From a simple snack and ballpark staple to a cookout favorite, hot dogs can be enjoyed in so many ways. Thinking about what to serve as sides for hot dogs? There’s a good deal of yummy sides and some of our favorite toppings you can use.
Whether you admit it or have a secret love, hot dogs are a beloved American dish, and we have plenty of options for turning them into a special treat.
🥫Simple Hot Dog Toppings
For a no-fuss dinner, you’ll probably want to keep things simple.
Before anything else, a fresh bun and some basic toppings will make your hot dogs highly enjoyable – no need to get fancy.
Check out these easy hot dog toppings for a quick meal!
- Ketchup
- Onions (fresh, onion rings, caramelized)
- Mustard
- Cheese
- Bacon
- Coleslaw
- Relish
- Chili
- Mayo
- Sauerkraut
- Jalapeños
- Tomatoes
- Buffalo sauce
- Pickles
- BBQ sauce
🥘 Best Hot Dog Sides
As long as you have a bit of time on your hands, it’s really worth skipping convenience foods and cooking your own side.
Homemade sauces and pickles taste like nothing else and you can make them ahead.
They store well and will make your sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and hot dogs so much better.
Also, trying some creative sides like grilled apples will bring back the excitement in your kitchen and at the table.
Here are some of our favorite sides for hot dogs you can easily cook at home. Don’t expect any leftovers from these heavenly meals!
♨️ Classic BBQ Sides
Are you making grilled or smoked hot dogs? It’s a fantastic idea to serve them with one of these traditional BBQ sides.
The recipes below are all variations of the classic side dishes with incredible flavor. Let’s keep things interesting!
1. Grilled Bourbon Peach Baked Beans
Hot dogs and baked beans make an excellent team.
I think most of us have at least one family favorite baked beans recipe, but sometimes it’s good to try some new flavors.
Adding peach and bourbon will give your baked beans a sweeter taste and with the smokiness from the grilling on top you just can’t ask for more!
Depending on how thick you like your beans, the total cooking time on the grill is between 3 and 6 hours.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.
2. Easy Pasta Salad
Looking for a simple yet refreshing hot dog side dish? We love making this pasta salad, especially when I’m having a large number of guests. You can turn it into a macaroni salad, or use a different type of pasta. Your choice!
It’s easy to scale and you can make the salad dressing and chop the veggies ahead.
Then, boil your pasta al-dente, mix it with the rest of the ingredients, and let it sit in your fridge for 2 hours before serving.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.
3. Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa
Enjoy this light and refreshing salsa, as an appetizer, side dish, or topping for your hot dogs.
Skip the jalapenos to make it kid-friendly and feel free to grill the corn and chop the veggies one day ahead of the cookout.
Since this is an easy-to-scale recipe, it’s great to bring to picnics, potlucks, and tailgates.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
4. Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Dill pickles and pasta salads are popular sides. Why not mix them together?
Pour a mayo, sour cream, and dill pickle juice dressing on top and keep it in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight.
The result is a refreshing pasta salad that goes amazingly well with hot dogs.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, meal prep, customizable, scalable.
5. Smoked Mac And Cheese
Everyone’s favorite comfort food but with a smoky flavor? There can’t be any better pair for your hot dogs.
I like to use a mix of cheeses such as gouda, gruyere, parmesan, and cheddar cheese to get the perfect ooey gooey mac and cheese.
Don’t have a smoker? You can also make grilled mac and cheese and it will not disappoint!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.
6. Garlic Parmesan Herb Butter Polenta Fries With Lemon Aioli
Polenta turned into crispy golden fries is simply a brilliant idea!
They are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, just like you’d expect.
Tossing them in garlicky herb butter at the end will make them taste even more amazing.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
7. Smoked Chili
Chili and a hot dog sound like my kind of cold-weather comfort food!
You can definitely make chili on the stovetop, in the oven, Instant Pot, or the slow cooker. If you have a smoker, though, you have to try it this way.
Everyone will love the smoky flavor – it’s a major improvement!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, customizable, scalable.
8. Spicy Creole Coleslaw
Pair hot dogs with a lighter side like this spicy New Orleans style coleslaw. You can always go classic but we love this special recipe. It’s got a magical combination of textures and spices that give a totally new spin to coleslaw!
This will make your meal significantly lower in carbs and also works nicely as a hot dog topping.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, meal prep, make ahead, customizable, scalable.
9. Smoked Potato Salad
My favorite thing about this recipe, except the flavor, is the 5-minute prep time. The smoked potatoes are the main ingredient. I usually make smoked fingerling potatoes, or baby potatoes, and they can be cooked ahead of
You have to appreciate a good make-ahead recipe like this potato salad. As a bonus, it gets a more intense smoky flavor after a day of sitting in the fridge.
This potato salad is best served chilled, which makes it a wonderful summer dish!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, meal prep, customizable, scalable.
10. Grilled Mexican Street Corn Elote
The secret of this recipe lies in the sauce and toppings! It’s a fun take on the classic grilled corn on the cob even the pickiest eaters will love.
Serve it next to hot dogs, steaks, and chicken, or enjoy it as a snack – it will be a total hit.
If you have any leftover grilled corn, save it and make some grilled corn and black bean salsa!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
11. Air Fryer Corn Ribs
Corn ribs are an interesting take on Mexican street corn, one that you’ll keep making over and over!
The Air Fryer will give them the perfect amount of char, but you could also make these fun corn ribs in the oven or on the grill.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
12. Smoked Cornbread (Skillet Recipe)
Step away from plain cornbread and give the smoked variation a try. It’s snackishly addictive!
The batter comes together in minutes and then you can chill and let the smoker do it’s thing!
Good quality cornmeal, using the correct cooking temperature and smoking to golden brown perfection are the only things you need to nail this easy recipe.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make-ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
🥔 Potato Sides
With so many ways to cook potatoes, the team-up with hot dogs will always be different and exciting.
I believe in simple recipes that pack a lot of flavor because we can and should enjoy both life and food!
Potatoes are the perfect ingredient to experiment with: they work with a variety of seasonings and different cooking methods produce entirely unique tastes and textures.
13. Smashed Potatoes
As tasty as French fries might be, give these smashed potatoes a try, and you’ll have a new family favorite.
Smashing pre-boiled potatoes before roasting will allow the seasonings to better infuse the fluffy inside while also creating some wonderful crispy bits.
The unquestionable versatility of smashed potatoes means you can enjoy them with various meat-based dishes, not just hot dogs.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
14. Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges
Yet another reason to stay away from French fries, these grilled sweet potato wedges taste amazing and they’re ready in just 15 minutes.
I like to drizzle some honey on top before serving them but you can also use butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and fresh herbs.
Even if you use just plain salt, grilled sweet potatoes will still be delicious.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
15. Chili Lime Baked Potato Chips
Aaah, the famous potato chips, but baked not fried, and incredibly tasty! The lime juice and chili make a lovely spicy and tart flavor profile, although you can season them however you please.
The most important thing is you get to control the ingredients and serve your hot dogs with a homemade side.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
16. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
This pairing is a no-brainer and will satisfy your craving for fries with less carbs and oil. You won’t miss the deep-fried version, trust me!
Air fryer sweet potato fries are a 3-ingredient recipe ready in about 10 minutes. I love recipes like these when I am unable to plan anything and I need something quick and easy to put on the table next to hot dogs.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
17. Smoked Baked Potatoes
Everyone will love getting one of these beauties on their plates! They can be oven-baked if you’d like but the smoky flavor is worth the longer wait, if you can afford it.
Of course, some baked sweet potatoes on the grill are another excellent side for hot dogs.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
18. Grilled Baby Potatoes With Garlic
I like to microwave the potatoes and prepare the skewers a day ahead. The next day, I grill them while the hot dogs are cooking.
You have so many options when it comes to seasoning, but I usually stick to olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Before serving, I sprinkle the potato skewers with freshly chopped chives for a burst of color and flavor!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, meal prep, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
🥦 Vegetable-based Sides
Veggies will make your BBQ feast lighter and more nutritious. Even more, the sides below are wonderful crowd-pleasers.
While observing how fast these disappear you can take comfort in knowing your food was appreciated!
19. Creamed Corn Au Gratin
That bubbly layer of parmesan cheese brings magic to this dish like you couldn’t imagine!
Even better, you can make this creamed corn the night before and reheat it in the oven before serving.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
20. Grilled Onions
You don’t really need cooking skills to grill some sliced onions. As simple as this is, grilled onions go well with any meat and lots of veggies!
The grilling time is around 20 minutes so you can easily cook several batches to feed a larger group.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
21. Air Fryer Blooming Onions
Onion rings are always a lovely treat, but they’re fried in oil and this can be avoided. Even better, there is no compromise to be made!
You can cook blooming onions in the air fryer and they will turn out delightfully crispy. Only a small amount of oil is needed to prevent sticking.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
22. Smoked Asparagus Bundles
A mild-flavored veggie like asparagus gets a huge flavor boost from the smoke infusion.
I coat them in a vinaigrette made with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. It adds a touch of freshness to the asparagus and the oil will prevent it from drying out as it smokes.
If you make these ahead or have leftovers you will discover the smoke flavor intensifies the longer they sit in the fridge.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
23. Roasted Rutabaga Fries
Rutabaga is a lesser-known root vegetable but a tasty one. Obviously, roasting rutabaga is equally hassle-free to regular potatoes.
Peel, cut into fries, season, and roast on a sheet pan – the familiar experience of making oven-roasted fries, with a whole new taste and a lot less carbs!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
24. Parsnip Fries
Just like rutabaga, parsnip is not exactly a veggie commonly used to make fries, but hey…..it actually works!
You’ll be surprised how delectable that subtle sweet flavor can be.
Tossing them with Parmesan cheese will amp up their flavor and I’m sure even the skeptics will enjoy them.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
25. Grilled Carrots With Balsamic Glaze
This is a great way to add more veggies to your menu and convince picky eaters to try them.
Grilled carrots with balsamic glaze pair well with just about any protein, and you can enjoy them oven-baked if you don’t have a grill.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
26. Grilled Bacon Brussel Sprouts Kebabs
Veggie kebabs make a feast-worthy presentation perfect for your BBQ cookouts!
Even better, you can meal prep the kebabs up to one day ahead and grill them before the guests arrive.
They make a wonderful snack and an even better side dish, even kids will love.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
27. Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli
You have some options for using roasted broccoli: on its own, or added to a stir fry, rice bowl, or even a broccoli salad.
There are many ways to make this veggie taste delicious, even for those who are not huge fans.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
🥗 Fresh Salads
The rich, savory taste of hot dogs is perfectly complemented by a tangy, and crunchy fresh salad.
As always, there’s a lot of room for creativity when it comes to salads. The combinations below are fabulous, but feel free to adapt these recipes if you’re looking for an excuse to use up some veggies.
28. Easy Green Salad
Fresh, locally grown ingredients are the key to getting an amazingly flavorful salad.
The other important thing that will set your salad apart is the dressing. This recipe has a great oil and vinegar dressing recipe that’s super easy to customize.
Prep the dressing and chop the greens and veggies up to one day ahead if you’d like but don’t mix them until you’re ready to serve.
You could also play around with the ingredients: use various kinds of greens, use bell peppers instead of tomatoes, or even add some nuts or seeds.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, customizable, scalable.
29. Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad
When you want to pair your hot dogs with something light and refreshing that’s also easy to make, give this tomato, cucumber, and onion salad a try.
It comes together in 10 minutes since you only need to wash and chop some veggies, then make a simple vinaigrette.
Short on time? Even a simple tomato salad tossed with the vinaigrette will be delicious. It couldn’t get more frugal!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
30. Grilled Peach And Arugula Salad
Light and refreshing is a great description for this summery salad. The symphony of textures will elevate your hot dogs!
Feel free to try this salad using other grilled fruits such as apples, pears, and nectarines.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, meal prep, make ahead, customizable, scalable.
31. Creamy Cucumber Salad
Not only this is practically a 10-minute recipe, but it’s also a fantastic way to lighten up your BBQ feast.
This creamy cucumber salad tastes better if you allow it to sit in the fridge for one hour before serving. To lighten your load, you can make it several days ahead!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
🥒 Pickles And Relishes
Used as a side or topping, pickles and relishes provide a great flavor and texture contrast to hot dogs.
Making your own is so easy! It’s true, for some recipes, the veggies will need to marinate for a few days, but the results are excellent. Homemade pickles are the best!
32. Easy Overnight Refrigerator Pickles
It’s so nice to have some homemade pickles in the fridge. With an easy recipe like this one, we all can!
Making pickles at home is really simple and the best part: after one day, these will be ready to eat in all their crunchy goodness.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
33. Homemade Sweet Pepper Relish
Relish and hot dogs are a match made in heaven! Making your own relish is totally worth it, since it’s a versatile side that goes well with a large diversity of dishes.
This particular recipe uses sweet chili peppers, so it’s also kid-friendly.
If you enjoy a bit of heat, you can always add hot peppers to your homemade relish.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
34. Easy Refrigerator Pickled Red Onions
When you’re in a rush, grocery stores provide lots of ready-made pickles, but they are still worth making at home from time to time.
These easy refrigerator pickled red onions are the perfect topping or side dish for hot dogs and require only 10 minutes of prep work.
It’s a classic recipe using the good old water, vinegar, and sugar formula. You already might have everything you need!
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, fast, few ingredients, make ahead, customizable, scalable.
35. Beet And Cabbage Sauerkraut
Fermented cabbage is full of gut-friendly bacteria that can improve digestion and overall health.
With only 20 minutes of prep, you’ll only need to be patient for 3 to 5 days as the sauerkraut needs this time to ferment.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, few ingredients, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
36. Homemade Zucchini Relish
Sweet zucchini relish is such a versatile dish to have. It pairs well with steaks, roasts, hot dogs, grilled chicken, and other proteins. We love it as a hot dog topping!
This relish can be canned but you can simply store it in the fridge in a clean jar if you know you’ll eat it within a couple of months.
⭐Recipe highlights: easy, make ahead, kid-friendly, customizable, scalable.
🌭 BBQ Hot Dog Recipes
Boiled, pan fried, oven baked, and even air fried hot dogs are all delicious in their own ways. My personal favorite cooking methods for hot dogs are smoking and grilling – I guess it’s not hard to understand why.
⭐Smoked hot dogs are probably the best I’ve ever tasted. I always make sure to have some sides or toppings ready as soon as they come of the grill. Otherwise my family will eat them before I have the chance to set the table!
⭐When I’m in a rush, I make bacon-wrapped grilled hot dogs. This is a 2-ingredient recipe you can make really fast so your guests won’t be left starving. As simple as this is, make no mistake: you’ll enjoy a really great hot dog.
⭐Hot dog burnt ends are another BBQ recipe that’s a family favorite. These bite-sized morsels will be loved by kids too!
Hot dogs make a great treat on their own although adding a side dish can make them more exciting and satisfying.
These yummy hot dog sides work just as well with various types of grilled and smoked sausages.
We’re known to enjoy a smoked bratwurst, grilled beer brats, and grilled kielbasa just as much as hot dogs, and so can you!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
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