7 Hot Dogs To Make at Your Next Cookout

Is there anything more iconic than the classic hot dog? Served at virtually every cookout, baseball game, and gas station, the hot dog is an American staple. 

Quick to make and not to mention cheap! Maybe that’s why we love them so much. Or is it the blank canvas the hot dog provides for endless toppings? Whatever the reason, hot dogs are here and here to stay.

Be sure to read until the end where I’ve included some tips on the best types of dog and bun to use to elevate your hot dog game.

Our best hot dog recipes

I want to show you six hot dogs ranging from the classic American to Chicago and the Sonoran which hails from Arizona.

1. The American hot dog

Let’s start off with the classic American. It’s the go to for most people, the one we’ve grown up with and chances are you have all the condiments in your fridge already.

First grill your hot dog until it’s cooked all the way through. Place the dog into your bun and add your toppings, ketchup, mustard, and the optional relish. 

• Prep Time: none
• Cook time: 8 minutes 
• Total time: 8 minutes 

2. Bacon wrapped hot dogs

This recipe for Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs is a delicious twist on a classic favorite. It combines the smoky goodness of bacon with juicy hot dogs, resulting in a flavor-packed dish.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes

3. The New York hot dog 

The New York hot dog can be found from food vendors on many street corners and the dogs are usually boiled not grilled. It is normally made with some kind of onion sauce with ketchup and then topped with spicy mustard. Sauerkraut is optional as well. 

First, heat some oil in a pan over low heat. Add in sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in ¼ cup of water, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally until onions are completely soft. 

Place the dog into the bun, add the onions and the spicy mustard. 

• Prep Time: 15 minutes (onion sauce)
• Cook time: 8 minutes 
• Total time: 23 minutes 

4. The Chicago hot dog 

The Chicago style dog is served at many baseball games and of course, originating from Chicago is loaded with toppings. Normally boiled, we decided to grill this dog to add some more flavor. 

After you add the hot dog to the poppy seed bun, pile on the toppings in this order: mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt. The tomato wedges should be tucked in on one side and the pickle spear on the other.

Absolutely under no circumstances add ketchup unless you want to start a fight! 

• Prep Time: none
• Cook time: 8 minutes 
• Total time: 8 minutes 

5. The Sonoran hot dog

This recipe is more popular in the southwest.  Some say it was invented in Sonora, Mexico while others claim it came from Tucson, Arizona. There are a few variations of this Tex Mex Style dog but here’s the deal. 

Wrap your hot dog in bacon and grill it. If you need to secure the bacon with toothpicks that’s ok. Just remove before serving.

Next, smear some refried beans onto the inside of the bun and place the dog in. Finish by adding the following toppings: diced red onion, avocado, tomato, pickled jalapeños, zesty mayo, and cilantro.

For the zesty mayo, you can make it using ¼ cup of mayo, 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, and juice of 1 lime. 

• Prep Time: 5 minutes (to make Zesty mayo) 
• Cook time: 8 minutes 
• Total time: 13 minutes 

6. The Chili Cheese dog

No one really knows where this hot dog originated from. If you google it, you will get answers ranging from Coney Island, New York to Los Angeles, California, and even Germany. 

It can be found all over the country from gas stations to sporting events and everywhere in between.

It is a grilled hot dog topped with chili, shredded cheddar cheese, and some diced white onion. 

• Prep Time: 5 minutes (to heat up canned chili) 
• Cook time: 8 minutes 
• Total time: 13 minutes 

7. The Smoked BBQ dog

If you’ve made it this far here’s the bonus dog! This is our signature dog we’re calling the smoked bbq dog.

First, we season the hot dog with a bbq rub, then smoke it at 225°F for about an hour. If you find the hot dog starts to split too much take it off the smoker.

After you place the dog into the bun top it with chopped warmed brisket, bbq sauce, pickled onions, and jalapeños for the ultimate bbq lover’s hotdog.

Let us know what you think of this one! 

• Prep Time: 5 minutes (To chop up and heat up brisket in a skillet ) 
• Cook time: 8 minutes 
• Total time: 13 minutes 

Choosing the right type of hot dogs and buns 

There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing hot dogs and buns. You’ll need to experiment with different combinations but I’ll give you my preferences.

What meat makes the best hot dog

In the grocery store, you will see many different kinds of dogs including beef, pork, turkey and chicken.

Beef hot dogs are the most common and the ones I personally like the most. You can get them in either kosher or franks. Franks are strongly seasoned and kosher is often heavily seasoned with garlic. 

Pork is another common type of meat used in classic hot dogs. For these types of hot dogs, the meat is taken off the animal’s bones using meat recovery machinery. In this process, a machine separates the edible parts from the inedible without crushing the bones.

Chicken is not as common but a great option if you want to save on calories and fat. They are dense and still have great protein making it a great alternative and a flavorful option.  

If you’re keen to try your hand at making your own smoked hot dogs give our recipe a go, it is a labor of love but definitely worth the effort.

Hot dog buns

As far as buns go, there is a variety to choose from. Some examples include kaiser roll, pizza bread, pretzel roll, poppyseed, and the common steamed white bun.

Feel free to mix and match hotdog buns with different hotdog meats and recipes. That’s really where the fun is anyways- creating your own unique combination that you and your guests will enjoy.

Best Hot Dog Recipes