Forget your boring hot dogs and make this Chicago hot dog recipe on your next camping trip. Everyone will be calling dibs on dese dogs!…

Chicago style hot dogs are packed with vegetables that often leave them described as “dragged through the garden.” They’re a veritable treat for your taste buds that balances the high heat of sport peppers with sweet relish and a savory beef frankfurter… and more.

In our Chicago dog recipe, we’ve made a few tweaks to accommodate cooking them while camping. But we also note what the classic recipe would do.

For instance, a true Chicago dog is boiled and has a steamed poppy seed bun. But our recipe allows for grilling and slightly toasting the bun, which qualifies them as char dogs. Either way, the result is still the perfect hot dog for your camping trip.

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What Is on an Original Chicago Hot Dog?

The 7 toppings of the Windy City’s iconic dish are tomato slices, green relish, a dill pickle spear, chopped onion, yellow mustard, sports peppers, and a sprinkle of celery salt. They all sit on top of a beef dog in a poppyseed bun.

Most Chicago hot dog stands, whether at Wrigley Field or down the street from the Chicago Tribune, use Vienna beef franks. A Vienna beef frank is considered the “real thing” because of its natural casing that gives a nice “snap” to the dog.

You can likely buy Vienna at your grocery store, but if not, Hebrew National is a nice alternative. If you don’t have poppyseed buns, you can use a regular hot dog bun and sprinkle a teaspoon of poppy seeds on top.

(By the way, we also have a New-York Style Hot Dog Recipe.)

Ready for Your Chicago-Style Dog?

Chicago Hot Dog Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Recipe by Camping Food Recipes Course: MainCuisine: American, ChicagoDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Tired of boring hot dogs with ketchup and mustard? Next time you go camping, make Chicago dogs instead. Everyone will be calling dibs on dese dogs!

Ingredients

4 4 all-beef hot dogs (preferably Vienna Franks)
4 4 poppy seed hot dog buns
1 1 tomato, sliced into wedges
1 1 small onion, chopped
sweet pickle relish
yellow mustard
4 4 dill pickle spears
8 8 sport peppers (if unavailable: pepperoncini will do)
celery salt

Directions

Boil or grill hot dogs until warmed through (about 5 minutes). Traditional Chicago dogs are boiled, but if you’re camping and the grill is easier, go for it.
While the hot dogs are warming. Very lightly toast or warm the hot dog buns. (Chicago dog buns are typically steamed, but… camping.)
Once warmed through, place hot dogs in buns and pile on as much mustard, relish, and onion as you like. Nestle a couple of tomato wedges on one side and a single pickle spear on the other side. Top with two sport peppers (if you can handle the heat) and a generous dash of celery salt.
Don’t even eyeball that ketchup bottle! Serve “dese dogs” immediately and be in awe of the flavor combination.