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French Onion Hot Dogs

photo of hot dogs with cheese and caramelized onions
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5 from 2 reviews

These French onion hot dogs are a great way to give a summer classic a gourmet twist. The hardest part is waiting for the onions to caramelize but it is so worth the wait. If you love French onion soup I think you will love this recipe.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 pounds white onions, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 6 hot dog buns
  • 6 beef hot dogs 
  • 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions

  1. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat them in the melted butter. Cook the onions for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until they are soft, golden in color and caramelized. Stir them occasionally while they cook and lower the heat if they are browning too fast. If they start to dry out you can add a tablespoon or so of water to the pan. Just before they are done, add the vinegar and stir until it’s mostly evaporated.
  2. While the onions cook, make the sauce by combining the mayo, mustard, parsley, and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Keep it cold in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the hot dogs.
  3. Once the onions are done, transfer them to a bowl. Place the hot dogs in the same pan and cook them over medium heat until the skins crisp and they brown in spots. 
  4. Place the hot dogs in the buns. Top them with the mayo sauce and pile the caramelized onions on top. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the onions. Broil the hot dogs in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

Notes

You can also do all of this on the grill. Cook the onions in a grill-safe pan over indirect heat. I like to keep the grill lid closed while they cook. Stir them occasionally. You may need to add 15 to 30 minutes of cooking time if you cook them on the grill.

Once the onions are done, you can grill the hot dogs, assemble them in the buns and then place them back on the grill with the lid closed until the cheese is melted. Just make sure they aren’t sitting on direct heat otherwise the buns will burn.

You can cook the onions up to a day in advance and keep them in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/french-onion-hot-dogs/