Beef

10 Ways to Serve Grilled Hot Dogs

  • Preparation
    5 Minutes (plus time to clean)
  • Cook Time
    15 Minutes
  • Serves
    3-4
  • Difficulty
    3/10
Behind the Recipe

Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?

Have you ever seen the Merriam-Webster definition of “sandwich”? They define it as "two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between."

By that definition, it sure seems like a hot dog would qualify as a sandwich. There’s a split roll (the bun) with filling in between (the dog & toppings), but we’re a little torn because, ya know, a hot dog is a hot dog… right?

All we know is that the humble hot dog makes the perfect foundation for adding, exploring, and layering all kinds of flavors, from topping with homemade chili to stacking up onions and pickles. And no matter what you call them–hot dogs, sandwiches, franks, weenies or whatever–if you’re a fan of hot dogs, we made this recipe for you.

For your grilling pleasure, here is our recipe for 10 different ways to serve grilled hot dogs.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 10 beef frank hot dogs
  • 10 hot dog buns
  • Toppings of your choice


Preparation

Grilled Chicago Hot Dog Recipe 

  1. Swap out regular buns for poppy seed buns. 
  2. Then top your dog with yellow mustard, chopped white onion, sweet pickle relish, sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, and sliced tomato.
  3.  Finish with a sprinkle of celery salt. 

Grilled California Hot Dog Recipe 

  1. Top with mixed spring greens, chopped avocado, chopped tomato, and chopped hard-cooked eggs.
  2.  Drizzle with bottled ranch salad dressing. 

Grilled Italian Style Hot Dog Recipe 

  1. Top with roasted garlic and bruschetta.

Grilled Denver Hot Dog Recipe

  1. Top with chopped red onion, green chile sauce, sour cream, and chopped jalapenos. 

Grilled Buffalo Hot Dog Recipe

  1. Top with crumbled bleu cheese, and drizzle with buffalo sauce. 

Grilled Hawaiian Hot Dog Recipe 

  1. Swap out regular buns for a Hawaiin sweet bread roll. 
  2. Then top with chopped fresh pineapple, sliced onion, and chopped green sweet pepper. 
  3. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce. 

Grilled Summer Hot Dog Recipe 

  1. Top with shredded lettuce, grilled corn kernels, chopped red onion, and chopped tomato. 

Grilled Reuben Dog Recipe 

  1. Top with sauerkraut, dill pickle relish, and shredded Swiss cheese. Drizzle with bottled Thousand Island salad dressing. 

Grilled Chili Dog Recipe 

  1. Top with heated chili, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, and sour cream dip.

Grilled Mac and Cheese Hot Dog Recipe 

  1. Top with heated macaroni and cheese and crushed potato chips.


Recipe

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat half of your Nexgrill for medium hot and keep the other half unheated. On a charcoal grill, you’ll bank the coals to one side. On a gas grill, just turn on half the burners.

  2. 2

    Use your tongs to place the hot dogs on the grill over direct heat, positioned so they’re perpendicular to the grill grates. Setting them this way will create those classic grill marks you know and love.

  3. 3

    Roll your hot dogs once or twice to get an even cook on all sides. For standard beef franks, cook 5 to 7 minutes. For jumbo dogs, go 7 to 10 minutes. And for quarter-pounders, 15 minutes.

  4. 4

    2-3 minutes before your hot dogs are fully heated, spread melted butter onto your hot dog buns, and place them face down on the grill grates or warming rack. Let the buns heat for only 1 minute. Letting it stay on the grill too long will dry out the bread.

  5. 5

    Once heated, pull the hot dogs off the grill, place them in the bun, and top them with your favorite toppings.

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