Indulge in hot dogs wrapped in bacon and smothered in homemade salsa verde and crumbled queso fresco.
Ask my kids, and you’ll likely hear that the best way to enjoy a hot dog is cooked over the fire and smothered in ketchup. I prefer them a little fancier. While most times I opt for diced onions and baked beans poured over the top of my dogs, occasionally I like to go the extra mile and make these bacon-wrapped hot dogs. The addition of salsa verde and queso fresco makes for one tantalizing hot dog experience.
The last time I made these was for a group camping experience. I cooked up a batch for all twelve people, including kids. While the littlest ones deemed these a tad too spicy (I like to load them with garlic!), the rest of the crew begged me for the recipe.
So, if hot dogs are a favorite around your house, consider adding this recipe to your meal rotation. It tastes like a complicated meal, but these loaded hot dogs are fairly straightforward to make. You can mix it up a bit with toppings (sometimes I like to add caramelized onions, for example), play around with sides, or keep it just as this recipe calls for. One thing is for sure: no matter how you serve these dogs, your whole crew will keep coming back for more.
Are These Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs Healthy?
Some of the ingredients in this recipe are healthy (like the salsa verde), and some not so much (like the bacon and the hot dogs). The queso fresco, a soft, fresh Mexican cheese that’s known for its crumbly, mild taste and texture, does provide extra calcium and protein. We’re also using turkey bacon and turkey hot dogs for a lighter version of the typical pork and beef versions, so this is a bonus as well. Overall, it’s best to enjoy this meal in moderation.
If you swap out the turkey bacon and hot dogs for vegetarian versions, you can have a vegetarian-friendly bacon-wrapped hot dog experience.
Can I Make These Over The Fire?
Once you’ve had a hot dog cooked over an open flame, you can’t really go back. While you might not want to cook them this way every time, I can say with confidence that it’s possible to make this recipe when you’re camping. Just a note: I prefer the salsa verde warm, so I always heat it up in a cast-iron pan while I’m cooking the hot dogs. Otherwise, I recommend wrapping the hot dogs in bacon and cooking over a medium-low flame with a grill that’s close enough to the flame to sizzle the bacon, but not so close that you’ll burn the dogs. Turn frequently, watching to make sure that each bacon-wrapped hot dog is cooking evenly. You can also toast your buns over the flame as well.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
These hot dogs are best enjoyed fresh. If you have any leftovers, store components (hot dogs, salsa, buns, and cheese) separately, preparing them similarly the next time you want to eat them. Storing already assembled leftovers will result in a soggy dog. It’s best to consume any leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
Even with these being a fancier dog, they’re still delightful when served alongside typical cookout fare. For extra toppings, I love serving this homemade Baked Beans Recipe, caramelized onions, or savory sweet potato fries to layer over the top of the hot dogs. For traditional, classic sides, I usually make a large batch of this Potato Salad Recipe, coleslaw, or a hearty green salad when I’m craving extra veggies.
Recipe
Ingredients
Salsa Verde:
- 2 cups medium tomatillos, or just over 1/4 cup once broiled and mashed
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- Juice from the roasted tomatillos and jalapeños.
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons onion diced
- 1/4 cilantro roughly chopped
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
For the Hot Dogs:
- 2 slices turkey bacon
- 2 turkey franks
- 2 whole-wheat hot dog buns
- 2 ounces queso fresco crumbled
Instructions
To make the salsa verde:
- Line a small baking tray with tinfoil and turn your broiler to high.
- Peel the papery skin off the tomatillos and place them, along with the jalapeño pepper, onto the prepared baking tray and broil until the skin goes dark, about 15 minutes. Flip and repeat for another 10-15 minutes. My jalapeño was done a little bit before the tomatillos, so I just took them out earlier.
- Mash up the tomatillos and place them into a medium food processor. Also, roughly chop the jalapeño (about 1 tablespoon chopped) and put it in as well.
- Add the rest of the ingredients into the food processor and process until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
- Heat your grill to medium heat.
- Wrap one slice of turkey bacon around each turkey frank, and place cut side down on the grill.
- Grill until each side is cooked and is nice and charred.
- Spread some of the salsa verde along one side (or both if you like!) of a bun, and place a turkey frank on top. Cover with queso fresco and DEVOUR!
Tips & Notes:
** This salsa verde is quite mild, so feel free to add more jalapeno! But, like the garlic, add a little bit at a time as it easily get’s much to spicy. I learned from experience.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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