Tips for Success
All American Hot Dog Cart Recipe Book
The American Hotdog Council estimates that Americans eat 20 billion hotdogs each year. Hotdogs are enjoyed in 95% of U.S. households. That works out to be about 70 hot dogs eaten per person in the USA each year. The variety of toppings and condiments used is remarkable.
People enjoy purchasing specialty foods and foods with a theme or regional focus. American style hotdogs have a host of special regional based recipes. Each region seems to have invented many unique ways to dress up a hotdog. These recipes then migrate across the country, taking the regional name with them, to be enjoyed by American hot dog connoisseurs everywhere.
The list is endless but here are a few of Willies hot dog recipes that you can use in your hot dog cart menu:
Chicago Dog: hotdog on a poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, green relish, chopped onions, tomato slices, dill pickle spear, sport (chili) peppers and a dash of celery salt. (No tomato ketchup in a true Chicago dog!)
New York Dog:hotdog on a bun with spicy mustard, red onion sauce and sauerkraut.
New England Dog: hotdog on a bun with fried onions, melted cheese, and mustard.
TexasDog: hotdog on a bun with chili sauce, cheese, and jalapenos.
Rockie Dog: hotdog on a bun with grilled peppers, sauer kraut, and chopped onions.
Kraut Dog: hotdog on a bun with hot spicy mustard and sauer kraut.
Classic American Hot Dog: hotdog on a bun with tomato ketchup, yellow mustard, green relish, and chopped onions.
Coney Style Chili Cheese Dog: hotdog on a bun with mustard, chili sauce, chopped onions, and grated cheese.
Hot Dog Chili recipe:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (3 oz.) can tomato paste
- 3 oz. water
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. salt
Brown ground beef. Drain off fat. Add onion and tomato paste, salt and water, and chili powder. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Other spices may be added to taste such as Italian seasoning, celery salt, pepper, red pepper and paprika. Also you can try adding some Worcestershire sauce, a clove of chopped garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and mustard to give some variety .
Red Onion Sauce for New York Style Hot Dogs:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions-chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Stir in the cinnamon and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, water, hot sauce and salt and black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook mixture for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature before serving. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but bring to room temperature before serving.
Make up your own custom hotdog recipe. But always remember to dress the dog and not the bun. Apply condiments to any hotdog in the following order: First add the wet condiments such as mustard, ketchup and chili. Then add the chunkier condiments such as relish, onions, sauerkraut, etc. Then you can add your shredded cheese and finally spices such as pepper or celery salt.
Have you got a delicious hot dog recipe that you would like to share? Send it to us and we may add it to this list of True All American Hot Dog Cart Recipes.