Fancy Hot Dogs & Sausages

Forget plain hot dogs and up your game with these fancy hot dogs! In this guide, I'm sharing my go-to gourmet hot dogs plus my favorite hot dog toppings.

---

My dad loves hot dogs. I mean, he loves a lot of things, but he has a fondness for hot dogs; let's put it that way. I'm excited to share some of his favorite hot dog recipes I've created. Bonus: Mix things up and use delicious sausages too.

Jump to:

• Growing Up Hot Dog Recipes For Dinner
• 1. Beer Brat + Toppings
• 2. Chicken Sausage + Toppings
• 3. Bison Sausage + Toppings
• 4. Wild Game Sausage + Toppings
• Ready to Make Fancy Hot Dogs?
• Fancy Hot Dogs

Growing Up Hot Dog Recipes For Dinner

We grew up with beanie wienies on dad's night to cook, snacking on cold hot dogs from the fridge, and of course the good old, fire-charred cookout hot dog at the cabin in the summer.

(Please note, the charring of the hot dog was purely due to my lack of fire cooking skills and not my father's doing.)

These days my hot dog of choice is still one cooked over the fire, one night a year, at the cabin. However I've become quite a fan of eating fancy sausages like hot dogs, and boy oh boy do I like coming up with gourmet hot dog toppings.

Now, of course, you can top a regular old plain hot dog with awesome ingredients. It will seriously be delicious (I've tried it).

But get a load of some of the fun sausages out there and try your hand at packing on the flavor for fancy specialty hot dogs.

Hot Dog Side Dishes

Of course with these hot dogs, I have some of my favorite side dishes to make the meal complete. My go-to hot dog dinner sides are Boston Baked Beans and Corn Fritters.

Now, let's dive into dad's and my favorite gourmet hot dogs, and my go-to hot dog topping ideas for each. If you're unsure what to put on hot dogs, you're in the right place!

1. Beer Brat + Toppings

The beer brat is classic. A bratwurst is a type of German sausage. In Wisconsin and other states that want to do it up right, a beer brat is soaked in beer before or after grilling.

For me, just a great flavorful brat is fine without the beer, but try it for extra flavor. Try Saag's brats, a Hillshire Farm, or Johnsonville brand for authentic flavor.

My fancy sausage toppings include sauerkraut, bacon, and grainy mustard.

2. Chicken Sausage + Toppings

If you haven't tried chicken sausage, you're missing out. Truly! There are some tasty ones out there. Plus they are a great base for so many chicken sausage toppings.

This gourmet chicken sausage from Al Fresco is flavored with Asiago and roasted red pepper. I went ahead and intensified those flavors by topping it with some spicy peppers, onions, and more cheese!

If you love a good kick, try these Andouille chicken sausages too. Get creative with the chicken sausage hot dog toppings--I love cooked peppers, onions, and even shredded iceberg lettuce. Grill them of course, they love a bit of char.

3. Bison Sausage + Toppings

Oh, Mamacita! These are my favorite. Bison sausage is packed with meaty flavor and pairs well with just about any hot dog topping.

Some charred onions and yellow mustard are all it takes to make these into truly gourmet hot dogs. Otherwise, I love adding cheese.

Try these Bison sausages from High Plains Bison.

4. Wild Game Sausage + Toppings

If you've really gone off the hot dog wagon and are on to sausages, try game sausage.

Dartagnan has a game sampler that is pretty out of this world with duck, rabbit, veal and wild boar. They really get your taste buds going.

Try topping your wild game sausages with chimichurri, or avocado.

Ready to Make Fancy Hot Dogs?

Now that you have a few gourmet hot dog topping ideas tucked up your sleeve, you're ready to kindle the campfire, or the grill and get cooking! Your fancy hot dog recipes will be the hit of the BBQ, I can guarantee it.

If you want to round out the meal with a few campfire sides, try making my Asian Slaw or Shredded Carrot Salad.

Let me know in the comments below which of the fancy hot dog ideas I've shared in this post sounds best to you!

Newest recipes from Tara Teaspoon!

Recipes Tara Teaspoon. Originally published LHJ 6/11. Photography Yunhee Kim. Updated May 2023.