There's A Better Way To Use Ketchup On Hot Dogs — Forget Topping, Use It Like This Instead

Depending on which hot dog style is your favorite, ketchup might be an acceptable topping or an abomination. But you can skip the controversy altogether by leaving ketchup off the top of your hot dogs and using it in a marinade instead. In case you didn't know, the secret to next-level hot dogs is marinating them. And ketchup is a star ingredient for a hot dog marinade. The sweet tang and umami richness of the condiment create a well-rounded flavor profile that enhances a smoky, savory hot dog. Plus, the sugars in the ketchup will caramelize, creating a deeper sweetness and imparting a glaze-like texture to the dog's exterior. 

To make a hot dog marinade, add ¼ cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to a sealable plastic bag. Place a package of hot dogs in it and let them marinate. You can marinate hot dogs for as little as 15 minutes and as much as an overnight stint in the fridge. The marinade will help keep the hot dogs moist and tender while they smoke over a hot grill.

For more flavor absorption, cut slits or spirals in the hot dogs to break the casing and expose more of the meat to the marinade. Spiralized or split hot dogs are also primed for grilling as they have more surface area for smoky flavors to penetrate and a crispy, textured char.

There are plenty of other condiments, aromatics, and seasonings that you can combine with ketchup to make an incredible marinade. Three ingredients every hot dog marinade needs are Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and Cajun seasoning. Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce bring two different umami elements to enhance the hot dog's savoriness, while the Cajun seasoning provides a spicy kick. These ingredients, paired with ketchup, make for an even deeper, richer marinade.

If ketchup isn't your favorite, you can always create alternative marinades with other condiments and seasonings. A beer and mustard marinade would work well to impart zesty, spicy, and hoppy flavors to a hot dog. You can also mix up a marinade with ½ cup chili sauce, 1½ tablespoons mustard, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder.

Ketchup lovers can still top a ketchup-marinated hot dog with ketchup, but spicy mustard, giardiniera, a drizzle of chipotle mayo, and pickled jalapeños are great options to balance the caramelization of the tangy-sweet ketchup on a hot dog with a spicy kick. Hot dog buns are the final element to your hot dog equation. And you don't want to cut corners with a subpar brand; the hands-down best store-bought bun is from Nature's Own.