Skip to main content

Hot Dog Ideas Just in Time for National Hot Dog Day

National Hot Dog day is Tuesday, July 20, 2021, and what better way to celebrate than to take a look at some of the best hot dog brands out there. A hot dog, to avoid dispute, is a frankfurter made of seasoned smoked meat, usually beef and/or pork. The name hot dog originated in the 19th century and was U.S. college slang for frankfurter because the popular belief was they contained dog meat – clearly not the case.

Hot dogs have become a food staple and are consumed a lot during national holidays or weekend barbecues. The hot dog, its toppings, and even its buns differ from coast to coast. No matter what you call them, it’s the hotdog toppings that are the show stoppers. There has long been a debate about whether or not to put ketchup on a hot dog, but with these recipes, you won’t need to worry about ketchup.

Recommended Videos

Related Guides

BKHDCO Banh Mi

banh mi hot dog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Brooklyn Hot Dog Company has been going strong since 2012 when it created five varieties of hot dogs, striving for nitrate- and filler-free hot dogs. To do that they chose quality antibiotic-free meats and all-natural casings and focused on creating healthier and more flavorful twists on hot dogs of the past. Founders Tony Fragogiannis and Justin Neiser felt ‘Brooklyn’ was the only name worthy for their hot dogs and will always call Brooklyn home thanks to Tony’s father who was a Greek immigrant and operated a restaurant there in the 1960s. BKHDCO headquarters is a tribute to that bygone era. You can find Brooklyn Hot Dog Company hot dogs in select markets across the country.

This Banh Mi sandwich is made using BKHDC’s snappy beef and pork hot dogs, a crispy and chewy baguette, and fresh and crisp vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 2 Beef & Pork Brooklyn Hot Dogs
  • 1 Vietnamese Baguette (or a soft French baguette)
  • 1 small cucumber, cut into spears
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced into rounds
  • 1/2 cup pickled carrots and Daikon radish
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp mayo (we recommend Kewpie)
  • Optional: 2 tbsp Sriracha | 3 dashes soy sauce (we recommend Maggi)

Method:

  1. Heat frying pan over high heat
  2. Cut hot dogs down the side/butterfly and sear
  3. Slice loaf almost all the way in half
  4. Spread mayo on the inside of the loaf
  5. For a spicier sandwich, spread Sriracha on the inside of the loaf as well
  6. Place seared and split hot dogs in the loaf
  7. Add the cucumber spears, jalapeño slices, pickled veggies, and cilantro
  8. Add optional soy sauce
  9. Cut sandwich in half
  10. Photograph it, eat it, post it, tag us, and use #bkhotdogco

Chicken Wing Dog

Buffalo style chicken wing hot dog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Buffalo Chicken Dog is made with chicken, pork, hot sauce, and a variety of seasonings that combine to create a classic Buffalo Chicken hot dog.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Buffalo Chicken Brooklyn Hot Dog Co. hot dog
  • 1 hot dog bun of your liking
  • 1/2 stalk of celery
  • 1/4 carrot
  • 4 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing
  • 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot wing sauce (we like Frank’s)
  • Blue cheese crumbles

Method:

  1. Dice up the celery and carrot
  2. Hydrotoast your dogs
  3. Place the hot dog in a bun and top with blue cheese dressing, celery, carrots, and blue cheese crumbles
  4. Drizzle wing sauce over the top
  5. Photograph it, eat it, post it, tag us, and use #bkhotdogco

Portillo’s

Portillo's Chicago Dog Hot Dog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In 1963, Dick Portillo opened up a small trailer, soon to be the first Portillo’s hot dog stand in Villa Park, Illinois. He called that food trailer “The Dog House.” As the years went on, Portillo’s became a brand synonymous with Chicago. Portillo’s is now known for more than their Chicago Dog Hot Dogs.

The Chicago Dog Hot Dog is made with a Vienna Hot Dog topped with mustard, relish, celery salt, freshly chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, kosher pickle spear, and sport peppers, and a steamed poppy seed bun. Portillo’s is found in 60 locations across the country.

Maille Hot Dogs

Maille Mexican street corn hot dog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even the Maille mustard brand got into the hot dog business, sort of. They created some recipes to accompany their mustard products.

The Tropical Hot Dog is made using fresh pineapple, fresh mango, red onion, cilantro, Maille Honey Dijon, and lime.

They have their own version of the Chicago Dog as well – the Maille Chicago-Style Hot Dog. It’s made with poppy seed rolls, hot dogs, Maille Old Style Mustard, Maille cornichons, diced sweet onions, sliced tomato wedges, and peppers or pepperoncini.

Also on their hot dog list is a Mexican Street Corn Hot Dog which includes ingredients such as corn, red bell pepper, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, sour cream, mayonnaise, Maille Dijon Originale, and Cotija cheese crumbles.

Dog Haus

Dog Haus Sooo Cali hot dog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dog Haus uses 100% genetically tested and certified humanely raised Black Angus beef. There are no added nitrates or nitrites and all of their beef is vegetarian fed with no hormones and antibiotics. Every Haus Dogs are served on King’s Hawaiian Rolls. You can find Dog Haus hot dogs at over 70 locations across the country.

The Sooo Cali hot dog is topped with wild arugula, avocado, tomato slice, crispy fried onions, and spicy basil aioli.

Then there’s the Dog Haus’s the Downtown hot dog. Grilled Hawaiian buns, smoked bacon-wrapped hot dog, caramelized onions, pickled peppers, mayo, mustard, and ketchup.

There you have it, some pretty great hot dog ideas that will take your grilled hot dog game to the next level so clean off that grill and start practicing.

Joe Morales
Former Former Food, Drink, & Culture Writer
Joe Morales is a trained chef with over five years of experience working in fine dining and Michelin recommended restaurants…
I never liked cast iron pans — until I tried this game-changing version
Why it's different than your typical cast iron pan
Field Company Cast Iron Skillet

I never quite understood the hype around cast iron pans, despite everyone I know swearing by them as must-have kitchen essentials. As someone who loves cooking (especially things like a pan-seared steak), I've wanted to love cast iron skillets more than I ever actually did. That said, my experimentation with cast iron pans was short-lived and involved using an old pan that had been passed down to me.

Founders of Field Company, Stephen & Chris Muscarella, started off with a vintage 1930s Wagner cast iron pan and were told that there was no possible way a modern foundry could pour iron that thin. Yet, they defied odds, crafting a hand mold with slight changes (a heat ring, a more balanced handle) to develop the innovative Field Company cast iron pan we know today. If you've never quite mastered using a cast-iron pan, it may be time to reconsider. Modern-day cast-iron pans aren't like the ones your grandmother used to use. Field Company's cast iron pan changed my mind on the matter -- and it might change yours, too.
Pre-seasoning and easy maintenance

Read more
We asked bartenders to tell us the best tips for crafting cocktails at home
A handful of well-known bartenders told us tips to crafting great cocktails at home
Bartender

There hasn't always been as much enthusiasm about mixology. We can thank the cocktail renaissance of the early aughts for the rise in cocktail culture. Not only did it give way to a new wave of innovative, creative bartenders all over the US (and the world), but it also returned classic drinks to prominence and paved the way for a new age of home cocktailing. And while I could write about all of the exciting things the cocktail renaissance brought with it, today, I'm most interested in the art of crafting cocktails at home.

Like many of you, I'm not (and never have been) a bartender. But, in my work, I've spent much time in cocktail bars and around bartenders. I've created a simple, workable home bar featuring tools, ingredients, and bottles of various spirits. But I didn't start with a fully functional home bar on day one. And neither will you.

Read more
Love tropical cocktails? Try these fresh takes on summer classics
Elevated twist on classic summer cocktails
Tropical pina colada

Nothing says summertime like tropical coconut, pineapple, yuzu, and more flavors. We're putting a new twist on classic cocktails like a mai tai, pina colada, and margarita this summer. These elevated tropical cocktails will have you returning for more all summer long, inspiring you to try new variations of your favorite classics. From the Coconut Bahama Mama to the Stiggin's Daiquiri, these cocktails are perfect for making at your summer beach house, sipping on at a poolside party, or cooling down after a long summer day. Here's how you can make these distinguished tropical cocktails at home.

Coconut Bahama Mama

Read more