Earlier in the week I shared a recipe for Spam Hash and Grits, because I stocked up on said canned product during the grocery shopping craze when all this madness began. Of course, now I’m left with all this Spam and I’m running out of ideas on how to cook it up. The classic pan fried with eggs is good yes, but you can only take so much before things get a little boring. Spam fried rice is also yesterday’s news. So I thought it would be a great idea to share some new and exciting Spam recipes on this here blog. I don’t know about any of you, but I’ve now entered the phase of this quarantine where all I really want is some good ol’ trusty comfort food. Some fun grub that just hits the spot, without taking too much time to make. That’s where these Spam Corn Dogs come in. They’re fun. They’re exciting. They’re out of this world. And they’re just what we need during all this craziness. Trust me.
You’ll want to remove the spam from the can in one piece and then cut it into six even logs. I find it best to cut it in half and then each half in threes, lengthwise. Then insert a wooden popsicle stick into each log.
**Note: I’m using two cans of Spam for this recipe to end up with twelve little corn dogs, you can of course just do one can if that’s all you have or if you just want six corn dogs. Also, I always buy the lower-sodium Spam because the regular is too salty for me!**
Let’s get to the batter now. It’s a simple recipe, which you can do all by hand which is great. I use this recipe from my bacon, jalapeño cheddar corn dogs post but just omit the bacon, jalapeño and cheddar from the batter! In a large bowl whisk together 3/4 cup of the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
**Note: I added a small pinch of cayenne pepper (you can do paprika as well) for the tiniest kick and flavor to the batter. It’s optional but a tasty option for you.**
Pour in the buttermilk and lightly beaten eggs and whisk until evenly combined and smooth.
**Note: It’s important to not over-work the batter at this stage or you’ll end up with a dry and tough cornbread in our corn dogs and that’s definitely not what we’re looking for.**
To make the entire corn dog making process easier, I highly recommend pouring the batter into a tall drinking glass. I know it might seem crazy, but it’s a great trick to dunk the corn dogs into the batter in one swoop, making it easier to fully coat evenly without making a mess!
To ensure that the cornbread batter actually stays on your corn dogs and doesn’t just slide off during the frying, it’s best to to coat the Spam with a bit of flour before dunking into the batter. Dredge the skewered Spam pieces in flour and dust to shake excess. Then, working with one at a time, dip into the glass filled with the corn batter. Lift and dunk again to fully coat.
Fill a large pot halfway up vegetable oil and heat to 360°F, monitoring it with a deep-fry or candy thermometer. Make sure you keep the temp consistent throughout the frying.
**Note: I know I say a large pot and I’m showing a small pot, but that’s because I’m lazy and would much rather fry in lots of batches instead of doing it in a bigger pot and then having to deal with all that oil. If you’re like me, you can do it in a small pot as well.**
Once hot, carefully lay the coated corn dogs into the hot oil. Cook about three at a time so you don’t overcrowd the pot. Fry until golden brown all around, about 4 to 6 minutes, turning halfway. Drain excess oil with a slotted spoon or a pair of thongs. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to catch grease. Transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Continue frying until all the corn dogs are cooked.
**Note: Once all are done frying, place the baking sheet in the oven to rewarm and get them crispy before eating.**
If you don’t have Spam on hand, or you’re not a fan of it, you can of course use this recipe for a good ol’ fashioned regular corn dog with hot dog wieners instead! Or a tofu dog would work too, if you’re a vegetarian.
These are great to make ahead and keep in the freezer. Once fried, allow to cool completely before transferring to a large freezer food storage bag and storing. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To rewarm, just lay on a baking sheet, lined with foil or parchment, and warm up in a 350°F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve them with ketchup and spicy mustard on the side for dipping, or whatever your favorite dipping sauce of choice is. The world is your oyster. A spicy sriracha mayo (sriracha mixed with store-bought mayo) would go so well with the Spam as well.
If you’re a giant fan of Spam, like me, and you’re wanting something fun and indulgent during these times, then I highly recommend these Spam Corn Dogs. They’re over the top, unnecessary but oh so good. I can’t recommend them enough. The best part is that there aren’t that many ingredients and it takes no time at all to put together! Stay safe my friends!
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 (12-ounce) cans low-sodium Spam
- vegetable oil for frying
- Ketchup, for serving
- Mustard, for serving
- In a large bowl whisk together ¾ cup of the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the buttermilk and lightly beaten eggs. Mix until evenly combined and smooth. Pour into a tall drinking glass and set aside.
- Cut the Spam into twelve even logs. Skewer the logs with a thin popsicle stick. Dredge the skewered Spam pieces in flour and dust to shake excess. Then, working with one at a time, dip into the glass filled with the corn batter. Lift and dunk again to fully coat.
- Fill a large pot halfway up vegetable oil and heat to 360°F, monitoring it with a deep-fry or candy thermometer.
- Once hot, carefully lay the coated corn dogs into the hot oil. Cook about three at a time so you don't overcrowd the pot. Fry until golden brown all around, about 4 to 6 minutes, turning halfway. Drain excess oil with a slotted spoon or a pair of thongs. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to catch grease. Transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Continue frying until all the corn dogs are cooked. Place the baking sheet in the oven to rewarm and get them crispy before eating. Serve with mustard and ketchup on the side for dunking. Enjoy!
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