Sonoran Hot Dogs are taken to a higher level! With a soft bun, hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with sautéd onions, chopped tomatoes plus your favorite condiments. Once you have one of these, you’ll never go back to standard hot dogs!
I’m going to brag a little bit about how I am a Sonoran Hot Dog snob mmkay? I was born in the Motherland of THE Sonoran Hot Dogs after all! If you ask anyone in Mexico, the best “dogos” (as we call them) are made in Ciudad Obregon.
There are so many versions out there but here I’m going to show you how to make the original version (it goes way back to when they first got popular in the early 1980’s). Throughout the years topping have been added to the options and will share those with you as well.
They originated in a little town called El Chinal, Alamos Sonora in early 1970s. They became very popular in Ciudad Obregon where the recipe was perfected. These days you can find them everywhere all over the world! It’s a very much imitated dish but it can never be duplicated.
Ingredients
The ingredients are simple and easy to get:
- Buns
- Beef Hot Dogs
- Thin Bacon
- Sliced onions (for sautéing) or chopped if eaten raw
- Chopped tomatoes
- Condiments: mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, salt & pepper
- Highly recommended eating them with Chiles Toreados. All Hot Dog places in Mexico serve them with these chiles.
- Optional: avocado, whole cooked beans, cheese, sautéd mushrooms. The originals were never made with these ingredients but you’re more than welcome to do!
A note about the buns
The buns are not your typical hot dog bun but the original bread cannot be found anywhere except in Sonora and some specialty places. They are made specifically for “dogos”.
Since you may not be lucky to find those anywhere near you, choose a soft extra large hot dog bun. The bun is always steamed (never grilled) to keep it soft and warm while you eat it. I’ll show you below how to do it 🙂
How To Make Sonoran Hot Dogs
Wrapping the hot dog with bacon:
This is an easy step that will get better the more you do it.
- Place the edge of the bacon on the top of the hot dog and wrap it by overlapping the bacon while going down. This will keep the bacon from opening & shrinking while you cook it.
- At the bottom of the hot dog, using your finger, tuck in the end of the bacon inside of the bacon itself to secure that edge. If this fails, then you can secure it with a toothpick until you get better at this 😉
- Wrap all of the hot dogs before starting to cook. This step can also be made ahead of time if you’ll be doing this for a large crowd.
Cooking the hot dog:
Cook the onions and hot dogs in a large skillet. Keep rotating the hot dogs until all sides are evenly crispy. Cooking the onions with the bacon fat gives them an amazing taste!
Steaming the buns:
The buns should be steamed since the bread needs to be soft. The easiest way to steam them is to loosely wrap them in paper towels (or large ziploc bag) and microwave them for about 7 to 10 seconds. Just enough to get them soft & warm.
Assembling the hot dogs:
- After you steam the buns, place the hot dog in the bun.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of cooked or raw onions.
- Then add about 2 tablespoons of chopped tomato.
- Spread some mayonnaise a over the tomatoes and press lightly to blend the tomatoes with the mayo. Add mustard, ketchup & hot sauce if you like.
Note on the Mayo: The mayo over the tomato acts as a binder of the ingredients so that the veggies stay in place when eating the hot dog.
That’s it! Now you’re ready to enjoy an amazing Sonoran hot dog with your favorite cold drink.
How to Store
- Fridge: If you have the option, it is best to store all of the ingredients in their small containers then assemble the hot dogs when ready to eat. If you have extra already made dogs, then wrap them up in plastic wrap.
Reheating
- Microwave: Reheat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds or until heated through. The but will become soft and a little soggy.
Mexican Recipes You’ll Love
That’s it my friends! This is a truly delicious recipe that I’m sure everyone will love. I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe but let me know if you have any questions on the comment section below. Or contact me and I’ll get back to you asap.
XO, Ana
Print Recipe:
Authentic Sonoran Hot Dogs
Ingredients
- 4 large hot dog buns
- 4 large all-beef hot dogs
- 4 slices thin bacon
- ½ large white or yellow onion sliced thinly
- 1 roma tomato chopped into small cubes
- Mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, hot sauce to taste
- Chiles Toreados
- raw onions (chopped), avocados, whole pinto beans.
Instructions
- Start placing the edge of the bacon on the top of the hot dog and wrap it by overlapping the bacon while going down. This will keep the bacon from opening while you cook it.
- At the bottom of the hot dog, using your finger, tuck in the end of the bacon inside of the bacon itself to secure that edge. If this fails, then you can secure it with a toothpick until you get better at this.
- Cook the onions and hot dogs in a large skillet. Keep rotating the hot dogs until all sides are evenly crispy.
- Right before assembling the hot dog, steam the bun by loosely wrapping them in paper towels (or large ziplock bag) and microwave them for about 7 to 10 seconds. Just enough to get them soft & warm.
- Place the hot dog in the bun.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of cooked or raw onions.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of chopped tomato.
- Spread some mayonnaise a over the tomatoes and press lightly to blend the tomatoes with the mayo. Add mustard, ketchup & hot sauce if you like.
Muy Delish Notes:
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
Riquisimos Ana!!!
You were right, this recipe has ruined me for a plain ol’ dog in a bun – I’ll never go back – yum!
My son made these based on this recipe. He added pinto beans and drizzled Mexican crema on top. Yummy!
This was so delicious. The bacon took it to the next level. YUM!
I tried this recipe, and oh my goodness, it was absolutely amazing! The Sonoran Hot Dogs are truly a flavor explosion in every bite. I added my favorite condiments like mustard, ketchup, and a drizzle of hot sauce, which elevated the flavors even more. This has become my new go-to hot dog recipe, and I can’t wait to make it again for my family and friends! 😋🌭🔥
These were amazing and super easy. I’m definitely making them again.
What a flavorful and delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Ok, this has to be the most impressive hot dog I have yet to set my eyes on! Bookmarked to make for a picnic!
Best hot dogs ever!
Thank You Ana 🙂
Hello, thanks for sharing your recipe. I’m curious, is a Bolillo bun the traditional bread for this or not? Thanks.
Hi Jimmstein! The bolillo is too hard for Sonoran Hot dogs. The bun should be very soft and fluffy. Try a good quality hot dog bun and big enough to fit all the toppings! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for the question..Ana 🙂
Que ricura. Me podría decir que pan uso en específico? Gracias
Hola Ale! lo siento por responder tan tarde! Mira compre este pan en una panaderia Mexicana y pues estaba perfecto para los dogos. Si no tienes una panaderia cerca de ti, en cualquier super puedes comprar uno grande como para subways. Nomas asegura que este bien blandito. Disfruta!
As a Sonoran desert native, this is the most accurate recipe I’ve seen. Except it’s missing the pinto beans.
Hola Steve! Gracias por tu comentario! Fijate que en mis tiempos no le ponian frijoles y pues yo no les pongo… creo que eso de los frijoles empezó en Hermosillo y pues como soy de Obregon, yo no le hecho jajaja! Saludos y me da mucho gusto que aprueves de esta receta de dogos!
Yes, here in Southern Arizona all of the restaurants and hot dog carts put beans on top. I think it tastes better with them. Have a great day!
I’m going to try it next time. Thank you Steve!
Delicious ?
Thanks so much Martha! They are super delicious for sure!
These are the real deal Sonoran Hot Dogs! I like to steam the buns in a steamer pot wrapped in a clean kitchen towel. It works!