Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

This recipe is inspired by LA’s famous street food – “danger dogs”. Bacon wrapped hot dogs are cooked on an aluminum tray over a small burner on carts, topped with sautéed onions and peppers, and finished off with a drizzle of ketchup, mustard and mayo.

You can often smell the smoky bacon and sweet peppers before you can see the cart. In that moment nothing tastes better than a fully-loaded bacon wrapped hot dog. It is pretty much the only reason I still carry around cash these days.

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs aka Danger Dogs

More About “Danger Dogs”

These hot dog carts are most frequently found outside venues like the LA coliseum or Dodger stadium with vendors yelling “HOTDOGHOTDOGHOTDOG” to grab inebriated fans attention as they exit sports games and concerts. These carts are often unlicensed but are iconic to LA’s street food scene with roots for this style of hot dog being traced back to the Sonoran hot dogs in Mexico. I opt to cook the hot dogs in a pan and oven rather than grilling to save on cleanup and transfer time. Always bring some cash to sporting events to snack a danger dog!

Key ingredients in this recipe

• Bacon – I like using thick cut bacon to add more bacon flavor to the hot dogs. I recommend partly cooking the bacon before wrapping it around the hot dogs. This way the bacon doesn’t undercook while the hot dog overcooks, the bacon will crisp to perfection.
• Hot dogs – Hot dogs are a summer favorite for grilling and cookouts. Here they get an upgrade wrapped in bacon! Hot dogs are actually already fully cooked but reheating them and cooking them in the pan adds flavor to the outside and gives them that snap when you bite into them.
• Bell pepper – Bell peppers are sweet with mild flavor. They don’t have any heat but add a sweet flavor, especially when sautéed. The colors of bell pepper differ based on maturity – it comes down to the time of harvesting. Red bell peppers are fully ripe. They can be substituted with another color of bell pepper in this recipe as the difference is subtle.
• Onion – The onions, peppers and jalapeños are cooked together for a flavorful topping on the hot dogs. The onions are cooked until they’re slightly caramelized.
• Jalapeño – Jalapeños add a nice spice to this recipe. Even if you don’t serve them with your hot dogs, cooking them in the pan with the bell peppers and onions will flavor the toppings. Jalapeño’s have a Scoville rating of 3,500 to 8,000 SHU.
• Hot dog buns – While any split hot dog buns will do, try to find Brioche hot dog buns to take this recipe to the next level.
• Condiments – Bacon-wrapped hot dogs are typically finished off with any combination of your favorite condiments including: mayonnaise, yellow mustard and ketchup. I typically go with all three.

How to make this recipe

1. Partially cook the bacon. Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Arrange the bacon slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook until the bacon has rendered slightly but is still pliable.
2. Wrap the bacon around the hot dogs. Remove from the oven and let cool then wrap around the hot dogs and secure in place with toothpicks. Add to a baking sheet.
3. Cook the toppings. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the bell peppers, onions and jalapeños, stirring occasionally until the onions are slightly charred and translucent. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
4. Broil the hot dogs to finish. Heat oven to broil on high. Broil the bacon-wrapped hot dogs until the bacon is crispy and the hot dogs are heated, turning occasionally.
5. Serve. Place hot dogs in buns and top with a spoonful of the onion and pepper mixture. Drizzle mayo, mustard and ketchup over the top and serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

How to Keep Bacon on a Hot Dog

• First partially cooking the bacon before wrapping it around the hot dog helps it to get crispy
• Securing the bacon with toothpicks helps to keep it wrapper. Remember to remove the toothpicks before eating the hot dogs!

How to Make Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog

Partly bake the bacon and wrap around the hot dogs, securing as directed below. Set the air fryer to 400ºF (200ºC) and add to the air fryer basket, working in batches if needed. Cook for about 6 minutes, flipping the hot dogs half way through cooking.

Other Toppings for Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

While I like the classic combination of peppers and onions the following toppings are also great on bacon wrapped hot dogs:

• sauerkraut
• kimchi
• pickle relish
• coleslaw
• pimento cheese
• caramelized onions

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this bacon wrapped hot dog recipe, I recommend checking out these:

• Soy-Glazed Korean-Inspired Kimchi Hot Dogs
• Smash Burgers
• Mexican Chicken Street Tacos

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs aka Danger Dogs

Print Pin

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Serves 6

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thick-cut applewood bacon
• 1 pound uncured beef hot dogs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, cored and sliced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, cored and sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 6 top-split hot dog buns
• Mayonnaise, as needed
• Yellow mustard, as needed
• Ketchup, as needed

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Arrange bacon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook until the bacon has rendered slightly but is still pliable, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool then wrap around the hot dogs and secure in place with toothpicks. Add to a baking sheet.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the bell peppers, onions and jalapeños, stirring occasionally until the onions are slightly charred and translucent, about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
• Heat oven to broil on high. Broil the bacon-wrapped hot dogs until the bacon is crispy and the hot dogs are heated, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes total.
• Place hot dogs in buns and top with a spoonful of the onion and pepper mixture. Drizzle mayo, mustard and ketchup over the top and serve immediately.

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