Smoky, tangy, and delicious, this is my mom’s recipe for saucy Hot Dog Onions. They’re my favorite way to top my franks, and they only take about 15 minutes to make!
Hot Dog Onions
Now that the weather is getting warm, we’ll be making lots of grilled hot dogs with onions at our backyard barbeques. Here in New York City, you can get your hot dogs from street vendors with sauerkraut, ketchup, mustard, or saucy hot dog onions. New York Hot Dog Onions have always been my go-to topping, and I usually add some ketchup and mustard. With some pantry staples, you can whip up your own onions from scratch with this easy recipe. Trust me, they’re the best onions for hot dogs, perfect for your next BBQ. Serve them with baked beans, potato salad or macaroni salad on the side to make it a meal.
What is the healthiest hot dog you can eat?
I buy uncured, organic chicken or turkey hot dogs, which are generally lower in saturated fat and less processed than beef. Applegate is usually my brand of choice. If you’re vegan, you can also use carrot dogs.
Hot Dog Onion Sauce Ingredients
- Onions: Thinly slice two large onions.
- Olive Oil to sauté the onions in
- Vinegar: I used white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar would work too.
- Tomato Sauce: You’ll need one small can of tomato sauce.
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- Hot Sauce: I used Frank’s RedHot. Add more or less depending on your spice preference.
- Water to simmer the onions in
How to Make Hot Dog Onions
These easy hot dog onions are fast and can be made a few days ahead! And if you’re having a BBQ, you can double or triple the recipe to feed more people.
- Sauté onions in oil in a small pot on medium-low for six to eight minutes until tender.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for five to 10 minutes.
What to Serve with Hot Dog Onions
This onion sauce for hot dogs recipe would also be great on sausage. Serve them with Air Fryer French Fries or Sweet Potato Fries and dip them in this Spicy Chipotle Ketchup or Homemade Ketchup. If you don’t want fries, this Rainbow Potato Salad, Cabbage Slaw, or Chopped Wedge Salad would all be delish. Of course you can’t go wrong with baked beans!
How to Store
Refrigerate onions for up to 5 days.
What’s Your Favorite Hot Dog Topping?
Share in the comments below! I’d love to try new hot dog toppings this summer.
More Summer Recipes You’ll Love
- Homemade Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce
- Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes
- Baby Red Potato Salad with Apples
- Pickled Onions
- Crustless Summer Zucchini Pie
Hot Dog Onions Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce, (I used Franks)
- 1 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Saute onion in oil in a small pot for about 6 to 8 minutes, medium-low until tender.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
1 1/4 cup water turned this into soup! Terrible!! Proofreading recipe would help
Awesome!😋😋😋
Very solid flavor n it does remind me of the NYC hot dog carts, especially if dressing an all-beef wiener. This onion sauce is great over polska kielbasa or bratwurst with a little spicy brown mustard, as well!
Very versatile to use on most anything. However, we did find it to be a lot for two people. We transferred the “leftover” to a glass jar & refrigeratored it. What’s the time frame on a shelf life?
excellent choice taste like back home ny
Tastes just like I remember as a young girl…Perfect! I did add a few slices of Serrano chili in to the mix and it gave it the zip I’m looking for. Put otherwise perfect for the average consumer.
My first time making this. Delicious! I will make this again. So easy.
Kinda figured this but one ingredient I never knew thanks
This is so delicious on turkey dogs!!!!💯💯💯💯💖💖💖💖
Saucy goodness!! Just enjoyed these over chicken sausage. Amazing flavor and so easy!
Very tasty addition to a grilled hot dog. I typically can’t do spicy but these were just the right amount of spice and didn’t bother me at all!
Easy and oh so yummy.
Thanks Gina
Trying these today! Sound yummy.
Made this last week and find it to be a very versatile recipe. Husband loves it and that’s saying a lot from the world’s pickiest eater. The only thing we haven’t eaten it with is hot dogs. So far I’ve served it on a turkey burger, air fryer chicken breast sandwich and (non ST recipe) bulgogi steak sandwich. I did decrease the water and increase vinegar to 1/4C. Also added 1/4 tsp celery seed and 1 tsp monk fruit sweetener. Since it’s just the two of us, I canned the extra to have on hand when needed.
Great, the onions are so sweet and wonderful, nice to have some extra to use in sandwiches or eggs etc. Great with the beans. We like our beans a bit more cooked so I steam them in microwave with a bit of broth and then put on baking sheet awhile. Like this a lot any day not just a holiday. Had this with some chicken and made skinny taste foil wrapped potatoes which we loved as well.
That’s great, I never had them with beans. Assuming baked beans?