Hot dogs and baseball go hand in hand, don’t you agree? There’s no better way to celebrate Opening Day than with a delicious hot dog topped with this homemade hot dog onion sauce recipe. Enjoy my own homemade version of a New York hot dog onion sauce.
Tomorrow is Opening Day for baseball and to say our household is excited about it would be an absolute understatement. We’re such a huge sports-loving family and living without sports since March has been difficult for us.
Watching sports together as a family has become a bonding experience for us. Besides watching basketball and baseball on television, we are also Miami Dolphins season ticket holders and go to every home game together.
Sports are a part of our life. It’s as simple as that.
When it comes to teams we follow, our loyalty lies with Miami. We love the Dolphins, The Miami Heat, and The University of Miami. When it comes to baseball, though, we have to make an exception to the rule.
Let’s just say we bleed PINSTRIPES in this house! We’re Yankees fans through and through. And before you try to label us as “bandwagon fans”, know that I was born in the Bronx along with the majority of my family.
Being a Yankees fan is just a part of life for us. If you’re a true sports fan, I know you get that statement. It’s just the way it is!
If you can’t have hot dogs, NY pizza is the next best thing!
To celebrate Opening Day tomorrow, I decided to try my hand at making the ultimate New York hot dog. This isn’t an easy task because New Yorkers take their hot dogs pretty seriously. They’re literally known for their dirty water hot dog carts on every corner.
What sets a New York hot dog apart from all the others are two things: the type of hot dog used as well as the hot dog toppings added.
In terms of the hot dog, you’ll notice that Sabrett or Nathan’s bun length dogs are the most commonly used. When you take a bite, you can literally feel them snap open in your mouth sending your taste buds into hot dog bliss. Please don’t use Oscar Meyer or Ball Park Franks…it’s kind of a sin.
Now let’s move onto the toppings for a traditional New York hot dog. A New York hot dog cart is always equipped with spicy mustard, sauerkraut, and hot dog onions. You’ll find yellow mustard and ketchup, but again, it’s just not the way to dress your hot dog in New York.
Truth be told, I have never had sauerkraut in my entire life. I don’t know why other than the fact that I have convinced myself that I won’t like it. The sad part is, I’m pretty sure I would love it. And I craved it like crazy when pregnant with Zach…but still didn’t try it. What’s wrong with me???….
Spicy mustard, however, is a household staple for us. It’s definitely my favorite condiment. I use it on so many things besides hot dogs like all types of sandwiches and even salami omelets. Yes, salami omelets are a thing but I’ll leave that recipe for another day!
That brings us to the hot dog onion sauce. It’s a little sweet with the perfect amount of spicy. The spice is subtle in this hot dog onion sauce recipe. It hits you at the end after taking a bite. It’s beyond delicious!
The ultimate New York pushcart hotdog includes all three toppings. I hear it’s amazing, magical, magnificent, and everything you could ever dream of a hot dog to be. But you know I have that sauerkraut thing so I’ve never tried it that way…
Who knows if I’ll ever try the full trio together. I’d like to say I will someday but until then I’m perfectly content smothering my hot dog with this hot dog onion sauce and spicy mustard. Want to see how easy it is to make? I know you do!
Hot Dog Onion Sauce Recipe
1 extra-large or 2 medium sweet onions, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of ketchup, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of chili powder, ½ tsp of hot sauce, ½ tsp of salt
Begin by slicing your sweet onion into thin slices.
Add your olive oil to a skillet and heat it over medium heat.
Once heated, add your thinly sliced onions to the skillet.
Cook your onions for about 10 minutes or until they are translucent and slightly beginning to brown. You’ll want to make sure you are stirring them occasionally throughout the 10 minutes so they don’t stick.
Once you’re happy with the color on your onions, add all the rest of your ingredients into the skillet.
Give everything a good stir and continue cooking until the water reduces and the sauce starts to form. This takes a good 5 to 10 minutes to happen.
Once the sauce is thick, take a taste and see how you feel about the level of spiciness in the hot dog onion sauce. This recipe gives you just a little bit of heat, but if you’d prefer a spicier version add ½ of a teaspoon of chili powder or more to taste.
This hot dog onion sauce recipe is the perfect topping for your game day hot dogs but there’s no need to stop there. Add these same onions on top of a hamburger or even inside a sandwich. The sky’s the limit with this delicious hot dog onion sauce!
Hot Dog Onion Sauce Recipe
Hot dogs and baseball go hand in hand, don’t you agree? There’s no better way to celebrate Opening Day than with a delicious hot dog topped with this homemade hot dog onion sauce recipe. Enjoy my own homemade version of a New York hot dog onion sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 extra large or 2 medium sweet onions, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of ketchup, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of chili powder, ½ tsp of hot sauce, ½ tsp of salt
Instructions
- Begin by slicing your sweet onion into thin slices.
- Add your olive oil to a skillet and heat it over medium heat.
- Once heated, add your thinly sliced onions to the skillet.
- Cook your onions for about 10 minutes or until they are translucent and slightly beginning to brown. You’ll want to make sure you are stirring them occasionally throughout the 10 minutes so they don’t stick.
- Once you’re happy with the color on your onions, add all the rest of your ingredients into the skillet.
- Give everything a good stir and continue cooking until the water reduces and the sauce starts to form. This takes a good 5 to 10 minutes to happen.
- Once the sauce is thick, take a taste and see how you feel about the level of spiciness in the hot dog onion sauce. This recipe gives you just a little bit of heat, but if you’d prefer a spicier version add ½ of a teaspoon of chili powder or more to taste.
Notes
The level of spiciness can be adjusted by adding more or less chili powder. Start with 1/2 a teaspoon and increase as needed. For an extra spicy version, add more hot sauce too.
Want to remember this? Post this Hot Dog Onion Sauce Recipe to your favorite Pinterest board!
WELCOME TO THE WEDNESDAY LINK PARTY! MEET YOUR HOSTS:
Jaclyn from Coffee, Pancakes, and Dreams
Brittany from Dreams and Coffee
Mary Leigh from Live Well Play Together
Tiffany from Lake Life State of Mind
Lindsay from Lindsay’s Sweet World
Keri from Cultivate an Intentional Life
Holley from Simply Holley Marie
Jaclyn Musselman says
What a fun take on hot dogs! I’ll have to share this with my husband–he would def like!
lakelifestateofmind@gmail.com says
Thanks, Jaclyn! They’re super delicious. They take a simple hot dog to the next level.
Holley Cavaliere says
I think my husband would love these! They look deliciuos!
lakelifestateofmind@gmail.com says
They’re so good! He won’t be disappointed. <3
Brittany Boyce says
This sounds fantastic! Funny story, my husband despises onions – like, he will panic if he bites into one by accident HAHA! I️ struggle with it because I️ love them and he won’t touch them, so I️ usually just eat them when we go out to a restaurant 🙂
lakelifestateofmind@gmail.com says
How funny is that! We have a friend who hates them as well and anytime we get together I always have to leave them out. It’s a texture thing for him.
Mary Leigh says
This is crazy, but I’m the only one in our immediate family that likes hot dogs or onions! But these look so good! Perfect for summer!
lakelifestateofmind@gmail.com says
That is crazy! My whole family originated in New York where hot dogs are on every corner. I think it’s just a part of life for us 😂
Sharlene Habermeyer says
Okay– I needed this recipe yesterday. We went to the canyons and needed something interesting to add to our hot dogs cooked over the fire. We had all the other condiments you mentioned–but this would have been so much better than raw chopped onions! But–we’re planning another canyon trip so I will definitely be making these onions. They look amazingly delicious–and I like that you said they can be used with hamburgers and other meats. Another great post, Tiffany! And thank you for always providing such great tutorials!
lakelifestateofmind@gmail.com says
A trip to the canyon sounds amazing! I bet you had a magnificent time. I highly recommend giving these onions a try. They really are a home run. Thanks for your comment!