Best hot dog toppings

We’re looking at the following hot dog toppings:

• Best topping for a vegetarian hot dog
• Most popular hot dog toppings
• Meaty hot dog toppings
• Healthiest hot dog topping
• Best topping for a vegan hot dog
• Traditional hot dog toppings
• Best gourmet hot dog topping
• Best low-fat hot dog topping

Now let’s find out what they are...

What is a hot dog?

A hot dog can refer to both a type of grilled or boiled sausage, and the assembled dish of the sausage served in a sliced bread bun with condiments such as mustard and ketchup.

Hot dogs are heavily associated with American cuisine and culture, with hot dog eating competitions a national pastime.

The name hot dog is likely derived from the early 19th century slang of certain sausages as “dogs”, owing to the rumour they contained dog meat, and was first seen in print in 1900 in a newspaper cartoon recording the sale of “hot dogs” at a New York Giants baseball game.

Best topping for a vegetarian hot dog

A (meat-free) chilli cheese topping is perfect for a vegetarian hot dog, as the black or kidney beans in the chilli - along with other ingredients such as chillies, paprika, onions, carrots, garlic and tomatoes - are rich in protein, which some vegetarian alternatives might be lacking in.

Cheese also contains protein and good fats - a medium to mild cheddar is the best option for a chilli cheese dog as it has a smoother melt than more mature cheddar but still enough flavour to hold its own against the spice of chilli.

Most popular hot dog toppings

The most popular hot dog toppings are:

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Relish
• Grilled onions
• Jalapeños
• Cheese
• Chilli
• Sauerkraut

Where was the hotdog invented?

The frankfurter, a pork sausage with a thick, chewy skin similar to the hot dog, was invented in Germany and named for the German city of Frankfurt, but the serving of hot dogs in a bun is heavily associated with America.

There are several American origin stories of the hot dog, with a popular one attributing the practice of serving a sausage in bun to Harry M. Stevens, who ran out of waxed paper to serve the sausages in whilst selling them at the New York Polo Grounds. Another story credits the invention of the hot dog to a German immigrant with the name of Feuchtwanger and his wife, serving them in the Midwest towards the end of the 19th century.

Charles Feltman is another possible father of the hot dog - he is said to have commissioned a specialist cart to sell the dish at Coney Island in 1867, with a stove on which to boil the sausages and a compartment in which to keep warm bread buns.

Meaty hot dog toppings

Pulled pork is a good meaty hot dog topping because it adds a different, sweet flavour dimension without clashing or fighting with the sausage. It is also easy to sprinkle on top of the hot dog and adjust the amount to taste. Use pork shoulder to make the pulled pork, mixing it with ingredients like brown sugar, tomato puree, red wine vinegar, coca cola, ketchup and paprika for a sweet, juicy barbecue sauce that works perfectly with the meat.

Healthiest hot dog topping

Salsa verde is an easy and healthy hot dog topping, with a fresh, tangy taste to complement the juicy meat. Salsa verde is made by blending tomatillos (Mexican husk tomatoes), onions, jalapeños, lime juice, and coriander, so it is low-fat, low calorie, non-processed and bursting with vitamins that come from fruit, vegetables and herbs.

Do hot dogs contain any allergens?

Some hot dogs contain major food allergens and some don’t - there is no one set list of ingredients for a hot dog and some contain more meat than others, as well as a variety of other ingredients.

A hotdog might contain Cereals containing Gluten because it has rusk or breadcrumbs in it to bulk it up, and the allergens Mustard and Celery are sometimes added for flavour. A hotdog might even have Milk among the ingredients, or Soya if it is a plant-based hot dog. It is best to check the label or ingredient list of a hotdog to make sure if it does or doesn’t contain any of the 14 major food allergens.

Best topping for a vegan hot dog

A simple topping for a vegan hot dog is crushed up crisps/potato chips (a popular hot dog topping in several South American countries). They add both flavour and a welcome crunch - a common complaint levelled at vegan food is off-putting texture.

Another tasty topping for vegan hot dogs is hoisin sauce and finely sliced cucumber with a splash of sriracha - all plant-based and packing a flavour punch. Hoisin sauce is made with soybeans, sesame seeds, white vinegar, salt, garlic and red chilli peppers.

What are hot dogs made of?

Hot dogs are made with meat muscles - usually pork, but sometimes beef or even chicken. Traditionally the animal's intestines were used for hot dogs. There is no set list of other hot dog ingredients, but there are several popular additions for bulking out the meat or adding flavour.

These include rusk (wheat flour), garlic or garlic salt, sugar, potato starch, onions or onion powder, salt and spices - as well as stabilisers, raising agents and additives.

Traditional hot dog toppings

The traditional trio of hot dog toppings consists of:

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Grilled onions

There are also other traditional variations of hot dog toppings, such as the Coney Island hot dog - topped with mustard, raw onion, shredded cheddar and chilli, and the New York hot dog, which is topped with a spicy brown mustard and either sauerkraut or fried onions.

Other hot dog toppings that might be considered traditional are:

• Chilli
• Sauerkraut
• Pickle relish

Best gourmet hot dog topping

Gourmet hot dogs can be topped with anything so long as the bun and hot dog itself are of high quality, but a delicious gourmet topping for your dog is truffle mayonnaise with flakes of parmesan cheese and crispy shallots. Shallots are similar to onions, but slightly sweeter and with a more complex flavour profile.

Another indulgent gourmet topping is saffron aioli, made with olive oil, garlic and egg yolk and saffron - the world’s most expensive spice, which has an earthy yet sweet flavour.

Are hot dogs gluten-free?

Some hot dogs are gluten-free but many are not - hot dogs are made with processed meat, which often contains Cereals containing Gluten (such as wheat or rye). It is best to check the label or ingredient list to make sure a hot dog is gluten-free.

Best low-fat hot dog topping

The best low-fat hot dog topping is also one of the most popular and traditional - mustard. Mustard is very low-calorie and fat-free, even containing capsaicin, which is thought to have fat-burning properties.