This interactive DIY hot dog bar is such a fun way to kick off summer and celebrate Memorial Day! It is more of a formula with suggestions than it is a strict recipe, so have fun with it. I gave some of my favorite hot dog combo suggestions, but the options are truly endless!
Ingredient highlight
Hot dogs! These little sausage links (otherwise known as wieners, franks, and frankfurters) were brought over by German immigrants in the 1800’s and have become an American grilling staple. When buying hot dogs, look for as few ingredients as possible and, similar to when you buy and beef product, look for grass-fed and/or organic if you can find it. They are simply cuts of meat that are emulsified and cured into a more uniformly texture sausage. You can find them made of all different kinds of meat, but beef and pork are most common.
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes Ingredients
- Hot dogs, grilled*
- Hot dog buns
- Toppings (see below)
- Ketchup + mustard (for a classic dog)
Street Corn Taco Dog
- Grilled Street Corn Salad (or just use grilled corn)
- Guacamole
- Feta or cotija cheese
- Cilantro
Chili Dog:
- Baked beans or chili beans
- Grated cheddar
- Pickled jalapenos
- Ketchup
Hawaiian Dog:
- Grilled pineapple
- Pickled red onions, chopped
- Creamy Teriyaki Sauce (recipe in instructions)
Bacon Kraut Dog:
- Crumbled/chopped crispy bacon
- Sauerkraut
- Mustard
- *You could also do this with burgers or any type of sausage.
- Note: ~ there aren’t exact amounts of things because it just depends on how many hot dogs you are wanting to make. Just plan to have an abundance of toppings!
Instructions
To grill pineapple:
- Preheat your grill on medium-high for at least 10 minutes. Trim the skin off of the pineapple and then cut slabs around the core. Brush each slab all over lightly with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill for 10 minutes, covered, flipping halfway through, or until you have nice grill marks. Chop the pineapple into small pieces.
For the creamy teriyaki sauce:
- In a small bowl add ½ cup plain whole milk greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey, but honey is hard to mix in), and grate 1 garlic clove in there. Mix until smooth.
For the hot dog bar:
- Set up your hot dog bar by placing all toppings on the table along with freshly grilled hot dogs and hot dog buns. Then create your own dog!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Grill 4 ears of corn + make street corn salad
- Chop cilantro
- Grate cheddar cheese
- Chop pineapple into slabs (optional to grill ahead)
- Pickle a red onion and finely chop some pickle onions up
- Make Creamy Teriyaki Sauce
- Cook bacon until crispy + chop/crumble it up
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, use vegetarian sausage or hot dogs.
- To make vegan, see above + sub vegan yogurt or vegan mayo in the teriyaki sauce. Use vegan cheese and skip the bacon.
- To make gluten-free, use gluten-free buns or enjoy your hot dog as more of a plate/bowl.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Hot dogs: up to 6 days in the fridge
- Teriyaki sauce: up to 4 days in the fridge
- Grilled pineapple: up to 6 days in the fridge
- Pickled red onion: up to 14 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- If you have leftover hot dogs and toppings, enjoy them as a hot dog bowl or plate or as a salad. You can create your own adventure!
