Sonoran Hot Dog
On August 08, 2022 (Updated October 06, 2022)
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This Sonoran hot dog is a unique (and easy!) hot dog experience that is oh-so-delicious. Start with a bacon-wrapped hot dog, add various Mexican-inspired toppings, and serve on a bolillo-style bun. The Sonoran hot dog is like nothing you’ve ever tried before, and you’ll find yourself craving it often.
Sonoran Style Hot Dog
The first time I heard of a Sonoran hot dog was from my buddy, Phil the Grill. He owns the restaurant, Trapp Haus, in Phoenix, Arizona. During breaks while shooting BBQ Brawl on Food Network, Phil was raving about the Sonoran hot dog. I’d never heard of this Mexican hot dog before, and it sounded completely delicious. Needless to say, my interest was piqued, and I had to give this one a go.
This hot dog is the perfect easy dinner solution at my house. I’m a lover of bacon-wrapped hot dogs (honestly, bacon-wrapped anything) and my husband Todd is all about the Mexican-style toppings. This Sonoran-style hot dog is the best of both worlds and brings a bacon-wrapped dog topped with Mexican-style ingredients for the ultimate hot dog.
What is a Sonoran Hot Dog?
The Sonoran hot dog came to popularity in Tuscon, Arizona, but its flavorful beginnings trace back to Hermosillo, Sonora in Mexico. The Sonoran hot dog is often sold at street carts called “dogueros” or restaurants in Tuscon and Phoenix. For those of you craving an authentic sonoran hot dog, head on down to Phoenix or Tuscon, Arizona. They’re available all over the place in restaurants and make for a great lunch.
For those of you not planning a trip to Tuscon or Sonora to eat one of these in a dedicated restaurant anytime soon, this recipe will get you pretty darn close. So when you’re looking for a hot dog that takes flavor and toppings to a whole new level, give this hot dog a go.
Sonoran Hot Dog Ingredients
Listen, folks. This isn’t your simple mustard-and-ketchup hot dog. No, no. The Sonoran hot dog is PACKED with toppings and all the flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make these tasty dogs:
- Jumbo all-beef hot dogs
- Bolillo-style buns (they are essentially sandwich-size baguettes, check the bakery at your grocery store)
- Bacon
- Pinto beans
- Avocado
- Lime
- Red onion
- Candied jalapenos
- Smoked salsa
- Cotija cheese
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Tomatoes
Top each hot dog with whatever you prefer, but these are my favorites. You can also substitute the sour cream with mayo or mustard. My favorite thing to do with these hot dogs is to have all the toppings out buffet-style and let my guests top their own dogs.
How to Make Sonoran Hot Dogs
Now that I have whet your appetite talking about this amazing hot dog, it’s time to get cooking! Here’s how you can make your very own delicious hot dog at home.
- Heat up that grill! Preheat your grill for two-zone cooking (one side with indirect heat and one side with direct heat) with an overall temperature around 375-400 degrees F.
- Toppings: Assemble! While the grill is heating up, assemble and prep all your toppings and set them aside. You’ll want these ready to go after you remove the hot dogs from the grill.
- Prep the hot dogs. Wrap each hot dog with a strip of bacon, tucking the end of each piece in so they don’t unravel while on the grill.
- Grill the hot dogs. Place the bacon-wrapped hot dogs on the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and grill them for 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes to ensure the hot dogs cook evenly. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes as needed until the bacon is bubbly and the fat is rendered out. Move the hot dog to the direct side of the grill and grill for 1-3 minutes until the bacon reaches your desired crispiness.
- Grill the buns. Cut a slit in the bolillo buns to make a pocket for the hot dog and toppings. Place the buns slit side down on the grill and grill for 15-30 seconds.
- Assemble your hot dog. Remove the buns and hot dogs from the grill. Assemble each hot dog and top with beans, avocado, homemade Smoked Salsa (or whatever salsa you have on hand), red onions, sour cream (or mayo and mustard), Cotija cheese, cilantro, and Candied Jalapenos (this recipe is available on my site!). Serve the hot dog with lime wedges.
More Hot Dog Recipes
Love this Sonoran hot dog recipe? Have a hankering for MORE hot dogs? Hey Grill Hey has all the recipes you could ever need! Check out a few of our absolute favorites below.
Easy Sonoran Hot Dog Recipe
This Sonoran hot dog recipe was created for you, backyard griller! Here at Hey Grill Hey, we’re in the business of helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes here on my website (browse the Homepage for inspiration) on Instagram, YouTube, or our Facebook Page.
Sonoran Hot Dog
Video
Ingredients
- 4 jumbo all-beef hot dogs
- 4 bolillo buns
- 4 slices bacon
- 16 oz can pinto beans heated and drained
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- ¼ cup red onions chopped
- ¼ cup candied jalapenos
- ¼ cup smoked salsa
- ¼ cup Cotija cheese
- ¼ cup tomatoes if desired
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream or mayo and mustard, if preferred
- 2 Tablespoons cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your grill for two-zone cooking with the overall temperature at 375-400 degrees F.
- Assemble toppings. While the grill is preheating, assemble all toppings and set them aside.
- Wrap the hot dogs. Wrap each hot dog with a strip of bacon, tucking the end of each piece of bacon to make sure it doesn't unravel while cooking.
- Grill. Place the bacon wrapped hot dogs on the indirect side of the grill and close the lid. Grill for 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes. At this point, your bacon should look mostly cooked and bubbly. A majority of the fat should be rendered out. If it is not, cook on indirect heat for an additional 3-5 minutes, rotating as needed.
- Sear. Once your bacon is mostly cooked, move your hot dogs over to the direct side of the grill and grill for 1-3 minutes. Stay close! Because you are cooking over direct flame, cook until the bacon is done to your desired crispiness. Once done, remove the hot dogs from the grill.
- Grill the buns. Cut a 6" slit in the bolillo buns to make a pocket for the hot dog. Place the buns on the hot side of the grill slit side down for approximately 15 seconds.
- Assemble. Remove the buns to a serving tray. Use tongs to open up the buns and add 1 hot dog to each bun. Assemble the hot dog by adding beans, avocado, salsa, red onions, a drizzle of sour cream, and a sprinkle of Cotija cheese, cilantro, candied jalapenos. Serve the Sonoran hot dog immediately with lime wedges.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The Sonoran hot dog is to die for !! I’m not a big hotdog fan but these take the prize,! Tucson has one of the top Sonoran hot dogs around! ????