Carrot Dogs (Chicago Style)
I heard people rave about carrot dogs for years, but I never understood the hype. Of course, I've tried many carrot dog recipes, but I honestly wasn't all that impressed. So, I decided to throw my chef hat into the ring, create my carrot dog recipe, and see if I could love beloved carrot dogs. And, to my surprise, I finally found a combination I adore.
In the past, when I made carrot dogs, they didn't have the texture or the flavor I was looking for. Instead, the carrot dogs I made were soggy and tasted like a carrot rather than a 'hot dog.' Although I never really liked hot dogs as a kid, I learned to like them loaded with mustard, ketchup, and other toppings.
However, this time, my taste buds led me down a different path, and I must say, I now love carrot dogs. And the family agreed, which is always the goal.
CHOOSING THE CARROTS FOR CARROTS DOGS AND PREPPING THEM
As with most recipes, the quality of the product you choose and the preparation are sometimes more important than the execution itself. For this carrot dog cooking experiment, I decided on 4 organics, similar-sized and different colored carrots. Out of curiosity, I wanted to test using different color carrots to see what they looked like after cooking.
Although most recipes suggest boiling for 15 minutes, I kept my timer at 10 minutes to make sure my dogs weren't soggy, as in my attempts in the past.
CARROT DOG MARINADE IS THE SECRET SAUCE TO THE PERFECT DOG
Often, when I eat out, I attempt to taste all the hidden ingredients to make my version of the foods I love. Unfortunately, I'm not too fond of the marinades I've used in the past to make carrot dogs, so this concoction is a little different. I've become the taste tester throughout the years, and I tried to make my carrot dogs taste like vegan hot dogs rather than real hot dogs. After all, we are vegan. Who wants to eat a real hot dog? YUCK!
SO...WHAT MAKES MY CARROT DOG MARINADE SPECIAL?
- Vegetable Broth
- Soy Sauce or Tamari for a gluten-free option
- Vegan Worchestershire Sauce (I like Annie's)
- Hickory Liquid Smoke
- Rice Vinegar
- Maple Syrup
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
As always, I suggest marinating EVERYTHING overnight for the best results!
COOKING THE CARROT DOGS TO PERFECTION
Once the carrot dogs marinate overnight, it is time to cook up the dogs! In my opinion, slow and low is the way to go. As usual, you can cook the carrot dogs in a non-stick skillet or cook them on the grill. Regardless of how you choose to cook them, these veggie dogs only turn out perfectly if you use every last bit of the marinade while cooking.
SKILLET METHOD:
- Pour small amounts of the marinade into the pan and rotate the dogs until all the liquid dissipates; continue until all the marinade is gone.
- Cook low and slow
GRILL METHOD:
- Place on the grill and continuously brush the marinade on the carrot dogs, rotating them and repeating until all the marinade is gone.
- Again, cook low and slow.
Next, choose an oil-free healthy bun, and load up with your favorite toppings. We kept it simple with pickle relish and mustard, but here are some more suggestions to liven up your dogs:
- BBQ Coleslaw Recipe
- Southwest Coleslaw
- Mexican Coleslaw Recipe
- Asian Coleslaw
- Vegan Coleslaw
- Vegan Coney Chili Sauce The Real Deal
- Ketchup
- Jalapenos or Mild Banana Peppers
- Fruit Salsa Recipe
- Tomatillo Salsa
- Chopped onions
And, if you are looking for great side dishes, like the Crispy Air Fryer Steak Fries Recipe I served, here are some of my personal favorites:
- Vegan Baked Beans
- Greek Potato Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Cajun Pasta Salad
- Healthy Greek Pasta Salad
Instead of opting for a veggie dog, give healthy carrot dogs a try next time. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was!
HOW TO MAKE A CARROT DOG CHICAGO STYLE (SHOWN ABOVE)
- Yellow Mustard
- Tomato Slices
- Pickle Relish
- Sliced Dill Pickle Spears
- Diced Onion
- Sport Peppers
- Poppy Seeds
Carrot Dogs
Ingredients
- 4-6 organic carrots the same size, trimmed and peeled
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari for a gluten-free option
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce I used Annie's
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hickory liquid smoke
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
Instructions
- Trim and peel carrots, selecting ones that are approximately the same size.
- In a pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the carrots.
- Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
- Using tongs, gently remove the carrots and run them under cold water until they are room temperature and easy to hold.
- In a large plastic bag or a container (the width of the carrots, combine all the ingredients (I used a large ziplock bag)
- Place the carrots gently in the bag and seal, allowing the carrots to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
PAN METHOD
- Using a non-stick skillet, heat the pan to low and gently place the carrots in the pan.
- When the pan reaches temperature, add a small amount of marinade from the bag and all the carrots to cook until the marinade dissipates.
- Then, rotate the carrot dogs, add a little more marinade, and repeat this process of rotating and adding fluid until all the liquid is gone from the bag and the pan.
- Serve in heated buns with your favorite toppings.
GRILL METHOD
- Heat the grill to low. When it is preheated, place the carrot dogs directly on the grill.
- Using a brush, add the marinade to the carrot dogs continuously as you turn them until all the liquid is gone.
- Serve in heated buns with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Anonymous
Kristine Smith
I have a carrot dog recipe I like, but don't love. I look forward to trying yours. But you never mention what you thought of the various varieties of carrots you used... Was one more tasty or eye-appealing?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Kristine, I was actually surprised they all looked and tasted the same in the end. Once they were marinated and cooked, they were the same color. The only difference was the color of the inside. The purple and orange carrots had bright orange centers. And, honestly, I wouldn't have known I was eating a carrot dog had I not seen the orange inside. So, if you are trying to fool someone, use the beige colored one 🙂 As far as my recipe, I tried carrot dogs recipes and didn't like them very much; I think the key is the liquid smoke and the vegan Worchestershire sauce. Let me know if you like them. Your feedback is helpful.
Patti Isopi
Hi Kathy,
Did you notice a taste difference in the various colors of carrots you used? After trying multi-colors of carrots - I like the traditional orange organic the best.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Patti! I chose three different colors on purpose, but I did not notice a difference in taste; I did, however, enjoy the one I bit into that was bright orange inside. Otherwise, I would have thought I was eating a veggie dog. That being said, I think I liked the orange one better too 🙂
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Swinson Sherba
I have made this carrot dog recipe 3xs and I love the way they taste after I put my toppings on them. They are delicious. I like them also because they take the place of a hot dog for me and I think they are more healthy for me.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Swinson, I'm so glad you like the carrot dogs. W eat them a lot, and it is one of the ways I got my kids to start eating plant-based. Than k you for your feedback. I appreciate it. ;
Donna
These are amazing!!!!
They taste exactly like hot dogs…… only better!!!!
A keeper recipe!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Donna, Thank you so much for reaching out. I'm so glad you enjoyed the carrot dogs. My husband absolutely loves them. I appreciate your feedback.
Sam
So I’m not a cook but am trying to learn. I am giving these a try and have what is probably a dumb question. Step two and three say to add the carrots and salt and bring to a boil. What is going to boil? Do I use the 1/2 cup vegetable broth here or should this just be enough water to cover the carrots?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Sam, there's no such thing as a dumb question. We are all here to help each other. If you look at the picture in the post, you cover the carrots with water and boil them. Then transfer them to a Ziplock bag for the marinade. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please ask. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Cathy Salmons
Just made the carrot dogs on the grill. They are delicious! Thanks for this great recipe. Can these be made and then put into the freezer for last minute cook outs?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Cathy, I have never tried to freeze the carrot dogs, but I don't see why not. I would thaw them entirely before cooing them on the grill. I'm so glad you liked the carrot dogs. Thank you for the feedback.
SHARON RUSSO
These sound great but they are incredibly high in sodium - too high for my specific dietary restrictions. I assume most of this sodium is from the soy sauce. Do you think leaving out or drastically reducing the amount of soy sauce would wreck this recipe? Thanks for posting it, by the way. I am completely intrigued!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Sharon, you can use low sodium soy sauce or tamari, and remember, it is a marinade. The carrots do not soak in even half of that marinade, so the actual sodium amount per carrot dog is not that high. The nutritional evaluation is of the entire marinade.