8 Sizzling, Juicy Hot Dog Recipes for Your Next Cookout

These hot dogs are ready to party.

By
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Mimi Young
Editor
Mimi Young is an editor and pastry chef. She has also curated and written numerous recipe roundups for Serious Eats.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Published May 14, 2025
Overhead view of two hotdogs on a plate

Serious Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Most of the time, the hot dogs at cookouts are dry, shriveled, and have a leathery exterior, making them unsightly and unpleasant to eat. I want a plump, juicy hot dog—ideally one that's been poached then charred. (According to Kenji, it's the best way to grill sausages.) I also want it piled high with toppings and condiments: Give me sweet, tangy pickled onions, a big squeeze of ketchup, plenty of sharp mustard, and tart relish! A little extra effort is all you need to make a superb hot dog, and below, we've gathered our favorite ways to prepare succulent, tender hot dogs, including Chilean hot dogs heaped with mayonnaise and festive firecracker hot dogs wrapped in flaky biscuit dough. No sad hot dogs here!

June 2016

  • Firecracker Hot Dogs

    Overhead view of Firecracker HotDogs

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Wrapped in buttery, flaky biscuit dough and finished with a sweet and spicy glaze, these festive firecracker hot dogs are as delicious as they are adorable. A hot honey–mustard glaze puts the “fire” in these firecrackers, and gives them a delightful kick.

  • Chilean "Completos" Hot Dogs

    Overhead view of finished completos

    Serious Eats / Estudio Como

    Chilean completos are oversized hot dogs generously heaped with sauerkraut, diced tomatoes, mashed avocado, mayonnaise, and more. Don't skimp on the mayo: For Chileans, the average completo shuld have at least a quarter to half a cup of mayonnaise. Excessive? Maybe. Delicious? Definitely.

  • Sonoran Hot Dogs

    Overhead view of Sonoran hot dogs

    Serious Eats / Jackie Alpers

    Beloved in Arizona, these Sonoran hot dogs start with a soft and slightly sweet bolillo-style roll that’s filled with a heaping scoop of pinto beans, onions—both griddled and raw—a bacon-wrapped hot dog, diced tomatoes, signature stripes of a fresh jalapeño sauce and yellow mustard, and a final zigzag of mayonnaise.

  • Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs With Avocado, Tomato, Onion, and Potato Chips Recipe

    20130716-hot-dog-bun-taste-test-8.jpg

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

    The term "full-loaded" can be applied to this Sonoran-inspired hot dog. It's big and messy in the best way possible: bacon-wrapped, deep-fried links layered with mayo, crushed potato chips, and a guacamole-like mixture of avocado, onion, tomato, jalapeño, and lime juice.

    Continue to 5 of 8 below

  • Best Grilled Hot Dogs

    Overhead view of two hotdogs on a plate

    Serious Eats / Julia Hartbeck

    When you have great natural-casing hot dogs, the last thing you want is for those beauties to burst and leak juices once you've toss them onto the grill. The solution? We poach them to warm them through, then quickly sear them over a hot flame, and voilà...perfectly grilled hot dogs!

  • Grilled Hot Dogs With Sauerkraut

    20120529-food-lab-cooking-sausage-hot-dog-19.jpg
    Photograph and video: J. Kenji López-Alt

    Why toss out all that flavorful "leftover" sauerkraut packing liquid and juices when you can use it to poach your links? Simply chuck everything into a foil pan and warm through. Your grilled dogs will thank you.

  • Hot Slaw Dogs

    20130716-hot-dog-bun-taste-test-4.jpg

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

    Hard to believe, but there are other cabbage-based hot dog toppings besides sauerkraut—take creamy coleslaw, for instance. Piled onto your link of choice, the cool shredded cabbage and slightly sweet-tangy dressing provide a nice counterpoint to the deeply savory dog.

  • Salchipapa (Peruvian Hot Dogs and French Fries)

    A large platter of salchipapa (french fries with sliced hot dogs piled on top) and a few dipping sauces alongside
    [Image: Vicky Wasik].

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Peru's irresistible platter of hot dogs and French fries pulls no punches. It's a choose-your-own-adventure dish that's popular throughout South America, where regional variations abound. Some include other meats or seafood, others add cheese and fried eggs. Whichever way you go, you can't go wrong with hot dogs piled on top of a crispy bed of fries.

Explore more:

More Serious Eats Recipes