This Bourbon Onion Bacon Dog is sinfully good! A perfectly grilled snappy skin hot dog, covered with bourbon glazed onions and bacon topping is like heaven in your mouth. Finish off your hot dog with some thin slices of jalapeno pepper and you have that complete sweet heat deal going on!

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This Bourbon Onion Bacon Dog is sinfully delicious! A perfectly grilled snappy skin hot dog, covered with bourbon caramelized onions and crispy bacon topping is like a burst of flavor and texture in your mouth. A few slices of candied jalapeno adds a layer of heat for the perfect hot dog!

This is your not your average hotdog! No ketchup, no mustard, and no pickle relish here! This is a grown up version packing a punch of flavors adults love.

This amazing hot dog recipe was inspired by my Blue Cheese Burger with Bourbon Caramelized Onions and pairs well with these crispy french fries.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
Related
Pairing
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Ingredients

Raw hot dogs on a plate with hot dog rolls in the background.

Unsalted butter
Bourbon
Maple syrup
Onion
Crisp cooked bacon
Hot dogs
Hot dog rolls
Candied Jalapeno (optional)

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This recipe is as easy as caramelizing the onions and air frying the hotdogs! Use pre-cooked bacon for convenience and you can have dinner ready in 20 minutes!

Cooked onions in skillet before adding root beer

Step 1: Cook onions in skillet with butter until softened.

Step 2: Add bourbon and continue to cook until caramelized.

Grilled Hot Dogs in a paper lined basket.

Step 3: Grill hot dogs (or air fry)

Step 4: Place hot dog in roll and top with caramelized onion, crispy bacon, and jalapeno slices.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter until bubbly. Add onion slices and cook for 7-10 minutes over medium low heat, until onions soften and begin to brown.
Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and stir into onions. Turn heat up and cook until onions begin to sizzle. Carefully add bourbon to the skillet. Cook and stir onions for 1 minute while the bourbon cooks down and glazes the onions. Remove from heat.
Grill or air fry hot dogs according to package directions.
Serve bourbon caramelized onions over hot dogs in buns and sprinkle with bacon and jalapeno slices (if using).

Hint: Caramelized onions can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge up to 3 days. They can also be placed in the freezer for long term storage up to 3 months. Just thaw and warm before using.

Substitutions

Make this recipe lower carb by making a keto bun shaped like a hot dog roll.

Syrup swap - brown sugar can be used in place of the maple syrup.
Make it vegetarian - substitute plant-based bacon and plant-based hot dogs (affiliate links).
Meat swap - substitute chicken sausage links or use your favorite hot dog.

Love fancy hot dogs? You might also want to try this Thai Hot Dog recipe!

Variations

Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe.

Spicy - stir a teaspoon or two of gochujang paste into the onions for a Korean flair.
Deluxe - use jumbo hot dogs for hearty appetites.
Jalapeno crunch - use french fried jalapeno pieces (affiliate link) instead of crispy bacon or jalapeno slices.

Equipment

A good heavy duty skillet is essential for making caramelized onions. I love to use my cast iron skillet (affiliate link) for even heat distribution, but a heavy bottomed staniless steel skillet works great as well.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.

Top tip

If serving a crowd, be sure to double the onion recipe and store the cooked hot dogs on low in a crock pot to keep them warm.

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Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

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When you make this Bourbon Onion Bacon Dog recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

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