If you love hot dogs, and want to impress friends and family this Memorial Day weekend, we’ve got five hot dog recipes from around the country that put a gourmet spin on the classic backyard barbecue fare. Here are five fun ways chefs prepare hot dogs.
Hawaiian Hot Dog
A bacon-wrapped frank is juxtaposed with a sweet, fresh pineapple slaw in this Hawaiian-style hot dog courtesy of Char-Broil. A tip from the grill pros at Char-Broil: When you’re wrapping bacon around your hot dogs, wipe the dogs of any moisture from the package. This will help the bacon stick to the hot dog.
Ingredients:
For the hot dogs:
- 8 all-beef hot dogs
- 8 strips of bacon
- 8 Hawaiian-style hot dog buns
For the pineapple slaw:
- 1 1/2 cups diced pineapple
- 1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 whole lime
Directions:
- While charcoal is starting, wrap hot dogs in bacon. Place on a plate and store in the fridge until ready to grill.
- For the pineapple slaw: In a mixing bowl, add pineapple, shredded green cabbage, shredded red cabbage, and chopped cilantro (you can also add chopped jalapeño). Squeeze in lime juice and stir. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Place bacon-wrapped hot dogs over direct heat, turning about 2-3 minutes until bacon is fully cooked.
- To serve, place bacon-wrapped hot dog in bun, then top with a heaping spoonful of pineapple slaw.
Mac-and-Cheese-Topped Dog
This hot dog, dubbed the MacDill Dog courtesy of the chefs at Datz, a gastropub and deli in Tampa, Florida, gives an indulgent upgrade to two childhood classics: hot dogs and mac and cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 16-ounce elbow pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounces mixed cheeses: shredded sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, American
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut up into chunks
- 1 pound bacon
- 5 sliced jalapeños
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta al dente. Drain when cooked.
- Cook bacon in a large pan. Remove from the pan and dice.
- In the same pan that you cooked the bacon, add jalapeños and sauté a couple of minutes to soften them. Remove jalapeños from pan and mix with bacon.
- In a medium pan, melt butter and add milk.
- Add cheeses and continue to heat over medium heat, stirring, until cheese is melted and combined. Combine the pasta, cheese, bacon, and jalapeños.
- Top generously on a beef frank sandwiched between a hoagie bun.
Breakfast Hot Dog
Go ahead, cheat on bacon this weekend. San Diego-based Breakfast Republic proves that hot dogs are worthy contenders at the breakfast table, too. Note, this recipe makes two hot dogs so adjust as needed.
Ingredients:
- 2 strips of bacon
- 2 beef hot dogs
- 2 hot dog buns
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 yellow onion
- 1/4 red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup red sauce (such as a tomato/guajillo sauce)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Directions:
- Wrap one bacon strip around each hot dog tightly. Place on the griddle and cook until bacon is crispy and sausage is hot. Toast buns.
- Cut onions and bell peppers into julienne. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté both veggies until cooked. Pour in red sauce followed by heavy cream and cheese. Mix well and cook until cheese has melted.
- On a non-stick skillet, heat oil and cook eggs any style.
- Assemble by placing hot dogs inside the buns. Cover with the sauce mix and top with eggs.
- Garnish with some green onions.
Vegan Currywurst
Hot dogs get a vegan makeover with this Vegan Currywurst courtesy of Blatt Beer & Table in Dallas. This recipe makes a batch of eight.
Tools needed:
- Steaming Pot
- 8 12” x 12” sheets of tin foil
Ingredients:
Wet:
- 4 ounces canned pinto beans (about 1/2 can), drained and thoroughly smashed
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 1/4 cups water
Dry:
- 10 ounces vital wheat gluten
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
Spices:
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/4 tablespoons Madras curry powder
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed
- 3/4 teaspoons oregano
- 3/4 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/4 tablespoons kosher salt
Directions:
- Combine wet ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Do the same for the dry ingredients.
- Heat canola oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add all of the spices and toast them, taking care not to burn. Add the toasted spices to the wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients, kneading well until all ingredients are incorporated. Dough should be firm, not sticky.
- Divide the dough into even pieces and roll to form 6-inch logs. Wrap each separately in tin foil, twisting the side ends tightly in opposite directions. Add water to your steamer and bring to a boil.
- Place wrapped currywursts into the basket, cover, and cook for 25 minutes or until they are firm to the touch. Meanwhile, prepare a large pot of water to boil. To finish, unwrap currywursts and place in boiling water for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Remove your currywursts from the water and serve warm. The chefs recommend serving them in a pretzel bun with sauerkraut and a fancy mustard.
Mini Kobe Dogs in a Blanket with Champagne Mustard Sauce
This twist on pigs in a blanket gets the steakhouse treatment with Kobe beef, puff pastry, and a simple-to-make dipping sauce, all courtesy of Executive Chef Ian Lynch of the Cowford Chophouse in Jacksonville, Florida. Bonus: The leftover sauce will keep for a week, so you can slather it on burgers, sandwiches, and wraps.
Ingredients:
- Kobe beef hot dogs (cut into 3 equal, 3-inch pieces)
- Puff pastry (cut into 3” x 6” strips)
- 3 egg yolks mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough. Brush egg wash all over dough.
- Place hot dog pieces at one edge of dough strip, then roll pastry dough around the hot dog.
- Cut off excess dough with a knife, then pinch the ends together.
- Place on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.
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Brittany Anas is a freelance writer who specializes in health, fitness, and travel writing. She also contributes to Men’s Journal, Women’s Health, Trip Savvy, Simplemost, Orbitz, and Eat This, Not That! She spent a decade working at daily newspapers, including The Denver Post and the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, and she is a former federal background investigator. In her free time, Brittany enjoys hiking with her gremlin-pot belly pig mix that the rescue described as a “Boston Terrier” and coaching youth basketball. She also works with domestic abuse survivors, helping them regain financial stability through career coaching. Follower her on Twitter and Instagram.
