Ever get stuck on making plain boring hot dogs, and need some ideas for tasty recipes for hot dog toppings? The options are limitless, and depending where you are from, depends on how you eat your hot dogs. There is no reason to eat plain hot dogs with ketchup and mustard only, unless you have to!

How to Make Hot Dogs
So this kind of feels self explanatory, but there are a few different ways to prepare hot dogs. Let me clarify what I mean by hot dogs. They are usually skinless sausages made from pork, chicken, beef, or turkey sometimes called Wieners. The usual method is to boil them in water in a saucepan for a few minutes. If you leave them in the water too long, they will expand, split and get soggy. You can bbq them on a grill as well, right along side your burgers. Bbqing hot dogs leaves them sometimes a bit dried out, so don't burn them. Finally you can roast them on a stick over a campfire, a summer classic!
Hot Dogs for Camping
Even when going camping, this is a tasty way to make your camping dinner a bit more fancy! Camping food can be difficult to plan, and you want it to taste delicious and fresh. All the ingredients in these recipes are easy to take camping, and some of them don't even need refrigeration.
Hot Dog Variations
Here in Australia, it's more common to eat grilled sausages instead of American Hot Dogs. The Australian sausages are usually made with beef or pork, and are a staple at all Aussie barbecues. They call them snags and remind me of a long breakfast sausage. These hot dog toppings would work great any styles of meat including;
- Smokeys or Kransky Sausages
- Vienne Wieners
- Johnsonville Brats
- Frankfurter
- even a meatless dog!
Chili Dogs Recipe Tex-Mex Style
My Tex-Mex Chili Hot Dogs recipe is so easy to make, and you don't need to make homemade chili from scratch. Well you can, but that will take hours. Here's all you need!
- 1 can of Stagg's Chili
- grated cheese
- Dorito Corn Chips
- spicy pickled jalapeños
When you hot dog is cooked and place in the bun, just spoon some of the heated Staggs chili. Add grated cheese, and a handful of crushed Dorito's and you're done! And don't forget the pickled jalapeño's for a spicy kick - It's definitely one of my favorites! We sometimes call it a Dorito Hot Dog. I love the crunchy texture of the corn chips with the flavors of the chili over the hot dog. Works perfectly!
Sauerkraut Dog
I love the sourness of homemade sauerkraut. Traditionally made via fermentation, popular in Central and Eastern Europe. If you have a cabbage in your fridge, you can make easy Quick Pickled Cabbage which tastes fresher than traditional sauerkraut. Sometimes I call it a Polish Hot Dog. However, my Sauerkraut Dog is a variation of the New York Dog, here's all you need!
- fresh chopped sweet white onions
- sauerkraut
- dill pickle spear
- American mustard
It's easy to layer more or less of these ingredients according to your tastes. They sell Dill Pickle Spears, but that's just sliced dill pickles, and anyone can do that!
Hot Dog Topping Ideas
- Korean Hot Dog - use Kimchi and pickled radish to spice up your hot dog
- Swedish Hot Dog - garlic mashed potato, grated cheese, caramelized onion and cranberry sauce
- Mexican Hot Dog - grated cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream
- Vietnamese Hot Dog - grated pickled carrot, sliced cucumbers, fresh chili peppers, lots of cilantro, smothered with Sriracha Mayo
- Breakfast Hot Dog - add cheese, and over easy egg (so it's a bit runny in your bun) with crispy bacon
Ok, so the possibilities of Hot Dog Toppings are endless. Hot Dogs don't have to be boring, Skip the ketchup and mustard, and make them a bit fancy. Easy to make, crazy delicious, everyone will love your fancy hot dogs! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
Chili Dog ingredients
- 6 hot dogs and buns
- 1 can Stagg Chili
- grated cheese
- crushed Doritos
- sliced jalapenos optional
Sauerkraut Dog ingredients
- 6 hot dogs and buns
- small jar sauerkraut
- small white onion finely diced
- dill pickle spears or slices
- mustard
Instructions
Chili Dogs Recipe - Dorito Dogs
- Prepare hot dogs per instructions. Boil, steam or grill. Heat the Stagg Chili in a small saucepan until hot.
- Assemble the hot dogs: Place a hot dog inside a slide bun. Spoon on the Stagg chili, layer with grated cheese, and top off with a handful of crushed Doritos and jalapenos.
Sauerkraut Dogs
- Prepare hot dogs per instructions. Boil, steam or grill.
- Assemble the hot dogs: Place a hot dog inside a slide bun. Place a sliced dill pickle alongside the hot dog. Using a fork, layer a generous amount of sauerkraut. Spoon the white onion and drizzle with mustard.
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