Your hot dog could be so much better. A little ketchup and mustard atop a frank and bun is fine for the ballpark, but when you’re not distracted by the game, you need to entertain your taste buds. Hence, great versions like the Icelandic hot dog or cool add-ons like tomatillo relish.
Enter the Sonoran hot dog, the king of Southern Arizona. This lovely dish exudes summer and blends classic Americana with Mexican cuisine. And while you should go out of your way to try an authentic one in Sonora, you can make a pretty good riff at home with the right approach and ingredients.
The legend
There’s an unassuming spot in Tucson called El Guero Canelo where the Sonoran hot dog has earned some serious fame. The fast-food restaurant took home a James Beard Award in 2018. Launched in 1993 as a hot dog stand by Magadelana native Daniel Contreras, the franchise now has a handful of locations throughout town.
There, you’ll find the simple beauty of the Sonoran hot dog. Locals will argue all weekend about which of the many purveyors in town make the very best version, but this one has certainly helped put the dog on the cuisine map.
The Sonoran hot dog predates the iconic Tucson restaurant, however. It’s believed to have been devised in the 1970s in Hermosillo, a sort of cross-border fusion dish inspired by American baseball and Mexican ingredients. College kids downed them like members of Major League Eating, especially as a late-night snack.
Fast-forward to today, when the Sonoran hot dog reigns supreme as one of the ultimate dishes in Arizona and beyond. In places like Phoenix and Tucson, visitors can’t take more than a few paces without running into one.
So, how does one make this staple Southwestern food?
The bun
Most people in Sonora will tout the bun as a major factor in their famed dogs. A regular white flour bun will not do. Much of the internet suggests a bolillo bun is required, but what you often find is doggo buns. These buns can stand up to the weighty contents and are mildly sweet with a pillowy texture. If you’re feeling like a baker, try your hand at a batch at home or see something like it out at your local Mexican bakery or grocery store. If you can only find bolillo buns or some kind of baguette sibling, that may work, but we suggest steaming them to soften them up a bit first.
The beauty of this particular bun is that it is both soft and sturdy. You need something that can handle the many toppings without going soggy, but you also don’t want a crunchy toast-like situation. Some of the better ones remind this writer of a good bread bowl in that they can stand up to their fillings without losing any integrity.
The fixings
What’s precisely added to a Sonoran hot dog varies based on who’s behind the apron, but there are some signature items that run mostly across the board. The same goes for exactly how the dog is prepared and if the bun is grilled (another Tucson staple, El Sinaloense, swears by its toasted buns) or served as-is.
Essentially, you need a bacon-wrapped beef frank treated to some combination of crema, pinto beans, grilled onions, tomatoes, and mustard. Some add guac or jalapeno sauce or some equivalent, and it’s common to add a yellow chili pepper on the side for authentic measure. Don’t forget a sprinkling of some sharp Mexican cheese and perhaps a squeeze of lime.
Again, there are infinite little tweaks here and there, making just about every version of the Sonoran hot dog a little different. But the jest is above, and you can play around to your liking. We believe the bigger the frank, the better, and suggest either cooking or grilling it before coiling some bacon around it and placing it in the bun. Add your toppings — make sure those veggies are fresh — and you’re just about ready to grub — Sonoran style. Don’t forget to drizzle the liquids on top, and if you don’t have crema, you can use mayonnaise.
Excellent for lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack, the Sonoran hot dog should be on your menu. The Mexican-inspired hot dog bursts with flavor, and like most hand food, is just plain fun to eat.
Let the hot dog content continue. We’ve got great features on everything from how a hot dog is made to our favorite hot dog brands. Let the summer eating games begin.
