Carrot Dogs

Carrot dogs are a healthy alternative to vegan hot dogs. This carrot dog recipe will tempt your taste buds and leave you satisfied! Made in a skillet or grilled outdoors, no one will believe these veggie dogs are made from carrots.

I heard people rave about carrot dogs for years, but I needed to understand the hype. Of course, I've tried many carrot dog recipes, but I wanted to be more 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. So, I made Chicago-style carrot dogs!

Jump to:

• Choosing Carrots for Carrot Dogs
• Carrot Dog Marinade Ingredients
• Carrot Dog Marinade Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Carrot Dogs
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Vegan Recipes to Enjoy!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

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 Carrots for Carrot Dogs

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 colored 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 ensure my dogs weren't soggy, as in my attempts in the past. 

Carrot Dog Marinade Ingredients

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 fond of the marinades I've used to make carrot dogs, so this concoction is slightly different. I've become the taste tester throughout the years and 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! 

• Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth at Costco in bulk.
• Soy Sauce: Soy Sauce provides umami, savory taste, which is the salty component people love in a hot dog.
• Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (I like Annie's)
• Liquid Smoke: I used Hickory Liquid Smoke because I love the flavor, but feel free to choose your favorite flavor.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice Vinegar is sweet and provides acidity to the marinade.
• Maple Syrup: Maple Syrup give the marinade a slight sweetness and dulls the sharpness of the vinegar.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder seasons the marinade and provides depth of flavor.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder also seasons the marinade.

Carrot Dog Marinade Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of vegetable broth, try using Yondu mixed with water.
• Tamari or liquid aminos are gluten-free options for soy sauce. Or use lower sodium soy sauce if you need to reduce your sodium intake.
• Balsamic vinegar is often used to substitute vegan Worcestershire sauce in recipes.
• Choose your favorite liquid smoke flavor or substitute paprika for liquid smoke.
• Champagne vinegar is similar to rice vinegar.
• Date syrup or agave replace maple syrup in recipes.
• If you don't have onion powder, substitute with more garlic powder or vice versa.

As always, I suggest marinating EVERYTHING overnight for the best results! 

How to Make Carrot Dogs

1. Make the marinade and place it in a large Ziplock bag or a container wide and shallow enough to cover the carrots.
2. Trim and peel carrots, selecting ones that are approximately the same size.
3. In a pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the carrots.
4. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
5. Using tongs, gently remove the carrots and run them under cold water until they are room temperature and easy to hold.
6. You can make them look like real hot dogs by using a knife at the ends, once they are cooked, to carve the ends into rounded ends.
7. Place the cooled, cooked carrots in the marinade and marinate for at least a few hours. I always suggest marinating everything overnight.
8. Once the carrot dogs marinate overnight, it is time to cook up the dogs!
9. Slow and low is the way to go.
10. You can cook the carrot dogs in a non-stick skillet or grill. Regardless of how you cook them, these veggie dogs only turn out perfectly if you use every bit of the marinade while cooking. 

Skillet Method

1. 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.
2. Cook low and slow

Grill Method

1. Place on the grill and continuously brush the marinade on the carrot dogs, rotating them and repeating until all the marinade is gone.
2. 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 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!

Chicago Style Carrot Dog Ingredients

• Yellow Mustard
• Tomato Slices
• Pickle Relish
• Sliced Dill Pickle Spears
• Diced Onion
• Sport Peppers
• Poppy Seeds

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Choose similar-sized carrots so they cook evenly.
• Wait to add the carrots to the pan until the water is boiling.
• Make sure to cook the carrots for 10 minutes, and done!
• For perfectly shaped carrot dogs, boil them first because using a knife to carve the ends to look like hot dogs.
• Marinate overnight for the best flavor.

For your next barbeque, try this easy carrot dog recipe. My husband, a former hot dog lover, says they taste just like hot dogs.

More Vegan Recipes to Enjoy!

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