Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

By Eric Kim

Published July 27, 2022

Chicago-Style Hot Dogs
Dane Tashima for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(701)
Comments
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Often described as “dragged through the garden” — referring to all of the vegetable toppings — this hot dog is a joy to eat in honor of the Windy City. A proper Chicago dog is an all-beef frankfurter (such as Vienna Beef) in a poppy seed bun, topped with yellow mustard, neon-green sweet pickle relish, chopped white onion, tomato slices, a dill pickle spear, pickled sport peppers and celery salt. This stovetop recipe is very forgiving, and there are ways to adapt: No poppy seed buns? Just sprinkle a pinch of loose poppy seeds over regular hot dog buns slathered in melted butter. No neon-green sweet relish? Stir a drop or two of green food coloring into regular sweet relish. If you can’t find Chicago-style sport peppers, then sliced pepperoncini works in a pinch. Don’t skip the celery salt; its herbal lightness makes these dogs shine.

Featured in: Welcome to Chicago, Hot Dog Town, U.S.A.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4split poppy seed hot dog buns
  • 4all-beef hot dogs, preferably bun-length
  • Yellow mustard
  • ¼cup sweet pickle relish
  • 1small white onion, small-diced
  • 1small tomato, halved and thickly sliced lengthwise
  • 4dill pickle spears
  • 4 to 8sport peppers
  • Celery salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

432 calories; 16 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 912 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large skillet over medium, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Without splitting them in half completely, gently flatten the hot dog buns and place them seam-side up in the pan. Move them around to catch all the melted butter and cook until very lightly toasted at the edges, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove the buns and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Raise the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, add the hot dogs and cook, rolling occasionally until all sides are browned and looking crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. (See Tip if grilling.)

  3. Step 3

    Place the cooked dogs in the buns and top each with as much yellow mustard, relish and onion as you like. On one side of each dog, place a couple of tomato slices; on the other side, place a single pickle spear. Top with as many sport peppers as you can handle. Generously season with the celery salt and serve immediately.

Tip
  • If you’re grilling, just cook the hot dogs over direct medium heat until charred and blistered in spots, 8 to 10 minutes, and meanwhile toast the buns over the open flame as well, about 30 seconds.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
701 user ratings
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Comments

jim walker

Actually, remove step one and boil the dogs is the “normal” Chicago hot dog stand style. This grilled style is from one hot dog stand in Chicago called gold coast dog’s. It’s good, but unique to them. Also, it is critical to get good all beef hot dogs. Vienna Beef is optimal.

Greg Payne

I’m from Chicago. Steam or microwave the buns til they’re soft, 30 seconds or so. Butter! Ridiculous! Microwave the buns with a damp paper towel. Works for tortillas/tacos too. We use Ball Park Beef franks here in the Bay Area. Hebrew Nationals are good too. Warm the dogs in water. Use any condiments you like. I do think the celery salt puts the “Chicago” spin on them.

Eric

My time has finally come! Vienna Beef hot dogs are essential. Sahlen's hot dogs are a decent replacement (Wegmans if outside NY), but at least a hot dog with a natural casing. The snap to the casing is one of the best parts! Steam the hot dogs in a pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan (no need to cover the hot dogs!). Steam or wrap the buns in a wet paper towel and microwave. World Market typically sells sport peppers, and sometimes the neon green relish!

Kathy B.

Live in Texas now. . .moved from Chicago. No butter. Yes to the boiled hotdog, BUT there IS the char-dog. Tasty Dog and Michael's Beef in Oak Park had char-dogs. Vienna beef is the Cadillac of dogs. We have to buy Hebrew National in Texas, which is second best. Yes to celery salt. No to celery seed. French's mustard necessary. Never catsup. Yes to steamed poppy seed buns. Yes to sport peppers, onions, tomatoes and a big fat Kosher dill pickle spear. Gourmet!

Name Linda Criss

The absolute most delicious all beef hotdogs are Zweiglers from Rochester, N.Y. Their white hots are equally beyond the pale as well.

aprilmom

I wonder if anyone has sent a nice, big order of Vienna beef hot dogs, poppy seed buns, sport peppers, kosher dill pickle spears, a plastic squeeze bottle of French’s yellow mustard and a jar of neon green relish to Pope Leo yet. I’m sure he could find some nice, sliced tomatoes where he lives now, to make his meal complete. Also, do any of the other native Chicagoans remember the garlicky Polish sausages, also with natural casings, that you could get throughout Chicago?

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