Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

The only thing better than a regular hot dog is a bacon-wrapped hot dog! They're super easy to make either in the oven or on the grill, and they're fun to customize with your favorite hot dog toppings. (Try them with Ree Drummond's pimento cheese!) The only thing left to decide is what to serve them with chips, pasta salad, or coleslaw. Or, how about all three?

Where did bacon-wrapped hot dogs come from?

Nobody knows who the first genius was to wrap a hot dog in bacon, but they're a super-popular street food in Tijuana, Mexico, where they're often topped with flavorful Mexican mainstays like corn, jalapeño, crema, and queso fresco. The locals refer to Tijuana as "TJ," so naturally their bacon-wrapped hot dogs known as "TJ Dogs."

How do you wrap hot dogs with bacon?

Start by scoring the hot dogs with thin cuts, every inch or so. This keeps the hot dogs from splitting while cooking and absorb the flavors of bacon while cooking. Then, wrap the bacon around the hot dog in a spiral fashion, slightly overlapping as you go. Stick toothpicks through the bacon-wrapped hot dog at both ends to keep the bacon from unraveling as it cooks and gets crispy.

What bacon is best for bacon-wrapped hot dogs?

Thin, center cut bacon slices are best for this recipe. Center-cut bacon slices are shorter, so they won't leave any bacon overhang at the end of the hot dog. For this recipe, thin slices are better than thick, because thicker bacon takes longer to cook, and can be tough to get crispy.

What goes on bacon-wrapped hot dogs?

Just about anything! Go classic with onion, pickles, mustard, and ketchup, or spice things up with jalapeño slices, hot sauce, or sriracha. The sky's the limit!