Little Smokie Corn Dogs

What’s a Little Smokie?

If you haven’t heard of these before, they are tiny little smoked sausages, but not like Vienna sausages. The latter is open-ended and not smoked.

Little smokies look like a full hot dog only much smaller. Finding a bun to fit these little guys is all but impossible. However, they are ideal for making mini corn dogs which is what this recipe is all about. They are also delicious wrapped in crescents or slow cooked in a delicious sauce.

Buttermilk Batter

My buttermilk batter recipe makes the most amazing corn dogs, so it’s fantastic when paired with flavorful little smokie sausages. My recipe is not too complex, but it’s got enough layers of flavor to keep this snack so exciting and you don’t even need a dipping sauce to go with it.

Traditional corn dog batter uses cornmeal, buttermilk, and a variety of other ingredients to achieve the texture and flavor we love in a hand-dipped corn dog.

When done right, a corndog has just the right crunch on the outside and softness on the inside, but the cornmeal is the most flavorful part of the batter. The real flavor usually comes from the hotdog inside or a condiment if your corn dog tastes bland on its own.

I like to give my little smokie corn dogs added complexity, first by using smoked sausage and then by enhancing the batter with Slap Ya Mama to add some additional spice. The result is everything you love about corn dogs with even more flavor.

Since the little smokies are small, you will want to keep going back for more and you won’t even have to bother with a stick!

How to Dip Your Little Smokies Corn Dogs in Batter

Before you can fry the little smokies, you need to completely coat them in my delicious buttermilk cornmeal batter.  This is easier said than done as you might notice upon your first attempt to fully submerge and retrieve the little smokies in newly battered form. Don’t use your fingers, that gets very messy very quickly.

Instead, use a long-handled tool like a ladle. Don’t use the same spoon/strainer that you use to transport the corn dogs into the oil. That will also get very messy and you want to keep your oil as free of excess batter as possible.

Another important part of the procedure is using the right bowl. I mention a medium and a small mixing bowl. The reason you want the finished batter in the small bowl is that the level of the batter will be high enough that you can fully submerge the little smokie sausages. Otherwise, it might be too shallow and you will have to resort to basting the sausages with the batter, which is far less effective.

Prior to dunking the little smokies in the batter, pat each one dry. This will keep the batter from slipping right off. It will cling better to a dry little smokie than a wet one.

Pan Frying Safety

Cooking with hot oil is always a challenge in safety. Be advised that the oil will crack and pop and splatter as you cook. Because this is such a potentially dangerous cooking method, keep children out of range and exercise great caution whenever you make these delicious tiny corn dogs.

Use a Slotted Spoon or Strainer

To lower your batter-dipped little smokies in the fryer or pan use a long-handled utensil. Gently let the smokies roll out of the spoon or strainer once submerged. Don’t drop the smokies into the batter or it will splash searing hot oil.

Make sure the spoon you use has slots or holes so that when you carefully lift the finished corn dogs out of the frying pan, the oil can run out of the spoon and you can transfer the corn dogs without dripping.

Use Oven Mitts

As you stand near the stove waiting for your little smokie corn dogs to fry, there may be some hot oil drops splattering out of the pan. Be sure to remain clear of any splashing oil and use protective gear as you reach in to move the sausages in the oil as they fry. Leave them alone while they are submerged unless necessary and don’t fry too many little smokies at once.

When you do have to get yourself over the pan to retrieve or adjust the corn dogs, use oven mitts or other protection to keep your hands safe splattering oil.

The Right Amount

Be careful not to overpopulate your frying pan with too many corn dogs. The more you put in the oil, the longer it will take any of them to reach the golden brown hue you’re looking for. It also takes too long if you don’t put enough in. Put in enough so that each corn dog has plenty of room around it.

Storage

Little smokie corn dogs are easy to make and easy to freeze. You can store them in the freezer for weeks and reheat them whenever you want. However, once you make the batter, you should make the corn dogs immediately. The batter doesn’t store well because after about a day the baking powder will lose its leavening properties and the corn dogs will not turn out as planned.

Ingredients needed to make Little Smokie Corn Dogs

• Little smokies
• Vegetable oil
• Corn Meal
• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Slap Ya Mama
• Salt
• Egg
• Buttermilk
• Vegetable Oil

(Actual measurements in the recipe card below.)

How to make Little Smokie Corn Dogs

1. Heat oil to 375º in a medium heavy bottom pan or deep fryer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.
3. In a small bowl, mix egg, buttermilk, and oil together and add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened.
4. Prior to dipping the little smokies, dry off each one with a paper towel.
5. Dip each little smokie into matter, cover completely, then add to hot oil with a slotted spoon.
6. Fry until golden brown on all sides, remove, and place on a plate layered with paper towels.

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