The Pescatarian-Friendly Hot Dog That Deserves A Spot At Your Next Cookout

Pescatarians don't always have a lot of options at cookouts or BBQs, where the focus is almost always on grilled meat. Of course, there are many BBQ meat substitutes they can jump on to try, like jackfruit, tofu dogs, and seitan burgers. However, it's rare to see a grill-friendly seafood or fish option that's gone mainstream and can be served to a crowd. Options like store-bought frozen salmon burgers or shrimp burgers can be pricey, too, and don't always grill successfully without falling apart. That might be all about to change, though, once pescatarians discover the magic of the Norwegian brand Kvarøy Arctic, which has expanded recently in the United States. Its products are now available in some Whole Foods locations around the country. So Nordic seafood lovers, buckle up. Kvarøy Arctic makes salmon hot dogs that are not only grill-friendly, but come in multiple flavors, including original, cheese, jalapeño and cheese, and chile and cheese.

So what's in a salmon dog, exactly? The Kvarøy Arctic company prides itself on being a sustainable farm-raised seafood brand. The hot dogs list arctic-farmed salmon as the main ingredient (52 percent), but note that they also contain milk, butter, potato starch, dry cream, and even cottage cheese in some flavors, so if you avoid dairy but eat seafood, these are not for you. 

Once you successfully grill your salmon dogs, you might wonder how exactly to enjoy them. They aren't exactly like a regular hot dog, so you might consider ketchup to be out (more on that in a minute). Then, which toppings exactly go well with fish? Kvarøy Arctic has various hot dog recipe recommendations on its website if you're looking for creative ideas. Some stand-out potential recipes include saucy salmon street dogs topped with fried potato sticks, pickled red onion, wasabi mayo, and dill sauce. Another recipe option would be a Korean-inspired twist of enjoying the original and cheese dogs topped with mozzarella, kimchi relish, and gochujang mayo. According to the brand, you can also simply enjoy them skewered, grilled, and yes, even dipped in ketchup, if that appeals to you. 

And if you're wondering why else to make the switch to salmon over a traditional hot dog, there are some health benefits to eating these, too. One serving of two salmon dogs contains 14 grams of protein and 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, which is the recommended daily amount for healthy adults.