Sauerkraut and Hot Dogs Recipe

The next time you serve hot dogs for dinner, get creative with them and try out this Sauerkraut and Hot Dogs Recipe! These delicious hot dogs are topped with tangy sauerkraut, sweet caramelized onions and grainy, brown mustard.

A delicious grilled hot dog recipe makes it's way into our weekly dinner plans at least once a month. It's a quick dinner that makes everyone in the house happy. Of course, my kids stick to the classic toppings - ketchup, yellow mustard and some pickles on the side.

My husband and I are often in the mood for a grown-up version of the classic hot dog though! This recipe for Sauerkraut Hot Dogs is exactly what we're looking for!

The cold, crisp sauerkraut adds the perfect amount of crunch. The sweet, caramelized onions balance out the vinegar tang from the sauerkraut. The grainy, stoneground mustard rounds all of the flavors out perfectly!

These hot dogs can be cooked however you prefer - on the grill, in a frying pan cooked in olive oil or butter, in the air fryer or boiled.

Hot dogs for dinner are obviously more of a summertime meal. Some of my other favorite summer dinners include my Healthy Turkey Burgers, my Air Fryer Frozen Turkey Burgers, and my Whole 30 Pulled Pork.

Jump to:

• 🥘Ingredients
• 🔪Equipment needed
• 📋 Instructions
• 🌭Ingredient substitutions
• 📖Variations
• 🍽Storage
• ⭐Top tips
• 🥗Serving suggestions
• 📖 Recipe
• 💭Follow me

🥘Ingredients

• Hot dogs - I used beef hotdogs for this recipe, but you could also use pork hotdogs or turkey hotdogs.
• Sauerkraut - Sauerkraut is finely chopped, fermented raw cabbage. Sauerkraut can be purchased with no added ingredients, or you can find it in a variety of flavors. I chose a dill and garlic sauerkraut from Saverne Artisanal Kraut. You can also find sauerkraut flavored with caraway seeds, sriracha, jalapenos, beets, turmeric and ginger. You don't have to purchase sauerkraut from the grocery store, you could make your own using a homemade sauerkraut recipe!
• Brown mustard - I really prefer a grainy, brown mustard for this hot dogs recipe. Woodstock Organic Stoneground Mustard is a great choice! You could swap out the brown mustard though, for a Dijon mustard, spicy brown mustard or a German mustard.
• Hot dog buns - Choose whatever hotdog buns that you prefer!
• Onions - The onions are used to make the caramelized onions. Caramelized onions are cooked over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes. They take some time to cook, but they are such a delicious hot dog topping, they are worth the extra cooking time!
• Butter & salt

*See recipe card for exact quantities.

🔪Equipment needed

• Large frying pan, outdoor grill or stock pot - You can use any of these cooking tools to make your hot dogs. Choose whichever one that you prefer!
• Large skillet with deep sides - This will be used to make your caramelized onions. The onions eventually cook down, but to start, you will need a deep frying pan or skillet.
• Cutting board & chopping knife

📋 Instructions

Step 1: Thinly slice each medium onion and place them into a hot, oiled, large skillet.

Step 4: While the onions are caramelizing, cook your hot dogs. I prefer to sauté hot dogs in a frying pan on the stovetop. You can also grill your hot dogs or boil them in water.

Get the rest of your ingredients out and ready - the sauerkraut, mustard and hot dog rolls. You can lay everything out on a cookie sheet (sheet pan) lined with parchment paper like I did. This will make it easy to transfer your finished Sauerkraut and Hot Dogs Recipe to the table.

Step 5: When your onions have finished caramelizing, you can start layering your ingredients onto the hotdogs! Start with a scoop of onions.

Step 6: Add a scoop of sauerkraut on top of the onions.

Step 7: Top the sauerkraut with a layer of mustard.

That's it! Serve the hot dogs immediately and make as many hot dogs as you need using these toppings.

🌭Ingredient substitutions

• Mustard - If grainy mustard isn't for you then you can substitute in yellow mustard, Dijon mustard or honey mustard.
• Buns - To make this recipe gluten free, you can use gluten free hot dog buns. Pretzel buns would also be delicious! Check the bakery section of your grocery store for pretzel hot dog buns.
• Hot dogs- The meat based hot dogs can be replaced with a vegetarian hot dog to make this a plant-based meal. You can also swap out the beef/pork hot dogs for turkey dogs.

📖Variations

• Spicy - Use a sriracha or jalapeno based sauerkraut to add some heat to this recipe!
• Kid friendly - Kids may not be a fan of this recipe, luckily you can easily adapt hot dogs for dinner night to fit anyone's preferences!
• Other topping options - Some other toppings that I think would be delicious are sweet pickle relish, Thousand Island Dressing, sour cream, melted swiss cheese, a pinch of black pepper and sautéed bell peppers.

🍽Storage

Store leftover ingredients separately. The jars of mustard and leftover sauerkraut can last in the fridge for weeks. Store leftover caramelized onions and leftover cooked hot dogs in a sealed, air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

🥗Serving suggestions

Sauerkraut and Hot Dogs is an easy recipe that can be served with a variety of different sides! You can keep it simple and serve hot dogs with potato chips, French fries or macaroni salad.

Sauerkraut hot dogs would also go well with a fresh green salad, grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes or loaded mashed potatoes.

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📖 Recipe

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