Easy, fun, and DELICIOUS carnival-style dogs that are perfect for parties and Football Sundays! Just enjoy and make it a Sunday Funday!
This crazy concoction was a bit of a last minute thought and experiment that worked so well, and tasted SO GOOD, that we ended up having them TWICE!
I had set out to create just a battered hotdog placed into a bun, (most likely piled with everything but the kitchen sink), ….and then thought….why not just batter the whole dang thing, and well, I went for it! I figured that if it didn’t work, I would still have 7 buns and dogs left to play with, so what the heck, right?
Luckily, it worked! TOO well!! Now I’m spoiled on them and don’t know if I ever want a regular ol’ hotdog in a bun again!
So, let’s just get right to this, because, seriously, you’re really going to want to make these!!
This recipe starts off with just a very simply seasoned beer batter and a few regular, store-bought hotdogs!
Since I was going to be deep-frying, I decided to cook them using an old diner trick….
…I fried them right in the cooking oil! That’s right. Right in the oil. Though there’s a diner in New Jersey that claims fame to this, this method has been used for MANY, many years and you can cook them as little or long as you want according to how “crackled” you want them!
I only did ours for maybe 30 seconds for a light to medium crackle. And afterwards I used a small mesh strainer to remove any brown bits left in the oil.
*Just remember to roll them up in paper towel before frying to remove any water on the outside, as water/juices and oil don’t mix! You don’t want the oil to pop wildly or possibly boil over.
Next, choose a bun that’s not too big, is equal in length to the hotdog, and a size that you know will more than fit comfortably in the pan or pot that you’ll be using.
I went with some split-top buns that I had hanging around!
I opened them up widely, and the split top really worked well to form a little cradle for the pepper jack cheese….
…and the fried, “crackled” dogs going in!
I then just lightly squished the sides back up so that it would all hold together a bit.
Next, and sorry that I forgot to get a picture, but my hands got really messy anyways!, I placed one into the batter, rolled it over a few times to coat it well, ….
…and carefully placed it into the hot oil.
…and holy cow!!! It really worked!! I mean, it REALLY worked well!
Just look how gorgeous it turned out!! I couldn’t wait to do the second one, because this was just TOO much FUN!!
And while I was frying the second one, I thought I’d add a bit of the leftover grated cheese to the top of the first one that was still really hot.
It melted beautifully on top, but, honestly, it didn’t really need it. So, I’d say to just skip doing this. The cheese inside was more than plenty.
Lastly, were the condiments!
I really wanted to make these extra fun, and change up the usual suspects of just ketchup, mustard, relish and onion.
These dogs were just too cool for that!! So I drizzled them with yellow mustard, sriracha, and my homemade Alabama White Lightning Barbecue Sauce!
And…OH. MY. GAWD. The combination of those sauces were PERFECT.
And just to add a little more kick and make them pretty, I topped them with just a couple of pickled jalapeño slices!
I swear to you, I could’ve sold these puppies on the street!! They were THAT tasty!!
And with SO FEW ingredients that I already had, and I’m sure you do, too, right on hand!
The hotdog, an all-beef angus dog, was hot and juicy….
…the cheese was perfectly melty inside….
…and the outside batter crisped up BEAUTIFULLY. Delicately crunchy on the outside, and the inside was soft and puffy, and not a bit greasy!
Don’t you want to just pick it right up and take a big ol’ bite, too?
Right?! Well, you CAN!!
Have your friends and fam over this weekend, whip up these Sunday Funday Carnival Dogs, and put your phones and social media away. Enjoy everyone’s company playing cards and board games, watching football, or just sit out on the patio and talk!
It’s time we all got together again, and remembered just how important each of us are to one another! Hope you all enjoy, and most importantly, just have a fun day!
*One of the condiments used in this recipe is my Alabama White Lightning BBQ Sauce.
Sunday Funday Carnival Dogs
Incredibly fun and easy carnival-style dogs great for parties and Football Sundays!
Ingredients
For Batter:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup Indian Stoneground Cornmeal
- 2 eggs, beaten before adding
- 2 cups light beer
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 - 2 tsp. Goya Seasoned Salt, to taste
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
Rest of Ingredients:
- 1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
- 4 hotdogs
- 4 split top or regular hotdog buns
- mustard
- sriracha
- my homemade White Lightning Alabama Sauce
- pickled jalapeños
- canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying
Instructions
In a dutch oven or very deep saucepan, fill pot with enough oil that it will cover the filled and battered dog by an extra inch, leaving at least 2 inches from the top of the pot. Start heating over medium to medium-low heat for a regular deep-frying temperature.
In a medium-sized bowl, add dry ingredients for batter. Whisk to mix. Beat eggs and add, add beer, then whisk, stirring, until mixed. Set aside. Grate co-jack cheese, cover, set aside.
When oil is hot, deep-fry dried off hotdogs briefly to lightly crisp up, place onto a rack placed over a baking sheet.
Open split-top rolls and fill bottom with some grated pepper jack cheese. Place hotdog on top, close bun around dog and cheese. Place into batter and turn several times, rolling, to coat well. Place one into the hot oil and fry, turning to evenly fry, until outside is lightly crispy and nicely golden browned. (*Should take anywhere from 7 - 10 minutes depending on how hot your oil is.) Remove with tongs to a layer of paper towels placed on end of rack, roll to absorb any excess grease, then move to open side of rack to rest. Continue frying as many dogs as you want.
When cooled a bit, place onto a plate, drizzle with mustard, sriracha, and my homemade Alabama sauce. Top with a few slices of pickled jalapeño rings, serve hot, and ENJOY!
Notes
If you're only making a few and have leftover batter, it works really well for onion rings and other fried vegetables! Easy built-in side dish!