Chicago-Style Hot Dog Recipe

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There are countless hot dog styles throughout the United States, with various regions offering distinct takes on the humble handheld. The Chicago-style hot dog is definitely one of the more widely-recognized hot dog variations out there, with loyalists rallying behind the iconic wiener's loaded nature and non-negotiable balance of toppings.

It is easy to see why folks love a good Chicago dog. These hot dogs are uniquely delicious and boast a plethora of crunchy, briny, and fresh toppings, with that "dragged through the garden" appeal. They are a symbol of Chicago pride, with structured rules and regulations around their assembly — rules and regulations that restaurants and hot dog shops adhere to as well, with only the teeniest tweaks and variations. I am a big fan of this style of hot dog, and as a fan, I wanted to make sure to craft this Chicago-style hot dog recipe as close to the real deal as possible. All essential components are at play here: the all-beef franks, yellow mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato slices, dill pickles, sport peppers, and celery salt. I even made sure to include a semi-DIY approach on a poppyseed bun (don't worry, no bread-making is required) to stay positively true to the Chicago dog in all its glory.

For the DIY poppyseed buns, you will need a package of hot dog buns, a beaten egg, and poppyseeds. For the hot dogs, I recommend a snappy all-beef option that is bun-length. If you can find Vienna Beef brand hot dogs, those are the best choice as they are widely used for Chicago-style dogs. I used Hebrew National beef franks and they worked well as a nice substitute.

For the toppings, you'll need yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickled relish or Chicago's signature neon-green relish, dill pickle spears, Roma tomato wedges, sport peppers, and celery salt. Sport peppers are tangy, slightly spicy pickled chili peppers. They are punchier than pepperoncini peppers, but pepperoncinis can be used in a pinch.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the buns on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush the buns with egg wash.

Generously sprinkle the buns with poppyseeds and place in the oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until the poppyseeds have adhered to the buns.

Remove the buns from the oven and set aside on a wire rack. Drape a clean kitchen towel over the baking sheet to keep the buns from drying out.

Place hot dogs in a large pot or saucepan.

Cover the hot dogs with water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes or until the hot dogs are hot throughout.

To assemble, divide the hot dogs between the poppyseed buns.

Drizzle the hot dogs generously with mustard.

Top with chopped white onions and sweet pickle relish.

Top with a pickle spear, 2 tomato wedges, and 2 to 3 sport peppers.

Sprinkle the hot dogs with a pinch of celery salt before serving.

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Many Chicago-style hot dog shops steam their hot dogs, so there are certainly other ways to cook them. My hot water bath-method is not necessarily frowned upon by Chicagoans, but it is not necessarily the classic approach, either — it's one amended to make it easier for the home cook. You can absolutely steam your hot dogs, if desired. All you need to do is set up a pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring the water to a boil, and add the hot dogs. Steam until hot throughout.

Grilling your hot dogs is another option. Some Chicago shops do grill or char their hot dogs. It adds a nice, slightly smoky element that pairs really well with all the veggie accouterments. You can use a traditional grill or grill pan for this method. Grill your dogs until you see grill marks forming, the dogs are hot throughout, and possibly even until there's some char (if desired).

You do not need to make your own semi-homemade poppyseed hot dog buns, but it does add a certain homemade flair to this recipe without getting too complicated. You can absolutely skip that step entirely and go with the standard plain bun or a store-bought poppyseed bun. Personally, I am a fan of potato bread buns. I like that sweet, buttery flavor. Feel free to use your favorite bun for this recipe. You can also alternate between top-sliced or side-sliced buns. Both will work for this recipe, although I find top-sliced buns to be a little weak and not up to the task of containing all of these toppers.

The benefit of making semi-homemade poppyseed buns (applying seeds to regular buns and baking them) is that you get that quintessential Chicago-dog vessel without much hassle, and you can get creative with exactly what type of bun you're starting with. Plus, you get that fresh-baked flair since the buns are warmed in the oven, resulting in soft, tender buns that taste that much better once loaded up with Chicago-style goodies.

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