The Best Frozen Corn Dogs

If frozen corn dogs aren’t currently on your grocery list, they should be. Because the best frozen corn dogs are so, so good. They’re a little taste of a carnival that you can have at any time. Corn dogs are sweet and salty and filled with mysterious meat (it’s mostly chicken). And you can even get frozen mini corn dogs now, so no more excuses about how corn dogs are too big to count as a snack.

Over the course of two taste tests, we tried 12 different frozen corn dog brands. We tasted classic corn dogs, sweet and savory corn dogs, frozen mini corn dogs, and even frozen breakfast corn dogs (yep, to quote Seinfeld, they’re real and they’re spectacular). Here’s what we looked for in the best frozen corn dogs: moisture, meatiness, and a sweet corn flavor. We also wanted the right ratio of batter to dog—there shouldn’t be too much of either. We prepped these in either the microwave or the toaster oven—but if you have an airfryer, by all means, air fry frozen corn dogs for the crunchiest coating. We also tried these all naked—that is to say, without any condiments. We were wearing clothes the whole time, we promise. But if you’re looking for the best mustard or the best ketchup for dipping, we’ve got you covered. 

Here are the best frozen corn dogs, frozen mini corn dogs, frozen veggie corn dogs, and frozen breakfast corn dogs you can buy.

Best Veggie

Morning Star Veggie Corn Dogs are chewy, wheaty, and soft. This is a great vegetarian frozen corn dog option, presuming you’re someone who has gone vegetarian but desperately misses the corn dog experience. Quite honestly, I enjoyed the sweet nuttiness of the wheat and cornmeal batter. Corn dogs are just an amalgamation of “meat” and breading anyway, and Morningstar recreates that aesthetic pretty darn well. Eat it with some mustard and you won’t know the difference. —Danny Palumbo 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Mini Corn Dogs

These frozen mini corn dogs are made with chicken instead of beef (like most of the frozen corn dogs on this list). The mini dogs are savory and tender, but the real star is the batter, which crisps up nicely if you pop them in the toaster oven, oven, or air fryer, and really tastes like corn. If you’re wondering how mini they actually are, I’d say they’re between one and two bites, depending on mouth size. (I needed two bites.) Serve these up as party snacks instead of pigs in blankets with the dip of your choosing. Personally, I’d opt for a grainy mustard or a spicy Bitchin’ Sauce. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best for Breakfast

Although this doesn’t say “corn dog” on it, this meets all the criteria: It’s a battered stick of mystery meat on a stick. It is a frozen breakfast corn dog. It’s like a McGriddle in convenient tube form. It’s greasy and peppery, and if I was hungover, I would absolutely smash two of these back to back. I don’t think you should eat these for breakfast too often if you want to live a long, healthy life, but there’s something so delicious about eating a pancake and sausage together that I might try it the next time I go to a diner. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Budget

This frozen corn dog was the juiciest corn dog by a mile. I can only imagine what goes on in the factory that makes corn dogs that cost $3.98 a box, but if you close your eyes and just barrel through that thought, I’m sure you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised. True to the corn dog aesthetic, it’s rather difficult to suss out what animal this even came from. It’s chicken—but the flavor is primarily salty and mildly meaty. Like many Great Value products from Walmart, this is a great budget buy. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Budget Breakfast

Sometimes, Aldi really knocks it out of the park and when they do, customers reap all the benefits. These Aldi brand frozen breakfast corn dogs are nearly half the price of Jimmy Dean’s and you get almost as many in a box. And they are so, so good—though they aren’t as sweet as Jimmy Dean’s, so if you’re looking for the real McGriddle experience, spring for those. The coating on these frozen breakfast corn dogs is closer to actual corn dog batter than pancake batter. It gets nice and crispy in the toaster oven and there’s just a hint of maple flavor. The sausage inside is super savory and just greasy enough. You absolutely should not start your day with one of these but also, yes, you definitely should. Just go back to bed afterwards; your day won’t get any better. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc / Aldi

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Beef

The hot dog in this frozen corn dog is plump and juicy, and it has a mild savory flavor that we expect from a good hot dog. Applegate excels at providing a quality meat product (they make some of the best turkey dogs and the best breakfast sausage), and their corn dog is no different. I was also in love with the batter, which features a wonderful blend of spices, including garlic, onion, nutmeg oil, celery powder, and paprika. It’s sweet in a subtle way and really complements the beef-forward flavor of the dog. Applegate is a green-facing, organic brand with a focus on animal welfare, although I’m not sure how to really substantiate most of their claims (they’re also owned by Hormel). But based on taste alone, Applegate makes some of the best corn dogs. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

This frozen corn dog kind of blew me away. Foster Farms proves that a frozen corn dog doesn’t have to be all-beef to be a stellar product. This chicken corn dog is juicy, sweet, and meaty with a delightfully soft, puffy texture. The honey gives the dog a candied flavor, and the corn-forward taste of the batter is buttery yet vegetal, almost like grits. I microwaved this frozen corn dog and the singular texture of a soft hot dog and the soft cornmeal batter is what makes this such a heavenly experience. My colleague, Justine Sterling, cooked one in the toaster oven and found that the coating gets super crispy while the dog stays juicy. However you like your corn dogs—soft or crispy—Foster Farms makes the best frozen corn dogs for your money. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: Field Roast Mini Corn Dogs, Bar S Classic Corn Dogs, State Fair 100% Beef Corn Dogs, Bar S Beef Corn Dogs, State Fair Classic Corn Dogs, Foster Farms Mini Corn Dogs Honey Crunchy, Bremmer Corn Dogs

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