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A board with 6 different assembled grilled dogs from the hot dog bar showing the variety of toppings. Some chips and a watermelon salad surrounding the board

Grilled Hot Dogs

Summer calls for our Grilled Hot Dogs every year, and when there's a party, we turn them into a Hot Dog Bar! Super fun and easy way to entertain where everyone can assemble their own. We're sharing a video of some our favorite hot dog bar combos over the years--try them and share your own too! 

Course BBQ, grill, Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American, BBQ, grill
Keyword BBQ, grill, grilled hot dogs, hot dog recipe, hot dogs
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 343 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Hot Dogs

  • 12 Hot Dogs or Sausages your choice
  • 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 12 hot dog buns your choice

Buffalo Toppings:

  • Spicy Mayo
  • Hot Sauce
  • Celery sticks
  • Crumbled blue cheese
  • Green onions

Chicago Style:

  • Spicy Mayo
  • Pickled peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions diced
  • Jalapeno
  • Honey mustard

Nacho:

  • Pico / Salsa
  • Avocados diced
  • Green onions
  • Black olives
  • Cheddar cheese grated
  • Diced tomatoes

Hawaiian

  • Spicy Slaw
  • Grilled Pineapple
  • Pickles
  • Spicy mayo
  • Jalapeno slices

Mediterranean

  • Tahini sauce/hummus
  • Feta cheese
  • Diced cucumbers
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Black olives diced
  • Diced onions
  • Tahini sauce

Classic

  • Mustard
  • Ketchup
  • Relish
  • Diced Onions

Instructions

  1. Start by preparing the hot dogs. To maximize crust and flavor, use a sharp knife to slash each one into diagonal slits. Be careful not to go all the way through.
    A hand holding a sharp knife and scorching the hot dogs on a diagonal to make like spirals on the side
  2. Season lightly with salt, pepper and olive oil. It's best to use a sheet pan where you can have the seasoning and oil well distributed. Just season and shake well the pan and you're done.
    The hot dogs are placed on a medium hot grill
  3. Place the hot dogs in a medium grill, and cook for 3 minutes per side on average. You may need more or less depending  on the size, but on average 3 minutes is a great starting point. Make sure you close down the lid so they cook evenly.
  4. The grilled hot dogs should look blistered and golden, and you'll notice the slits you made using the knife have expanded.
    Grilled hot dogs are ready, golden and blistered on the grill and ready to serve
  5. How to Make a Hot Dog Bar
    Hot Dog Bar ingredients including small bowls of many different tppinsg like cheese, veggies, sauces, a variety of pickles, breads, spices and more.
  6. Start by gathering all the ingredients above. You need a variety of cheeses, veggies, sauces, condiments and ready made salads, and grilled fruits. Have your hot dog buns ready and matching the size of your hot dogs.
  7. You can have each person assemble their own by placing small tags to indicate what the toppings are, or you can assemble a variety of combos as we did below. Check on some of our favorite speciality grilled hot dogs here.
  8. Buffalo Hot Dogs
    An assembled buffalo style hot dog showing the grilled hot dog with blue cheese, celery, hot sauce and green onions
  9. A combo of: Blue Cheese Dressing and crumbled blue cheese, celery sticks, green onions, hot sauce or Spicy Mayo.
  10. Chicago Style Hot Dogs
    An assembled Chicago style hot dog showing the grilled hot dog with pickled peppers, sliced tomatoes, spicy mayo, jalapenos, minced onions
  11. A combo of: pickled peppers, sliced tomatoes, Garlic Parmesan Sauce or honey mustard, minced onions, jalapenos.
  12. Nachos Style Hot Dogs
    An assembled Nacho style hot dog showing the grilled hot dog with salsa, guacamole, cheddar cheese, green onions, black olives, diced tomatoes and onions
  13. A combo of: Homemade Salsa or pico, Authentic Guacamole Recipe or diced avocados, diced tomatoes and onions, grated cheddar cheese or Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe, black olives and sour cream.
  14. Mediterranean Style Hot Dogs
    An assembled Mediterranean style hot dog showing the grilled hot dog with tahini, diced tomatoes and cucumbers , black olives, feta cheese
  15. A combo of: Tahini Sauce, diced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, black olives, onions, feta cheese, Hummus.
  16. Hawaiian Style Hot Dogs
    An assembled Hawaiian style hot dog showing the grilled hot dog with spicy slaw, jalapenos and grilled pineapples
  17. A combo of slaw like the Fish Taco Slaw dressed with an extra dash of hot sauce, some green onions, sliced jalapenos and grilled pineapples.
  18. Classic Grilled Hot Dogs
    An assembled classic grilled hot dog showing the grilled hot dog with mustard, ketchup, relish or cornichons pickles, diced onions
  19. A combo of mustard (honey mustard or dijon), ketchup, diced onions, pickles or cornichons and a grilled hot dog. If you wan to fancy it up, drizzle some Garlic Parmesan Sauce.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Grilled Hot Dog Recipe and Bar Tips

  1. This recipe is super simple and relies hevaily on the quality of hot dogs, so choose your absolute favorite type and brand. 
  2. Slashing them before grilling helps in a few things: It allows the salt and pepper seasoning to seep right in. It also allows for a beautiful char and grill on the insides of the hot dog. And it creates a crispier texture as more skin is slashed.
  3. The slight drizzle or spray of oil also creates a beautiful crust.
  4. Make sure you preheat the grill before starting. 
  5. Keep the lid shut for better circulation of air and maintaining the heat of the grill. 
  6. Keep an eye out for them and keep flipping them as needed. On average they need total of 5-7 minutes depending on the size.
  7. To make a hot dog bar, you need to think of many combos and varieties as shown above and prepare as needed.
  8. If you have no time to pre make all the sauces, dressing, dips and slaw, you can rely on store bought. It saves time and makes you have this party setup in minutes!
  9. Set up the table with labels. Or have some pre-assembled hot dogs so you can give some inspiration to your friends and family enjoying this.
  10. Toast the buns for a bonus char and BBQ flavor.

What to Serve with Grilled Hot Dogs?

Nutrition Facts
Grilled Hot Dogs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 343 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 1.474mg0%
Potassium 104mg3%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 1IU0%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 123mg12%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.