Mexican Street Hot Dogs

A Sonoran Hot Dog is a mashup of a hot dog and a taco PLUS BACON. Top with your favorite Tex Mex condiments and get ready for a flavor explosion.

You need to try a Sonoran Hot Dog

If you’ve never tried the street food delight that is the Sonoran hot dog, you might not know what what you’re missing.

It’s like a mash-up of a really great hot dog and a really great taco, PLUS BACON.

I’ve been perfecting this recipe at home for years, since I first tried it at a local restaurant and decided I loved it, but would love it more if it were homemade, with the exact toppings I wanted.

It might look complicated but I assure you it’s anything but. Simply wrap a slice of raw bacon around a hot dog and put it on the grill. The bacon will crisp up at the same time as the hot dog cooks on the grill.

Then, you can finish it off with whatever toppings you love. Refried beans, queso fresco, tomato, avocado, cilantro and sour cream are thought starters, but the sky’s the limit.

Sonoran Dog ingredients

• hot dogs – I like the all-beef variety for a Sonoran dog, personally, but use whatever kind of dogs you like best. Bun-length is best so you have room for all of the toppings!
• bacon – just regular hardwood smoked bacon, for wrapping around the hot dogs.
• hot dog buns – I really like brioche buns for these Mexican hot dogs if they are available, but any type of bun will work.
• sour cream – for making a drizzly crema-style sauce.
• lime juice – this will thin out the sour cream so you can drizzle it.
• refried beans – these will be spread into the hot dog buns as a base for the Sonoran hot dogs.
• avocado – nothing beats the rich creaminess of a ripe avocado!
• tomato – chop up a Roma tomato or even a handful of grape or cherry tomatoes.
• queso fresco – this crumbly, salty Mexican cheese is perfect for Sonoran dogs. If you can’t find it, shredded Monterey Jack cheese works, as well.
• cilantro – this adds some herby greenness to all of the rich flavors going on here.
• onion – a little bit of chopped red onion adds a kick to these Mexican street hot dogs. White onion works, too!
• hot sauce – for drizzling on top, but this is optional. You could also add heat with pickled jalapenos.

How to make Sonoran Hot Dogs

1. WRAP AND GRILL. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium heat. Wrap 1 slice bacon around each hot dog. Grill hot dogs 10 to 12 minutes or until the bacon is crisp, turning occasionally.

2. LIME SOUR CREAM. While the hot dogs are cooking, stir together the lime juice and sour cream in a small bowl.

3. BEANS. Spread the beans on the inside of the hot dog buns, then place the hot dogs in the buns.

4. TOPPINGS. Top the dogs with avocado, tomato, queso fresco, cilantro, onion, hot sauce and lime sour cream.

How to serve Mexican Street Hot Dogs

My very favorite side dish to serve with a Mexican hotdog is my Elote Salad. This corn salad actually has several ingredients (cilantro, lime juice, red onion) in common with these Sonoran dogs, so preparing both dishes at the same time is pretty easy!

Other side dish options that work well here are:

• Spicy Potato Chips
• Dr. Pepper Baked Beans
• Shishito Peppers
• Homemade Spanish Rice
• Homemade French Fries in Oven

Storing a Mexican Hotdog

Sonoran hot dogs are best eaten the day they are made, but if you have any leftover dogs and toppings, transfer them to separate storage containers and place them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rewarm the hot dogs in the microwave or air fryer before assembling them with toppings.

Sonoran Hot Dog FAQs