I’m a huge fan of hot dogs. Nothing beats a perfectly-cooked dog topped with the best flavors. No plain ole dogs here, these are all something special!

















I’m a huge fan of hot dogs. Nothing beats a perfectly-cooked dog topped with the best flavors. No plain ole dogs here, these are all something special!
I wanted to make these Big Mac hot dogs the minute I saw the idea floating around in the online recipe world. First, I love Big Macs. I make a few crazy variations on them at home. I’ve made Big Mac smash burgers, subs, hoagies and sliders! I don’t need an excuse to make Big Macs. These hot dogs taste a lot like the fast food favorite and man, were they fun to make! I was smiling the entire time because it felt like I was making the real deal! They are cool and yummy at the same time!
Of course one of the advantages of making Big Mac hot dogs yourself is that you can kinda play around a bit. Me, I like a lot of onions and lettuce. Oh sure, give me a few extra pickles too. And extra of that special sauce. I want mine messy. The messier the better. Like sauce-running-down-the-front-of-my-arms messy. That’s the right kind of messy. My homemade version of the classic burgers are messy too.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
Nutritional values are approximate.
I have a rule about hamburgers and sandwiches: the messier they are, the better they taste. That same rule also applies to hot dogs. These Tennessee smoky hot dogs follow my rule to a ‘T’. You’ve got your messy, delicious chili. Those are gonna run down your arms. You’ve also got your messy, crunchy slaw. Yep, going down your arm too. Messy and good!
Feel free to substitute some good ole baked beans for the hot dog chili. And a little hickory smoked bacon won’t hurt either. These Tennessee Smoky hot dogs make for the perfect dog.
Also try my slow cooker chili dogs. They put the ‘mess’ in ‘messy’ too. Or something like that.
Also try my cowboy hot dogs.
Nutritional values are approximate.
If you have a smoker, you need to make deluxe smoked spiral hot dogs. They are quite different than regular ole grilled dogs. Not only do they pick up a great smoke flavor, they have a slightly different texture… a little denser. Cutting them into spirals makes for a great presentation. It also makes sure your toppings stick to the dogs.
The first time or two that you try and cut a hot dog into a spiral you might not have great success. I can’t say my first few came out super-duper pretty. But after that I got the hang of it. They then came out just like I’d hoped. The same technique can of course be used for sausages such as smoked sausage or half links, too.
I like to marinate my hot dogs in a combination of Worcestershire sauceand seasonings before cooking them. It definitely adds a lot of flavor and moisture to the dogs. It’s an added something that people don’t expect when they take that first bite.
Also try my other version of yummy smoked spiral hot dogs.
Nutritional values are approximate.
Now THESE are hot dogs. You’ve got your smoky crispy bacon. There’s sauteed sweet onions and mushrooms. And cheese. Add grilled all-beef dogs (or your hot dog of choice) and you’ve got Cowboy hot dogs you can not only enjoy, but be proud of. This right here is why I love making hot dogs. They’re a blank canvas for great flavors and textures. There’s nothing plain or boring about these. They are why I never say “Oh, sigh, hot dogs again for dinner…. “. They’re something to get excited about!
You don’t really need any condiments to top these off. Dijon mustard would be great, if you have to. Or BBQ sauce. But really, they’re great just as they are.
Although you could cook your bacon in a skillet (you are using skillets to cook the onion and mushrooms), I recommend baking it in an oven. I like to line a baking pan with foil and add the bacon. I bake at 350 F for 20-4o minutes, flipping once. The cook time depends on how thick the bacon is and how crispy I want it to get.
My German cowboy hots dogs aren’t anything to sneeze at either! You’ll also love my Tennessee Smoky hot dogs.
Nutritional values are approximate.
I love putting coleslaw on my pulled pork sandwiches, so why not take that same idea and completely amp-up a hot dog? A grilled all-beef dog. Tender moist smoked pulled pork. Tangy Carolina coleslaw. These Carolina hot dogs were a big hit in our house.
The idea for these Carolina hot dogs came from watching the show Eat Street, where the host does what I want to do every day: eat from food trucks. In this case, it was the Evil Weiner truck in Austin, Texas, that caught my eye. What a fantastic hot dog menu!
Don’t use a creamy slaw on these dogs. You want that vinegar hit from a good ole Carolina slaw. It’s easy to make or just pick up some pre-made slaw at the grocery store. Same goes for the pulled pork. I found some pulled pork in the freezer leftover from a recent smoke session, but if you don’t have any on hand, grab some from your local BBQ joint. They’d love to sell you a pound or two. Heck, grab some slaw while you’re there too!
Also try my cowboy hot dogs.
Nutritional values are approximate.
How do you make a great hot dog better? Yes, you wrap it in bacon. Crispy, yummy bacon. But you’re not done yet. Then you add a good helping of a thick, sweet-heat sauce that makes mustard and ketchup boring. These bacon-wrapped hot dogs with Fire-Eater dog sauce are a great way to change up your everyday dogs. You can add more of your favorite toppings if you like, but don’t bury that great bacon flavor.
The Fire-Eater dog sauce is also perfect on hamburgers and fries, so make an extra big batch and keep it on hand in the fridge. To make a great smoky version use a hickory BBQ sauce. For an even spicier version use a hot BBQ sauce and add a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce. Bacon-wrapped hot dogs with Fire-Eater dog sauce are good no matter what.
Remember that if you have to refrigerate any leftover sauce, let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. Or warm it up a bit on the stovetop. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.
Also try my Banh Mi hot dogs.
Nutritional values are approximate.
This is exactly what little hot dogs hope they’ll grow up to be. Smothered in chili. Covered in cheese sauce. Sprinkled with crumbled Nacho tortilla chips and jalapenos. Cheese and heat, a marriage made in heaven! And of course there’s some nice cool sour cream topping it all off. These nacho hot dogs are the stuff dreams are made of!
With every bite you get crunch, heat, cool and cheese! Perfect! And of course you can kick your dogs up even more by using a really spicy chili or spicy cheese. I use the zesty cheese sauce from La Preferida for this and other dogs that call for cheese. It’s smooth and creamy and has a little bit of a spiciness to it. Make sure you pile your toppings high. Get every inch of the dog covered with goodness.
These dogs are also great (maybe greater!) with a few added shakes of favorite Mexican-inspired hot sauces, such as Cholula.
Also try my other variation on nacho hot dogs. Same concept, different toppings.
My Home Run hot dog chili is also fantastic on these dogs!
Nutritional values are approximate.
Bourbon baked beans, kraut and spicy mustard on a dog? Insanely good! Bourbon baked beans take your standard great dog and make it just fantastic. A little sweetness, then the crunch of the kraut, and the spicy kick from the mustard. Everything great in every bite. I could’ve eaten more of these German Cowboys hot dogs than I’ll ever admit online. Or admit even in person for that matter!
The German Cowboy hot dog is another great menu item I ran across from Duke’s Gourmet Hot Dogs. They have the most fantastic hot dog menu I’ve ever come across. Every single one makes you drool!
I’ve really enjoyed making hot dogs that don’t remind me of the pretty plain ones I remember as a kid. I mean, those weren’t bad. But they weren’t amazing. These are.
Try my American cowboy dogs too. Giddy up!
Nutritional values are approximate.
A few years ago the Big 10 basketball tournament was held here in Indianapolis. As part of the event, the Levy restaurant group in Chicago produced unique hot dogs that highlight each of the Big 10 teams. I came across a copy of the list of the dogs recently, and just had to make each of them.
Indiana Hoosier Dog
Iowa Hawkeye Dog
Purdue Boilermaker Dog
Illinois Fighting Illini Chedder Dog
Michigan State Spicy Spartan Dog
Minnesota Gopher Dog
Penn State Roaring Lion Dog
Northwestern Wildcat Dog
Ohio State Buckeye’s Dog
Michigan Wolverines Blue Cheese Bacon Dog
Nebraska Cornhusker Dog