Sure, we love a good hot dog topped with some ketchup and mustard, but why stop there? How about one piled with chili or wrapped in bacon? Did we mention we’ve also got the perfect recipe for at-home Buttery Brioche Hot Dog Buns? From classic toppings to fun flavor combinations, these hot dog recipes will take your game to a whole new level. Fire up your grill and get ready to enjoy the perfect hot dog.
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Chicago-Style Hot Dogs
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensaring / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Iconic and over-the-top, a true Chicago-style dog features an all-beef frank nestled in a poppy seed bun and blanketed in a colorful assortment of requisite toppings: yellow mustard, finely chopped white onions, sweet relish, sliced tomatoes, dill pickle spears, sport peppers, and celery salt.
Sonoran Hot Dog
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
This Mexico-born American classic consists of hot dogs wrapped in bacon, then topped with charred onions, pickled peppers, salsa, beans, mayonnaise, and mustard for an overflowing cookout winner.
Hawaiian-Style Hot Dog
Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser
This spicy-sweet hot dog comes from Henry Adaniya, chef-owner of Hank’s Haute Dogs in Honolulu. Adaniya tucks grilled linguiça sausage into a bun before topping with tangy pineapple relish and mango mustard.
Grilled Italian Sausage with Apple Mustard and Giardiniera
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Tyler Florence sears Italian sausage to top with sweet apple mustard and giardiniera, a bright mix of pickled vegetables. The spicy, tangy, and sweet take on hot dogs is sure to be a hit at any cookout.
Chorizo-and-Kimchi Dogs
Chef Claudette Zepeda’s homage to the Sonoran hot dog features easy hacks like crumbled chorizo and prepared kimchi to make this restaurant favorite easy to pull off for backyard entertaining — the dogs come together in just 20 minutes.
Ultimate Loaded Chili-Topped Hot Dogs
The meaty, mildly sweet chili on these loaded dogs is balanced by the sharp bite of pickled jalapeños and the crunch of radishes and salty Corn Nuts. Feel free to make the chili ahead of time for quicker assembly the day of the cookout, when you can grill the hot dogs to order.
Beer Brats
Update your typical hot dog routine with beer-braised sausages, caramelized sweet onions, and tangy mustard in soft and chewy pretzel buns.
Hot Dogs with Grilled Pickle Relish
Skip the overly sweet store-bought relish and let this grilled pickle relish be your dogs’ star condiment. To make it, grilled dill pickles are combined with onion, vinegar, mustard seeds, and parsley for a smoky, well-balanced relish.
Kogi Dogs
These smoky Kogi dogs from Roy Choi, piled high with cabbage, kimchi, and cheddar, are so good they made it on our 40 best recipes list. A drizzle of sriracha finishes them off — pair them with a refreshing Mexican lager, if you’re feeling it.
Hot Dog Melts
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl
Wolfgang Puck’s ode to the sausages of his childhood in Vienna features Gruyère-filled hot dogs wrapped in bacon, roasted and served on a bun with sharp, tangy horseradish mustard.
BLT Hot Dogs with Caraway Remoulade
These “BLT” hot dogs take standard dogs from ordinary to extraordinary. They’re topped with crispy applewood-smoked bacon, fresh tomatoes, and crunchy lettuce, plus a creamy caraway-pickle mayonnaise that really pulls it all together.
Buttery Brioche Hot Dog Buns
Give yourself a whole new hot dog experience by baking off a batch of these buttery buns. The recipe is incredibly user-friendly, letting your mixer do the heavy lifting to make an easy-to-work-with dough that yields a dozen tender, sturdy buns that can accommodate all your favorite toppings.
