A corn dog (also spelled corndog and also known by
several other names) is a
hot dog
A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...
on a stick that has been coated in a thick layer of
cornmeal
Maize meal is a meal (coarse flour) ground from dried maize. It is a common staple food and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but it is not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', Third Editi ...
batter and
deep fried. It originated in the United States and is commonly found in
American cuisine
American cuisine consists of the cooking style and traditional dishes prepared in the United States. It has been significantly influenced by Europeans, Indigenous Americans, Africans, Latin Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and many other ...
.
Name variations
In Canada, corn dogs are often called "Pogos" after the popular brand produced by
Conagra
Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
.
In Australia, where they have become a popular food at agricultural shows and carnivals, they are known as either "Pluto pups", "Dagwood dogs", "dippy dogs" or (historically) "pronto pups".
The name "Pluto pup" likely derives from the
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
character
Pluto
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...
, who is a dog.
"Dagwood dog" is derived from the name of a character from the American comic strip ''
Blondie'', which was created in 1930. In the comic strip, Dagwood, Blondie's husband, has a dog named Daisy.
Historically, the name "pronto pup" was originally used as a brand name in the United States in 1941, although this name had become obsolete as early as 1949 and was replaced by the name "Pluto pup".
Some have suggested that Pluto pups are made in factories, while Dagwood dogs are prepared on site.
In France, the term is used, which literally translates to "sausage donut".
In Japanese, the most common name for them is .
In New Zealand, the name "hot dog" or "mini hot dog" is often used.
History
German immigrants in Texas, who were sausage-makers finding resistance to the sausages they used to make, have been credited with introducing the corn dog to the United States, though the serving stick came later. A US patent filed in 1927, granted in 1929, for a ''Combined Dipping, Cooking, and Article Holding Apparatus'', describes corn dogs, among other fried food impaled on a stick; it reads in part:
A "Krusty Korn Dog" baker machine appeared in the 1926 Albert Pick-Barth wholesale catalog of hotel and restaurant supplies. The 'korn dogs' were baked in a corn batter and resembled ears of corn when cooked.
A number of current corn dog vendors claim responsibility for the invention and/or popularization of the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher lay such a claim, having introduced their "Corny Dogs" at the
State Fair of Texas sometime between 1938 and 1942.
Pronto Pup of
Rockaway Beach, Oregon, claims to have invented the corn dog in 1939.
Cozy Dog Drive-in, in
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...
, 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
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
.
Preparation
Corn dogs are often served as
street food
Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
or as fast food. For the best and freshest preparation, some vendors or restaurateurs dip and fry their corn dogs just before serving. Some corn dog purveyors sell pre-made frozen corn dogs, which are then thawed and fried again, or browned in an oven.
Corn dogs can also be found at almost any supermarket and
convenience store
A convenience store, convenience shop, bakkal, bodega, corner store, corner shop, superette or mini-mart is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lotter ...
in North America as frozen foods as well as served hot and ready to eat. Pre-made frozen corn dogs can also be heated in a
microwave oven
A microwave oven, or simply microwave, is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces Dipole#Molecular dipoles, polar molecules in the food to rotate and ...
, but the
cornbread
Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are st ...
coating will lack crisp texture.
Variations
One cheesy variation is prepared either with melted cheese between the
hot dog
A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...
and the breading or by using a cheese-filled hot dog.
Another version is the "cornbrat" (or "corn brat"), which is a corn dog made with
bratwurst
''Bratwurst'' () is a type of German sausage made from pork or, less commonly, beef or veal. The name is derived from the Old High German , from , finely chopped meat, and , sausage, although in modern German it is often associated with the ver ...
instead of a
wiener or
hot dog
A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...
.

Small corn dogs, known as "corn puppies", "mini corn dogs", or "corn dog nuggets", are a variation served in some restaurants, generally on the children's menu or at fast food establishments. A serving includes multiple pieces, usually 10. In contrast to their larger counterparts, corn puppies are normally served stickless as
finger food
Finger foods are small, individual portions of food that are eaten out of hand. They are often served at social events. The ideal finger food usually does not create any mess (such as crumbs or drips), but this criterion is often overlooked in o ...
.
A breakfast version of the corn dog features a
breakfast sausage in place of the hot dog, and pancake batter in place of the cornmeal. This variation is commonly called a "pancake on a stick". It was formerly served by the drive-in restaurant
Sonic
Sonic or Sonics may refer to:
Companies
*Sonic Drive-In, an American drive-in, fast-food restaurant chain
* Sonic (ISP), an Internet provider CLEC, serving more than 100 California communities
* Sonic Foundry, a computer software company whic ...
, but it is now made by companies such as
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean (brand), Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV comm ...
.
Both vegetarian corn dogs and corn dog nuggets are made as meatless alternatives by many of the same companies that produce
vegetarian hot dogs.
By country
Argentina

In Argentina, a ''panchuker'' (or ''panchuque'', ''pancho chino'') is a hot
snack
A snack is a small portion of Human food, food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including Food packaging, packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at ho ...
that can be bought near some
train stations and in some places of heavy pedestrian transit. They are more popular in the inner country cities. A panchuker consists of a sausage covered with a
waffle
A waffle is a dish made from leavened Batter (cooking), batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape, and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron ...
-like pastry, and has a stick in it (like a corn dog) so that it can be easily consumed. Some versions contain cheese, and sauces may be served to accompany them. Some variations may be found in Uruguay and other South American countries. Generally, panchukers are offered as a low-price fast food and can only be seen at certain places of the inner country—like the cities of
La Plata
La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. According to the 2022 Argentina census, census, the La Plata Partido, Partido has a population of 772,618 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 938,287 inhabit ...
, Villa Albertina, and
Cipoletti —and, in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, they can be found in
Barrio Chino and
Belgrano. They are particularly popular in certain regions in the Northwest, such as the
province of Tucumán.
Australia
In Australia, a hot dog sausage on a stick, deep-fried in batter, is known as a Dagwood Dog, Pluto Pup, or Dippy Dog, depending on region. Variants use wheat-based or corn-based batters. These are not to be confused with the Australian
battered sav, a
saveloy deep fried in a wheat flour-based batter, as used for fish and chips, which generally does not contain cornmeal.
They are popular at agricultural shows and carnivals, such as the
Sydney Royal Easter Show
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, commonly shortened to The Easter Show or The Show, is an annual show held in Sydney, Australia over two weeks around the Easter period. First held in 1823, it comprises an agricultural show, an amusement park and a ...
.
Canada
In Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador, a battered hot dog on a stick is called a "pogo" and is traditionally eaten with
ordinary yellow mustard, sometimes referred to as "ballpark mustard". The rest of Canada refers to them by the non-trademarked term "corn dog".
It is named after the trademarked name of a
Conagra
Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
frozen product available in all of the country since the 1960s but whose main market is the province of
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
.
Japan
In Japan, the equivalent food is usually called an based on the idea of where the food is believed to originate. The batter is usually made with
wheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...
, and
fish sausage may be used. In eastern regions of Hokkaido, a variant with
granulated sugar instead of usual ketchup topping is called .
New Zealand
A New Zealand Hot Dog is invariably a deep-fried battered
saveloy or pre-cooked sausage on a stick that is then usually dipped in tomato sauce (ketchup). The saveloy or sausage used is thicker than a frankfurter, and is coated in a thinner batter layer than American corn dogs. The batter can be cornmeal based or corn flour based. The distinction is not particularly important. The sausage in a bun that is called a hot dog in other countries is known as an "American Hot Dog" and is usually available at the same locations. If a further descriptor is needed to avoid confusion between the two, the New Zealand standard hot dog can be described as a hot dog on a stick.
South Africa
In South Africa, a corn dog is a popular cafe/fair food. A corn dog is usually called "
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...
" in the Afrikaans language. It is usually served with a sweet pink sauce made from a mixture of mayonnaise, tomato sauce and condensed milk.
South Korea

In South Korea, a corn dog is one of the most popular street foods. A corn dog is usually called "hot dog" in the Korean language (), creating confusion with a genuine hot dog. A French fry–encrusted corn dog, or "Kogo," has especially attracted the attention of Western visitors, including
vegans
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a vega ...
(using vegan hot dogs).
Annual celebration
National Corndog Day is a celebration of the corn dog,
tater tots
Tater tots are grated potato formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish. "Tater" is a dialect form of the word ''potato''. The name "tater tot" is a registered trademark of the American frozen food company Ore-Ida, b ...
, and
American beer
In the United States, beer is manufactured in breweries which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. The United States produced 196 million Barrel (unit)#Fluid barrel in the US and UK, barrels () of beer in 2012, ...
that occurs on the first Saturday of
March Madness
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
every year.
Gallery
File:Corn dog with mustard.jpg, A corn dog with mustard
File:US Navy 040703-N-3986D-034 Electrician's Mate Fireman Noel Martinez of Patterson, N.J., places corn dogs on a tray to be baked in the galley aboard USS George Washington CVN 73.jpg, A sailor aboard the USS ''George Washington'' places corn dogs on a tray to be baked in the galley
A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
File:Corn dogs in Japan Feb 15 2019 09-51PM.jpeg, Corn dogs heating up at a Japanese convenience store
File:Texas State Fair corny dogs.jpg, "Corny dogs" being eaten at the State Fair of Texas
File:Tornado corn dogs.jpg, Tornado corn dogs sold in Korea
File:Ciudad de México - Colonia Industrial 2583.jpg, Corn dogs from a Christmas ''tianguis'' in the streets of ''Colonia Industrial'', Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
File:Corn dog, Poznan.jpg, A corn dog served with horseradish sauce in Poznań
Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
File:Korean corn dog & fried dumplings - KOGI to-go Korean kitchen.jpg, Korean-style corn dog that is half cheese, half sausage, and coated in sugar
File:Vegan Corn Dog.jpg, Corn dogs with vegan cheese (left) and vegan sausage (right) at a German Christmas Market
A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many countries. Some in the U.S. have Phono-semantic matching, adapted ...
in Leipzig
Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
See also
*
Bagel dog
*
Battered sausage
*
Hot dog variations
*
Hushpuppy
*
Pepperoni roll
*
Pigs in a blanket
In the United States, pigs in a blanket are small hot dogs or other sausages individually wrapped in pastry. It is commonly served as an appetizer.
Ingredients and preparation
In the United States the term "pigs in a blanket" typically refer ...
*
Pronto Pup
*
Sausage roll
*
Saveloy
*
Toad in the hole
Toad in the hole is a traditional British dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables. Historically, the dish has also been prepared using other meats, such as rump steak and lamb's k ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corn Dog
Hot dogs
Deep fried foods
Skewered foods
Maize dishes
Cuisine of the Southern United States
Frozen food
American meat dishes
Texan cuisine
Australian cuisine