Hot dogs, a quintessential American food, don't have to be off-limits when following a ketogenic diet. With a few clever substitutions and mindful choices, you can enjoy this classic comfort food without derailing your low-carb lifestyle. This article explores various ways to create keto-friendly hot dogs, from bun alternatives to topping selections and even some creative recipes.
Are Hot Dogs Keto-Friendly?
Yes, you can eat hot dog meat while on Keto diet. Any meat based hot dogs, that are relatively low in carbs (and sodium preferably) will work. A single hot dog typically contains 1-4 g of net carbs. Eating keto doesn’t mean missing out on grilling out. Low in carbs and high in fat, sausages and hot dogs are keto-friendly! Although we recommend eating processed meats sparingly, hot dogs and sausages can be a great meal choice if you’re following a flexible keto diet. And don’t forget adding chicken sausage, turkey hot dogs, and tofu dogs to the grill, too.
The key is to be mindful of the ingredients. Look for quality meats without unnecessary added preservatives such as nitrates or MSG, fillers like extra gluten (typically used as a binder). The higher the quality the better.
Keto Hot Dog Bun Options
Like many packaged goods, most store-bought hot dog buns are full of carbs. You can skip the bun altogether, wrap your dog in lettuce, or make one of these easy keto-friendly bun recipes yourself.
Lettuce Wraps: A simple and refreshing way to enjoy a hot dog without the carbs. Large lettuce leaves, like romaine or butter lettuce, provide a crisp and cool alternative to a traditional bun.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Keto Cloud Bread Buns: Cloud bread is a light and airy bread alternative made primarily from eggs, cream cheese, and a sweetener substitute. It's a popular choice for keto dieters looking for a bread-like experience.
Low Carb HOP Buns: These buns are specifically designed to be low in carbohydrates, making them a suitable option for keto hot dogs.
Toppings: A Keto Dieter’s Guide
Hot dog toppings are also a sneaky sugar source. Store-bought ketchup and relish can throw off your macros, so stick to just yellow mustard, mayo, or sauerkraut instead. You can also mince some pickles to make your own keto-friendly relish.
Mustard: A classic and carb-free condiment that adds a tangy kick to your hot dog.
Mayonnaise: Provides a creamy and fatty element, perfect for keto.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage that's low in carbs and rich in probiotics, offering a tangy and slightly sour flavor.
Pickles: Choose dill pickles over sweet pickles to avoid added sugars. You can also mince some pickles to make your own keto-friendly relish.
Cheese: Add a slice of cheddar, mozzarella, or your favorite cheese for extra flavor and fat.
Onions: Diced onions add a savory and slightly sweet crunch.
Jalapeños: For those who like a spicy kick, jalapeños are a great low-carb option.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Keto Hot Dog Recipes
Keto Hot Dog Skillet Bake
No carbs? No problem! You and the whole family will love this keto-friendly hot dog skillet bake, which combines the savory, spicy flavors of chili with Nathan’s Famous Beef Franks, all topped off with a delicious layer of melted cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 package Nathan's Skinless Beef Franks
- 1 whole yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. sugar (or sugar substitute)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced scallions, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice hot dogs on the bias into 1/2" slices.
- Combine beef, remaining onion, garlic and jalapenos in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking up beef with a spoon, until beef is browned, about 10 minutes. Drain fat from skillet.
- Return to the skillet to heat and stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, sugar, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir hot dogs into chili mixture and top with cheddar cheese. Bake skillet for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Keto Crescent Dogs
These family-friendly hot dogs go fast. Large all-beef hot dogs are wrapped in cheese dough then baked to golden perfection. They’re easy to make, super filling, and look so impressive.
Ingredients:
- All-beef hot dogs
- Cream cheese
- Almond flour
- Mozzarella cheese
- Large egg
Instructions:
- Grate the mozzarella cheese.
- In a mixing bowl add the cream cheese, almond flour, and mozzarella cheese.
- Microwave on high for about 30 seconds.
- Add in the large egg then mix everything together. I like to use a silicone spatula because it doesn't stick to the dough.
- Place the dough on a piece of parchment or wax paper. If the dough is acting a bit "wet" then I prefer to use wax paper.
- Place a second piece of paper on the top then roll it out into a rough rectangle shape. (Or a perfect rectangle shape if you're especially talented.)
- Cut the dough into 8 strips using a knife or a pizza wheel.
- Carefully wrap the strips around the hot dogs. Sometimes the strips break on me. Don't worry, just press the dough back together. Some of the dogs might look a little lumpy if this happens but that's OK.
- Bake at 400°F for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. This makes a total of 8 crescent dogs.
Chicago Style Keto Hot Dog
Following a ketogenic diet but want to splurge on a Chicago style dog? Believe it or not, you can! This is a fun guide to sharing the in’s and out’s of how to “drag it through the garden” and I include easy substitutes to make this Chicago dog both sugar free, low carb, and keto friendly (including the hot dog bun).
Ingredients:
- 4 All Beef Hot Dogs
- 4 Keto Buns
- 1/4 cup Diced Onion
- 1/4 Dill Pickle Relish
- 4 Pickle Spears
- 8 Tomato Slices
- 8 Sport Peppers
- Mustard
- Celery Salt
Instructions:
- Start by steaming your hot dogs and then your buns until heated through.
- Place a hot dog in each bun and add a tablespoon of relish and one of diced onion.
- Add a pickle spear, tomato slices, and sport peppers.
- Finish it off with a little mustard and a sprinkle of celery salt on each one. Then dig in and enjoy!
Hot Dog Taste Test Review
No matter what you call your hot dogs, they can be a simple and delicious source of protein for your ketogenic lifestyle. Here's a taste test spanned three generations of hungry frank fans who were eager to help you find the most crowd-pleasing hot dog for your next cookout.
- While the flavor of this hot dog was exactly what you’d want in a wiener (“It tastes like a baseball game!”), the texture was pretty disappointing. Another strange observation: These hot dogs were resistant to grill marks during cooking. We even tried moving them around to hotter areas of the grill, and they remained free from grill-marks. I’m sure there’s a scientific reason for this, but we had all sorts of fun offering our own theories!
- The Simply Nature Organic hot dog (available at Aldi) plumped up nicely on the grill and curled up a bit at the ends (like an optimistic little hot dog smile). This brand was sort of the inverse of Oscar Meyer. While the texture was great, the flavor was just OK. There was a pleasant, mild smokiness, but also some unexpected (and rather unwelcome) notes of Old Bay.
- These Hebrew National uncured beef franks tasted great and their texture was spot on. There wasn’t much of a plumping effect on the grill though, and these were definitely the skinniest of all the dogs we tested. Other than its slim build, this brand was well-received by the adult testers. It should be noted that these were the clear kid favorite, and the first sample to disappear from the taste-testing area. “These taste regular,” said one of our young testers.
- A favorite among our grownups, the Applegate Naturals hot dogs had a smoky, almost sausagey, taste. We loved the fact that Applegate Naturals uses 100% grass-fed, humanely-raised beef with NO antibiotics ever. Of all the franks we tested, this was the only one to develop a crunchy skin on the outside, which can be a rather divisive feature of hot dogs. Applegate Naturals took the title of keto-friendly top dog. For future cookouts, we’ll probably keep the Hebrew Nationals on hand for the kiddos since they’ll be eating their hot dogs with buns and won’t mind their skinny shape.