As fans of portable snacks such as pop tarts and turnovers, we have been obsessed with Korean corn dogs forever!
However, if you have been keeping up with South Korea on the internet, you must have noticed how cooks and local restaurants have taken the humble corn dog to a different level altogether in the past few years.
With toppings such as crushed ramen, puffed rice, fries, and just the right amount of sugar, corn dogs are perhaps one of the most famous street foods in the whole world.
In fact, in New York alone, six new restaurants committed to serving these crispy, golden, delicious brown dogs on sticks have recently opened.
Corn dogs are easy to make. Yes, we know that since the dough contains yeast, it takes nearly 60 minutes to proof.
But once it is done, the basic assembling and frying are simple. Moreover, we love all the classic toppings. But if you have anything fun in mind, such as Cheetos or crispy onions, you should go for those.
So, when we landed in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, we were excited about the experience that awaited us. We are hardcore foodies – and our idea of travel has less to do with checking out places and more to do with treating our taste buds and trying out the local cuisine.
As a result, we started our gastronomic journey in South Korea with Seoul as our first stop. And, of course, we had to begin with corn dogs – it was a mouthwatering experience, truly! So, if you are looking for a delectable itinerary on finding the best corn dogs in Seoul, stay tuned!
Contents
But First, What Is A Korean Corn Dog?
So, what exactly are Korean corn dogs?
These are hot dogs, fish cakes, mozzarella cheese, or rice cakes coated in a crunchy batter (made with French fry pieces, panko, and ramen) and deep-fried in vegetable oil. After frying, granulated sugar is sprinkled and served with mustard, mayo, and ketchup.
In general, these taste sweet, salty, and very delicious.
While some Korean corn dogs are made with yeast batter, others are made with rice flour batter. There are different variations of this popular Korean street snack.
So, What Makes Korean Corn Dogs Different?
So, what exactly makes a Korean corn dog different from general hot dogs? There are a few differences between the usual corn dogs and the Korean corn dogs. Here, the primary difference between Korean corn dogs and normal corn dogs lies in the batter.
While Americans use cornmeal batter for their corn dogs, Koreans use rice flour or yeast batter for their corn dogs.
Moreover, restaurants serve corn dogs after sparkling these with some granulated sugar. Finally, Korean corn dogs do not have to be made with hot dogs.
In fact, there are so many Korean corn dogs that are just made with rice cakes, fish cakes, and mozzarella cheese.
Korean Corn Dog Variations:
As we were saying, there are multiple variations of Korean corn dogs. Yes, we came across hundreds of different types of Korean corn dogs, and if you ask us, here are the most popular (not to mention our favorite) corn dog variations that we found in Seoul.
Gamja-Hot Dog:
These hot dogs are basically made with French fries! Simply put, gamja is ‘potato’ in Korean. For these hot dogs, restaurants chop up French fries, and instead of using pank0, they use chopped fries as a coating. We loved how the fries were salty, crispy, and tasted amazing with cheese!
Cornflake Dogs:
Instead of panko batter, use crushed-up cornflakes for the right play on cornflake dogs. The corny and toasty flavor of cornflakes actually paired well – and we loved them.
Ramen Dogs:
You have no idea how crushed-up packets of ramen pack in a solid crunch. Also, you can sprinkle some seasoning for an additional instant ramen feel.
Crispy Rice:
Crispy and tasty rice puffs are a great addition as well – you can choose to crush up some rice crackers or you can search for Korean rice puffs and simply roll the corn dogs in a rice batter, instead of a batter made with panko.
Hot Cheetos:
Hot Cheetos pack in spice and crunch. You can just drizzle some mayo and lime on – and trust us, these are amazing, especially if you are a fan of mozzarella.
7 Best Restaurants To Eat Korean Corn Dog In Seoul, South Korea
Is there anything more delectable or exciting than a yummy Korean corn dog, especially when you are exploring street food in Seoul? This killer sweet and savory combination of the stretchy cheese pulls and the crispy outer better – ah! It is safe to say that we are addicted.
After trying out corn dogs in different restaurants, food stalls, and even convenience stores in Seoul, here are the 7 best places to have corn dogs in Seoul.
1. Myeongrang Rice Hot Dog Gangnam Underground Shopping Mall Branch:
| Address | 396 Gangnam-daero, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Sunday: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
Review By Jiselle Pai:
“My favourite snack!! or it’s just like a meal – its food with crispy bread on the out with, cheese and sausages! It’s a Korean-style hotdog🌭 right? 💜 It’s always delicious haha, but due to the nature of Gangnam Station, it’s a small store, so it’s a bit uncomfortable to see people waiting in line. But hot dogs are delicious!”
2. 프랭크서울 핫도그 (Frank Seoul):
| Address | South Korea, Seoul, Songpa-gu, Samjeon-dong, 72-13 1층 |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Sunday: 12:30 to 11 p.m. |
Review By SH Jun:
“The basic hot dog is delicious~ I personally think it tastes better than the Myeongx hot dog. It has a nice crunchy texture, and the sausage is much tastier than hot dogs at a similar price range. This is a hot dog restaurant that I visit often.”
3.MyeongRang Hot Dog Sungshin Woman’s University:
| Address | 6 Dongsomun-ro 22-gil, Dongseon-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Sunday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
Review By Kevin Ko:
“Although they are a little more expensive than regular hot dogs, they come in a variety of varieties and are delicious. Spreading sugar on your hot dog is optional. It tastes better when sprinkled with sauce such as chili.”
4. Myungrang Hot Dog Mangwon Station:
| Address | 17 World Cup-ro 13-gil, Mapo-gu, 서울 South Korea |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Sunday: 1 to 9 p.m. | Wednesday: Closed. |
Review By Luvoo U:
“It was hot and busy, but I was grateful for the friendly response. The tteokbokki was a basic tteokbokki that was delicious and clean enough to be eaten with a hot dog, and there was no need to say anything about the hot dog, haha. It was our first time eating together, and it was delicious♥”
5. 슈퍼독 Superdog:
| Address | 20 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Sunday: 1 to 7 p.m. |
Review By Lili Ahn (Lahnville):
“I feel lucky to have found Superdog. The owner is kind, warm, and artistic. You can tell he has great taste for ambiance. He has great music and art all over the place, and to top that, his hot dogs are amazing. If you’re in tandem, you must go there.”
6. Myeongnyang Hotdog Jongno-3ga:
| Address | 112 Jong-ro, 종로1.2.3.4가동 Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Sunday: 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. |
Review By Steph Char:
“Looked everywhere for a dedicated Korean hot dog place and found this one on Google! This place did not disappoint! We found ordering to be a little difficult being non-Korean-speaking, but with a little Google Translate, we were able to figure it out. We walked 30 minutes back to our hotel, and the outside of the hot dog was still crispy! Reasonable pricing, and very delicious!”
7. Oldies Hotdog:
| Address | 35 Mareunnae-ro 2-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Sunday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
Review By Jin:
“I ate a chili hot dog, but I encountered a real hot dog. The sausage meat has the right flavor, and the meat that goes on top of the chili hot dog tastes like bulgogi sauce, so it’s moderately sweet and spicy. I found this on my way to Olde’s Tacos, and I enjoyed it even more because hot dog restaurants are rare. The staff was very friendly, and the homemade pickles were very delicious. If you like pickles, you can add them!”
Bonus Section: How To Make Korean Corn Dogs at Home?
Welcome to our bonus section!
After we came back from South Korea, we realized that we missed the food way too much, especially the corn dogs! While finding a Korean corn dog anywhere in this world currently is not an issue, it’s not the same as eating one in Seoul.
Moreover, we love cooking our favorite dishes at home – it’s therapeutic, really! So, here’s a simple recipe that can help you to enjoy delicious Korean corn dogs at home.
| Yields | 4 |
| Preparation Time | 15 minutes |
| Total Time | 1 hour 20 minutes |
Ingredients:
Here are all the ingredients you will need to make Korean corn dogs at home:
- All-Purpose Flour – 210 grams (about 7.41 oz).
- Granulated Sugar – 2 tablespoons + some more for sprinkling.
- Packaged Instant Yeast – 7.087 grams.
- Kosher Salt – ½ teaspoons.
- Whole Milk – 1 cup.
- Vegetable Oil (for frying) – 3-4 cups.
- Beef Hot Dogs – 4 pieces.
- Cheese Sticks (optional) – 4 pieces.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – ½ cup.
- Crumbled Ramen, Crushed Cornflakes, and Chopped Frozen Fries – 2 cups.
- Yellow Mustard and Ketchup (for topping).
Directions:
Scroll down and follow the step-by-step recipe to make Korean corn dogs at home:
Step 1:
First things first – take a big bowl and add flour, yeast, salt, and granulated sugar. After you have added all the ingredients, start whisking it all together until everything is fully combined. Then fold in milk until stiff, stick batter starts forming.
After that, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Then, place the bowl to proof in a warm place for about 60 minutes until the batter becomes double in size.
Step 2:
Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches into a deep cast-iron skillet or a large Dutch oven with a basic thermometer for deep frying.
After you have poured the oil, let it heat until the thermometer shows 325º. Keep the heat at medium-high.
Step 3:
Now, it’s time to start threading the 4 pieces of beef hot dogs on 4 chopsticks or skewers.
So, if you are making cheese hot dogs, then you will have to slice both the hot dogs and cheese sticks in half.
Then, thread one cheese half and one hot dog half onto the skewers. Once you have completed threading, place the panko and other toppings on 2 different plates.
Step 4:
After you have placed the panko and other toppings on 2 different plates, start coating the hot dogs in the flour mixture.
While coating the hot dogs in the flour mixture, ensure you are slowly spinning the skewer. Cover the entire piece in batter – use wet fingers to fasten the process.
After covering the whole dog in batter, roll in toppings of your choice, then sprinkle some more panko, if needed, before you can start to deep-fry the corn dog.
Step 5:
Now, let the deep-frying begin! Turn it around occasionally until it turns golden brown deeply – it will take you only 3 to 4 minutes to deep fry the corn dog.
When the corn dog turns golden brown and crispy, transfer it to any plate lined with paper towels. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
Step 6:
Finally, sprinkle some granulated sugar on the corn dogs from all sides, drizzle some mustard and ketchup, and serve!
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