*This post may contain affiliate links. Purchases made from these links help with any costs associated with running this site, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and believe in! You can find my full disclosure here.
Happy National Hot Dog Day! Who knew that was even a thing? Celebrate today with Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs 5 ways. 🙂 Yes, Nathan’s served 5 different ways. Are you drooling yet? Just the mention of these top-notch dogs makes my mouth water.
If you’re going to have a hot dog, go big or go home. None of this, three sources of protein business. No trifectas. 100% all-beef. That’s how we roll round’ here.
If you have never had a Nathan’s Hot Dog, you simply MUST try them! 100 + years in business says it all. If you don’t like hot dogs, or just aren’t that big of a fan, it might just be because you’ve never had the real deal. Or maybe you put ketchup on them…BLECH!! I felt a little bit of vomit in the back of my throat just then.
Or…maybe you just need to try something a little different. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs 5 Ways will surely give you some variety, and you may just fall in love with America’s favorite hotdog!
In my humble opinion.
Nathan’s Famous Restaurant
You can have them at home or visit one of their many establishments around the country. Something that is on my travel bucket list for sure. Most of the restaurants are east of the Rockies so for us Colorado peeps travel is required.
But…don’t fret. If you don’t have a location near you, Sam’s Club serves Nathan’s Hot Dogs in their deli!! And by the way, they are ginormous! Monstrous size dogs. The diameter is about the same as a 50-cent piece. Huuuge!
What’s the Best Way to Cook Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs?
I recommend only three methods. 1, 2, 3…1 Being the ABSOLUTE best way to cook a Nathan’s Hot Dog.
- Roasted over an open fire- Hands down THE best method for cooking a Nathan’s Hot Dog. Not only is the taste second to none but the atmosphere and experience enhance the whole hot dog situation. There is something therapeutic about roasting your own hot dog over an open fire. And of course, it’s just good clean fun. My three stooges love roasting hot dogs and marshmallows at the fire pit.
- On the grill- Charcoal or gas, whatever butters your biscuit! If you don’t roast them over a fire this is the next best thing. Just be sure to not overcook them!
Please excuse my dirty grill. :/ Look, God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt!
Notice the blistering of the skins? Not burnt to a crisp or shriveled up. Just right. You will get a perfectly cooked dog if you cook on medium heat. Never cook on high. Unless you want a Slim Jim on a bun.
3. Simmer in water- Just don’t overdo it. Boiling is no good. A gentle simmer, until they plump up a bit is perfect.
Nathan’s Hot Dogs 5 Variations
Here they are! Five family favorites from my home to yours :)♥
- Classic Mustard and Onion
- Nathan’s All-The-Way
- Chili Cheese Dog
- Wannabe Chicago-Style
- Cast Iron Corn Stick Dogs
Classic Mustard and Onion
In our family, a regular ol’ hot dog is one with yellow mustard and finely chopped white onion. That’s it! Classic.
This is our go-to but sometimes we like to get “fancy”. In which case we go all the way.
Nathan’s All-The-Way
Have you ever heard of a slaw dog? It’s simply a dog with coleslaw on top. Add chili, mustard, and onion and thus we have a hot dog “all-the-way”. And not just ANY chili. It must be “hot dog chili”. No beans. I mean, do what you want but, you should just trust me on this.
A sight to behold if I do say so myself. ♥ Fyi, I make a mean hot dog chili! 3 simple ingredients. No need to muck it up with all kinds of spices. You can find my recipe for hot dog chili HERE.
Chili Cheese Dog
Next up the iconic chili cheese dog. Who on earth can’t appreciate this?
So good and one of my favorites. Hot dog chili topped with sharp cheddar cheese.♥
Wannabe Chicago-Style
Why a wannabe Chicago-style? Well, only because it’s missing a few key ingredients. But we’re almost there. We got the all-beef hot dog, the dill pickle, yellow mustard, finely chopped white onion, and…well, that’s it. Hence the wannabe.
Also, the addition of sharp cheddar also makes it not so Chicago. Again it’s a wannabe.
Did you know that most Chicago dog vendors don’t offer ketchup as a condiment? Ha! Chicagoans doin’ it right. This wannabe would be just lovely with some chopped tomato. Don’t you think?
Last but certainly not least…
Cast Iron Corn Stick Corn Dogs!
Baked not fried!
OH, how I love a good corn dog. If it ain’t Nathan’s it ain’t right, just sayin’. I have made these lovelies before but got the idea from Michelle at The Domestic Kitchen, formerly known as The Villiage Cook. She did an incredible job. Aren’t they beautiful?! Check out her recipe HERE.
I adapted the recipe to MY family’s taste. Nathan’s of course and my own homemade sweet cornbread recipe. ♥ Nothing better I’ll tell you what. Future post coming! 🙂
What’s your favorite way to eat a hot dog?
Leigh Ann 🙂
Leigh Ann
Leigh Ann Schooley is the owner and founder of Making My Abode, a blog dedicated to helping homemakers live well and simply on one income. She is a believer, wife, and mother of three with more than sixteen years of homemaking experience. Leigh Ann is the recipient of the Wife of The Year award eighteen years running. She has also won the Mother of The Year award every year for the past sixteen years. She is a Colorado native raised by her dad who taught her almost everything she knows. Leigh Ann lives with her husband and family in Colorado.
