| |

The Best Chicago Style Hot Dog Recipe

Craft the iconic Chicago-style hot dog with a brioche bun, beef dog, neon relish, peppers, celery salt, mustard, and crisp pickles. Taste the Windy City delight!

Three Chicago hot dogs topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard on a wooden cutting board.

This Chicago style hot dog recipe is the best way to enjoy an iconic hot dog at home! It’s the perfect hot dog to add to your next back yard bbq or hot dog bar.

Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this easy recipe to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be waiting there when you’re ready.

What are Chicago Style Hot Dogs?

A Chicago Dog is an all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun with mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle spears, hot peppers and celery salt. They originate from the city of Chicago, Illinois and are made “Chicago-style” with no ketchup.

Three Chicago hot dogs topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard on a wooden cutting board.

These windy city dogs are the full meal deal with colorful tomato wedges and a dill pickle spear. The iconic steamed poppy seed bun is difficult to find in grocery stores on the west coast, however it’s easy to make them at home!

Chicago hot dog held in a hand with the hot dog stand and city of Chicago in the background.

It’s also a challenge to find the traditional whole sport peppers outside of the Mid West, so we use delicious pickled jalapenos instead. After a recent trip to Chicago, I was even more determined to try to recreate this dog at home.

Honestly, these Chicago dogs are so good, I dream of making them in my sleep!

Chicago hot dog topped with pickle spear, sliced tomato, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard held in a hand.

This chicago style hot dog recipe is almost as good as the real thing and so fun to make for friends and family. Simply layer a beef frankfurter inside of poppyseed buns with sweet pickle relish, fresh tomatoes, diced onion, pickle spears, sports peppers and yellow mustard.

An authentic Chicago dog with poppyseed bun, pickle spear and tomato slice held in a hand.

This classic recipe is usually only found at hot dog stands in Chicago, the photo above is from one of those stands, but today you can wow the folks at home! If you have a chance to visit Chicago, be sure to stop by Relish Chicago Hot Dogs for the BEST EVER Chicago dog and friendliest staff.

Three Chicago hot dogs topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard on a wooden cutting board.

Chicago Hot Dog Recipe

This post contains affiliate links.

Supplies:

  • Wooden spoon – for scooping various toppings.
  • Medium pot – to cook the hot dogs in.
  • Tongs – perfect for grasping dogs.
  • Cutting board – to prepare toppings.
  • Knife – this is our go-to knife for slicing and dicing in the kitchen.
Chicago Style Hot Dog Ingredients in clear glass bowls.

Ingredients

  • All beef hot dogs
  • Hot dog buns **
  • Small white onion, diced
  • Large ripe tomato, sliced
  • Dill pickle spears, sliced
  • Pickled jalapeno peppers
  • Green pickle relish
  • Yellow mustard
  • Celery salt

** we love these brioche buns! Easily make them into poppyseed buns by brushing the outside of each bun with melted butter and sprinkling with a teaspoon poppy seeds.

Brioche buns in a bag.

Instructions

1. Prepare all of the toppings.

2. Remove the franks from the wrapper or natural casing. Place the hot dogs in boiling hot water until cooked.

Boiled hot dogs in a dutch oven.

3. Use a pair of tongs to place the dogs into a bun.

4. Layer half slices of tomato to one side of each hot dog and pickle spears to the other.

5. Top with bright green relish, diced onion, jalapenos, mustard and a dash of celery salt.

Three Chicago hot dogs topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard on a wooden cutting board.

This easy recipe makes 6 Chicago-style dogs! A true Chicago dog is one of those iconic foods that everyone should try at least once in their life.

Three Chicago hot dogs topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard on a wooden cutting board.

More topping options

  • Thin wedges of tomato
  • Sweet relish
  • Polish beef dog
  • Kosher pickle spear
  • Sweet onion
Three Chicago hot dogs topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard on a wooden cutting board.

How long do you cook hot dogs?

  • Hot dogs may be cooked in a slow cooker on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours.
  • When boiling hot dogs cook them for 4-6 minutes. Learn how to boil hot dogs in this post.
  • Hot dogs can be cooked on the BBQ grill for 7-10 minutes.
  • Smoked hot dogs take 60 minutes to cook when smoked at 225 degrees F.
  • Baked hot dogs in the oven take about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Learn how to bake hot dogs in this post.
  • Air fry hot dogs for 5-7 minutes at 300 degrees.

Leftover hot dogs may be stored in an airtight container for up to one week in the fridge. You can microwave hot dogs to re heat them for later.

Three Chicago hot dogs topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard on a wooden cutting board.

This Chicago dog recipe is the best way to add healthy recipes to your hot dog line up. It’s chock full of fresh, healthy ingredients that everyone loves!

Must try hot dog varieties

Hot dog topped with pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, pickled peppers and mustard held in a hand.

Be sure to check out these 20+ MUST TRY Hot Dog Recipes too!

If you love this Chicago hot dog recipe as much as we do, please give it a five star review and help me share it on Facebook or Pinterest so that other can enjoy it too!

Chicago Style Hot Dog Recipe

Chicago Style Hot Dog Recipe

This Chicago style hot dog recipe is the best way to enjoy an iconic hot dog at home! This is the perfect hot dog to add to your next back yard bbq or hot dog bar.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Heather Painchaud
Print

Ingredients
 

  • 6 all beef hot dogs
  • 6 hot dog buns
  • Small white onion diced
  • Large ripe tomato sliced
  • Dill pickle spears sliced
  • Pickled jalapeno peppers
  • Green pickle relish
  • Yellow mustard
  • Celery salt

Instructions

  • 1. Prepare all of the toppings.
  • 2. Remove the dogs from the wrapper or natural casing. Place the hot dogs in boiling hot water until cooked.
  • 3. Use a pair of tongs to place the dogs into a bun.
  • 4. Layer half slices of tomato to one side of each hot dog and pickle spears to the other.
  • 5. Top with bright green relish, diced onion, jalapenos, mustard and a dash of celery salt.

Video

about heather

Hello, I’m Heather!

I'm an active mom of twin boys who is always looking for opportunities to inspire creativity through fun crafts, do-it-yourself projects and delicious recipes. This blog has been an integral part of supporting my little family and I am so grateful to have you become a part of our journey! Let's create together... Read more...

Subscribe
Notify of

4 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

I’m in Chicago been here for over 60 years and that IS NOT a ‘Chicago’ style hot dog.It is a bad representation of one. No where in my area do they put Jalapeño peppers on it. We use sport peppers , a pickle spear, way more onions, tomatoe slices, and the famous Vienna Beef green relish,mustard and celery salt on the poppy seed bun. Thanks for the shout out about our Chicago hot dog , please get it right.
Thanks

Nothing is “just as delicious” than the real thing. A knockoff does not deserve to be called Chicago Style. Either it is Chicago or it isn’t. Call it something else.