick, the cheese may tear if you try to push through. Use a thin metal skewer, toothpick, or something else with a sharp, pointed tip to make a small hole first. If the cheese does tear a little, just use your hands to press back together as well as you can.
The Korean Corn Dog is best served immediately while everything is still warm and the optional cheese still melty.
Cooked leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Reheat in an air fryer or 350˚F (180˚C) oven until heated through.
Korean Corn Dog Recipe
Adapted from Beyond Kimchee
Korean Corn Dog
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) lukewarm water 105-115˚F, 40-46˚C
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
To assemble:
- 8 hot dogs or 4 hot dogs if adding cheese
- 8 ounces (227 grams) low moisture mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese optional
- 2 cups (160 grams) Panko/Ppanggaru breadcrumbs and/or crushed instant ramen noodles
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
For topping:
- Granulated sugar
- Ketchup
- Mustard
Instructions
To prepare the batter:
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water and stir briefly to combine. Set aside at room temperature until frothy, about 10 minutes.
- In a large, wide bowl or baking dish, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Stir in the water with frothy yeast until well-combined with no streaks of flour remaining.
- Cover the bowl or baking dish and set aside at room temperature until puffed, about 1 hour.
To assemble:
- Place the hot dogs on the thick, wooden skewers.
- If using cheese, cut the hot dogs in half crosswise. Cut the cheese into block pieces as long and thick as the hot dog half. Pierce through the cheese stick with a thin metal skewer or toothpick, then arrange on the wooden skewers with hot dog halves.
- Place the prepared skewers with hot dogs and cheese in the refrigerator until ready to coat with the batter.
- Place the breadcrumbs or crushed instant ramen noodles on a wide plate.
- Pour vegetable oil in a wide saucepan at least 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) deep and place over medium heat to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Dip one of the prepared skewers into the rested batter and carefully rotate in one direction to fully cover in an even layer.
- Immediately place on the plate of breadcrumbs and turn, pressing gently to coat, until completely covered.
- Transfer to the hot oil and cook, turning as needed, until golden brown and heated through, about 4 minutes.
- Repeat with remaining skewers, batter, and breadcrumbs.
- Serve immediately while still warm with a sprinkling of sugar and a drizzle of ketchup and/or mustard if desired. Careful, the cheese-filled hot dogs will be hot!
Kathryn
Looks like y’all had a blast. I love that you made it to Jacques Torres…one of my favorites. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Looks like my perfect dinner this week!
Ilyas
What a great idea for twist on a corn dog!I can’t wait to try these.