Sonoran Hot Dog With Salsa Verde Mayo Recipe

There are myriad styles of hot dogs out there, from the tomato and pickle-garnished Chicago dog to the ubiquitous chili cheese dog. Yet another regional specialty is the Sonoran, a unique type of hot dog that features a bacon-wrapped frank and Mexican-inspired toppings like beans and salsa verde, all stuffed into a bolillo roll. Sonoran hot dogs originated in — you guessed it — the Sonoran region of Mexico, but they're particularly popular in a state that borders Mexico: Arizona. They're about as maximalist as a hot dog can get, which is what makes them especially fun to make at home.

Recipe developer Patterson Watkins has just the at-home Sonoran hot dog fix with her recipe, one that comes topped off with a salsa verde mayo for optimal spicy-rich decadence. Watkins put in quite a bit of research to make sure she got this recipe right, and ended up with something that she proudly calls "a new favorite hot dog and topping combination." She specifically appreciates "the smoky bacon flavor contrast to the creamy salsa verde mayo (with that pop of fresh cilantro)." She also gives a shout-out to those fresher toppings like jalapeños, onion, and tomato, which offer a nice counter to the buttery pinto beans and fluffy bolillo roll, making for one absolutely stuffed yet well-rounded and cohesive hot dog.

The base of any good hot dog is the bun, and Sonoran hot dogs feature not a standard hot dog bun but rather the bolillo roll, an ovular-shaped Mexican bread that has a nice, fluffy interior and subtly crusty exterior. Buns aside, you'll also need the hot dogs themselves — any eight-count package of your favorite franks will do, along with slices of bacon to wrap them in and some olive oil for brushing.

For the salsa verde mayo portion of this recipe, you'll need olive oil, garlic, minced yellow onion, mayonnaise, jarred salsa verde, fresh cilantro, and salt. Then, to garnish the Sonoran dogs, you'll want a can of pinto beans, minced yellow onion, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeño, and yellow mustard. 

Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Wrap the hot dogs in bacon and secure with toothpicks.

Place the wrapped hot dogs on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush the hot dogs with olive oil and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and crisp.

While the hot dogs are baking, make the salsa verde mayo by heating the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.

Once hot, add the garlic and onion, and saute for 3 minutes or until tender.

Transfer the sauteed garlic and onion to the bowl of a food processor.

Add the mayonnaise, salsa, and cilantro to the food processor.

Blend until smooth and set aside until ready to assemble. Season to taste with salt.

Split the rolls down the center, splitting just enough so the hot dogs will fit snugly.

Once the hot dogs have baked, remove them from the oven and set them aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Coat the rolls in the bacon drippings and place them on the baking sheet.

Divide the pinto beans between the buns and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes or until the rolls are lightly toasted.

Place the hot dogs inside the buns.

Top the hot dogs with onion, tomato, and jalapeño.

Drizzle the hot dogs with mustard and salsa verde mayo.

Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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It's commonplace for a Sonoran hot dog to feature some sort of creamy condiment, be it straight-up mayonnaise, crema, or some sort of spiced-up crema concoction. Watkins opted for that latter route when creating her salsa verde mayo to drizzle onto the Sonoran hot dogs, and it's one that packs quite a bit of creamy, zesty flavor. Depending on how heavy-handed you are with the hot dog drizzling, you may not even end up with any leftover salsa verde mayo — but, in case you do, there are plenty of other delicious ways to put the sauce to good use.

"If you are not as saucy as I am, you'll find yourself with some leftover salsa mayo," Watkins says, adding, "This sauce would make for an excellent drizzling option on other Southwest or Tex-Mex foods." Think burritos, tacos, taquitos, nachos, or even eggs (chilaquiles or huevos rancheros would both be great pairing options). Otherwise, you can expand your horizon and think broader. "It would also make for a great dip for wings or onion rings, potato chips, [or] crudite veggies," Watkins adds. And, while she does note that the salsa verde mayo is considerably runnier than your average mayo-based sandwich condiment, she nonetheless "could see this making an excellent dressing for zestier sandwich wraps."

While Watkins did carefully craft this recipe to check all of the boxes for a tried-and-true Sonoran hot dog, part of the fun is cooking them up and customizing them to your liking. For starters, if you're a fan of grilling, then you can opt for that over oven-baking when it comes to cooking the hot dogs. "Keep your grill at a reasonable temperature (medium to medium-low) as to not burn the toothpicks or get any aggressive flare-ups from the bacon rendering," Watkins advises. If you don't have an outdoor grill, then she notes that a grill pan on the stovetop will work as well.

Another way to adjust this recipe is to tweak the heat level. As-is, any heat coming from the hot dog will depend on what type of salsa verde you purchase from the store and how hot your jalapeños are. "If you'd like to reduce the spice/heat level in this recipe, feel free to substitute the jalapeño peppers for diced or minced green bell peppers and pick a jarred salsa verde on the milder side," Watkins recommends. On the other hand, pick the spiciest salsa verde you can find if you really want to pack in the heat, and layer those jalapeños on for a nice spicy kick.

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