Mexican Hot Dog

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Mexican hot dogs take the classic hot dog, load it up with slow-cooked caramelized onions, corn, and pickled jalapeños, then pile it into a soft bun with spicy elote mayonnaise. They're simple, loaded with flavor, and fun to make for your next summer fiesta!

Cooking for a crowd? Serve these Mexican hot dogs with our loaded food truck nacho fries, easy sweet potato nachos, or Mexican pasta salad.

a Mexican Hot Dog on a plate with pickled jalapenos

Put down the ketchup, here's a hot dog recipe that goes way beyond the bun. We pile delicious Mexican-inspired toppings and homemade elote mayonnaise into a soft bun for an easy meal that's flavorful and fun.

The sweet onions and corn, flavorful elote mayo, and spicy pickled jalapeños compliment hot dogs amazingly well. Once you try a Mexican hot dog you'll make the recipe again and again.

Grill 'em up for your next summer cookout for a twist on the humble hot dog that everyone will love. Serve them with a platter of nachos and a pitcher of watermelon margarita!

How to make Mexican hot dogs

If you've ever wondered how to make Mexican hot dogs, it's really simple. We love to make them on the grill in the summer. Grilling them gives them a nice charred look and taste. Here's how to make them in a few easy steps:

Start by caramelizing the onions. Cook the onions in a bit of oil over medium heat, stir in a little cumin and oregano, and then continue cooking them until they're soft and wonderfully sweet.
While the onions cook, prepare the rest of the recipe. Stir the mayonnaise, cojita cheese, and elote seasoning together in a small bowl to make the tasty elote mayo sauce.
Get your grill ready then cook hot dogs until they are slightly charred and fully cooked. Warm the buns on the grill too, if you'd like.
Now, assemble them. Slather the buns with some elote mayonnaise, layer in some caramelized onions, a hot dog, some corn, and pickled jalapeños. That's it!

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

Mexican hot dog ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make the caramelized onions:

Avocado oil – or another neutral-flavored cooking oil.
Onions – sliced thin.
Cumin + oregano – Mexican spices that go so well with onions.

Here's everything you'll need to make the elote mayonnaise:

Mayonnaise – a neutral-flavored mayo will work the best.
Cojita cheese – feta makes a nice substitute.
Elote seasoning – we use our homemade elote seasoning to make the mayo; it only takes about 5 minutes to make (see note in the recipe card below)

This is what you'll need for the Mexican hot dogs:

Hot dogs – use your favorite kind.
Hot dog buns – we love brioche buns!
Corn – fresh, frozen, or canned.
Pickled jalapeños – try tamed jalapeños if you're sensitive to heat.

Variations to try

While hot dogs are always delicious, it's the toppings that make them so much better. These Mexican-style elote hot dogs are already piled high but here are some other tasty ways to top 'em:

Grilled bell peppers
Sliced avocado or guacamole
Pico de gallo
Cooked bacon
Pinto or black beans
Grilled pineapple
Shredded cabbage
Lime wedges
Cilantro
Hot sauce

a close up of a Mexican Hot Dog on a plate

FAQS

Can I make these Mexican hot dogs ahead of time?

To save time, you can prepare the elotes mayonnaise and caramelized onions in advance. Simply store them in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

How to serve Mexican hot dogs

These Mexican hot dogs are a meal on their own but we like to serve them with our sweet and spicy yam wedges or smoky roast potatoes.

Serve them on a big platter at your next fiesta with our easy sweet potato nachos, Mexican pasta salad, or chili lime grilled corn on the cob for a delicious Mexican-inspired menu.

Don't forget to wash them down with one of our ultra-refreshing summer drinks like our fresh pineapple margarita, or pink lemonade margarita, or a rhubarb margarita.