Make Healthier Hot Dogs

At a barbecue, baseball game, or the park, who can resist a tasty hot dog? Unfortunately, hot dogs aren't very healthy, so eating one can make you feel a little guilty. The good news is you can make healthier choices by knowing the ingredients to avoid in your hot dogs. Pair healthy dogs with the right toppings and condiments or make your own hot dogs with healthier ingredients, and you won't have to feel so bad about enjoying one.

Ingredients

Healthy Homemade Hot Dogs

• 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 pound (454 g) lean ground pork
• 1 pound (454 g) lean ground turkey
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon (10 g) garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon (7 g) onion powder
• 4 teaspoons (8 g) ground dry mustard
• 1 ½ teaspoons (2 g) dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground mace
• 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons (3 g) freshly ground black pepper

Steps

Making Smarter Choices with Hot Dogs

1. Avoid oversized hot dogs. Bigger hotdogs mean more fat, calories, and sodium, so skip any dogs labeled jumbo, bun-length, or stadium style. They can have up to double the amount of all the unhealthy junk you’re trying to avoid.
2. Opt for nitrate-free hot dogs. Nitrate or sodium-nitrate is used to hot dogs last longer on grocery store shelves. But eating nitrates may increase your risk of cancer, so choose a nitrate-free option for the healthiest hot dogs.
   • Nitrate-free hot dogs are usually clearly labeled. If you're not sure whether your dogs have nitrates, scan the ingredient list for “sodium nitrite” or “sodium nitrate.”
3. Choose organic hot dogs. When it comes to finding nitrate-free hot dogs, an organic option is usually the best bet. The meat in organic dogs isn’t treated with any sketchy antibiotics or hormones either, so you can definitely feel better about eating them.
4. Pay attention to the sodium levels. High sodium levels make many store-bought hot dogs a scary option. Check the nutrition labels on any package you’re considering, and avoid brands with more than 370 milligrams of sodium per serving.
   • Be careful with “lite” hot dogs. They've often got a ton of sodium to help boost their flavor.
5. Consider hot dogs made with turkey or chicken. All-beef hot dogs are definitely traditional, but red meat is chock full of saturated fat. Hot dogs made with turkey or chicken are a leaner choice, which means less fat and calories.
6. Look into vegetarian hot dogs. A meatless dog is almost always the winner when it comes to healthy hot dogs. That's because vegetarian hot dogs are made from soy protein, so they've got a lot less saturated fat and calories than traditional meat versions.
   • Don’t overlook the sodium levels in veggie hot dogs. They're sometimes loaded with sodium for extra flavor to make up for the lack of meat.

Preparing Healthy Homemade Hot Dogs

1. Grind the oats. Place 1 cup (90 g) of old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor, and pulse them until they’re finely ground. Dump them into a bowl, and set them aside for a minute.
   • Don't have a blender? A blender or coffee grinder works just as well for grinding the oats.
2. Process the ground meats until they’re fine. After you’ve emptied the food processor, toss in a pound (454 g) of lean ground pork and a pound (454 g) of lean ground turkey. Pulse the meats until they’ve got an extremely fine texture.
   • If your food processor isn’t that big, try grinding the meats separately. Then throw them into the processor together just to mix them.
3. Mix in the oats and other ingredients. When you’re done grinding the meats, add the oats and 2 large, lightly beaten egg whites, 1 tablespoon (10 g) of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon (7 g) of onion powder, 4 teaspoons (8 g) of ground dry mustard, 1 ½ teaspoons (2 g) of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground mace, 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon (6 g) of salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons (3 g) of freshly ground black pepper. Run the mixture in the processor until you've got a thick paste.
   • You don't want to run the food processor for too long because it can get hot and heat the meat. Pulse it briefly, and cool processor down for a couple of seconds before pulsing it again.
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill it for a couple of hours. When you're finished processing the meat mixture, spoon it into a large bowl. Give it a good mix with a wooden spoon so the seasonings are fully blended with the meat. Throw some plastic wrap over the bowl, and chill it the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
5. Form the mixture into balls and roll into logs. After the meat mixture has chilled, take 2 ounces (55 g) of it at a time and work it into a ball with your hands. Next, roll the ball into a log that's about 5-inches (13-cm) long to give it a standard hot dog shape.
   • If you want totally traditional hot dogs, you can run the meat mixture through a sausage maker with hot dog-sized casings. But be aware that you'll have healthier hot dogs without casings.
6. Add half of the dogs to a skillet with water. Once you’ve shaped hot dogs, toss them into a large skillet. Pour just enough water into the pan so it covers the them halfway.
7. Bring the pan to a boil. Heat the skillet with the hot dogs and water on the stove on high. Wait for the pan to come to a boil, which should take about 7 to 10 minutes.
   • You don't need to cover the pan while you're waiting for it to boil.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer the hot dogs until they're cooked through. When the skillet comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium. Simmer hot dogs for about 15 minutes, or until they're fully cooked.
   • Use a pair of tongs to turn the hot dogs once in a while so they cook evenly.
   • The larger and thicker the hot dogs are, the more time you'll have to simmer them.
9. Drain the hot dogs on paper towel and repeat the process. Once the hot dogs are finished simmering, lift them out of the skillet with tongs. Put them on a paper towel-lined plate so they can drain. Finish cooking the rest of the hot dogs the same exact way.
10. Brown the hot dogs before serving. When the hot dogs are fully drained, throw them on a grill over medium heat for 7 to 9 minutes to brown them. You can also brown them in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 5 minutes.
    • If you don’t plan to eat the hot dogs right away, wrap them individually in plastic after simmering them. You can store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or freeze them for up to 6 months.

Choosing Healthy Additions for Hot Dogs

1. Use whole wheat buns for the hot dogs. A refined white bun may be the go-to bread option for a hot dog, but it contains only carbs with no fiber -- and white buns are often high in sodium too. Wrap your dog in a whole wheat bun instead for added fiber and other nutrients.
   • Want an even healthier wrapper for your dog? Fold a lettuce leaf around it for a carb-free option.
   • Using half a bun or going totally bun-less completely can make your hot dog an even healthier meal.
2. Skip the ketchup and mustard. Ketchup and mustard are definitely classic hot dog condiments, but they’re often loaded with sodium. Stick to fresh, low-sodium condiments, such as salsa, to add big flavor.
   • Can't give up your traditional hot dog condiments? Go with low-sodium ketchup, mustard, relish, or sauerkraut to keep your dog healthy.
3. Top your hot dogs with vegetables. To really make your hot dogs a healthy meal, add plenty of fresh veggie toppings. Go to town chopped tomatoes, shredded cabbage, diced avocado, and chopped onions for added crunch and flavor. Or you can add some tasty heat with chopped jalapeno or banana peppers.
   • Want even more intense flavor? Mix some fresh herbs and spices, such as cumin, cilantro, or scallions, into your veggie toppings.

Tips

• Even if you lighten them up, hot dogs aren't ever going to make a healthy foods list. For the healthiest diet, eat them in moderation.

Things You’ll Need

Homemade Hot Dogs

• Food processor
• Wooden spoon
• Large bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Large skillet
• Tongs
• Paper towel
• Plate
• Grill or skillet

Sources and Citations

See also

• Boil a Hot Dog
• Cook Hot Dogs
• Make A&W Chili Dogs
• Fry a Hot Dog
• Make Homemade Corndogs
• Make Corn Dogs
• Grill Hot Dogs
• Make a Chicago Hot Dog
• Make a Hot Dog in the Microwave
• Boil a Hot Dog in a Microwave