4 Chef-Approved Hot Dogs to Level Up Your July 4th Cookout

From chili to caviar, these creative takes prove thereโ€™s no wrong way to do a hot dog.

By Team Made InJun 30, 2025
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The Fourth of July is all about traditionโ€”grilling in the backyard, gathering with friends, watching fireworks, and eating your weight in hot dogs are all typically on the menu. But while weโ€™re not here to knock a classic ketchup-and-mustard situation, we are here to suggest there might be more than one way to top a dog.

To help you bring something unexpected to the grill this year, we asked four of our favorite hot dog-loving chef customers from across the country to share their favorite hot dog builds. The results? Everything from nostalgic chili dogs to caviar-topped showstoppers, all made with the same goal in mind: to make your July 4th spread just a little more memorable.

Chili Dog

Chef Amanda Rockman | Chef/Owner, Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop (Austin, TX)

If thereโ€™s one hot dog that screams Fourth of July, itโ€™s a chili dog. Amandaโ€™s version takes it up a notch by melting American cheese into the bun, then loading on savory chili, pickles, and a sharp bite of raw onion.

What Youโ€™ll Need:

  • Beef hot dog
  • Potato bun
  • American cheese slices
  • Chili (with or without beans)
  • White onion, finely diced
  • Pickles

How to Assemble:

  1. Line the inside of a potato bun with American cheese and melt until gooey.
  2. Add the hot dog.
  3. Spoon chili generously over the top.
  4. Finish with sliced pickles and a sprinkle of white onion.

Pro Tip: Toast the bun first for extra structureโ€”it helps the cheese melt better, too.

Caviar Dog

Drew Ahumada | Partner/General Manager, Austin Oyster Co. (Austin, TX)

Hosting a backyard bash but want to make it fancy? Enter: the Caviar Dog. If youโ€™ve been lucky enough to catch this at Austin Oyster Co.โ€™s pop-ups throughout Austin, you know this dog is a masterful case study in high-low; with a buttered brioche bun, creamy horseradish sauce, and just enough caviar to get people talking.

What Youโ€™ll Need:

  • All-beef hot dog (ideally bun-length with a good snap)
  • Split top bun, buttered and toasted (brioche is best)
  • 10g caviar (any good quality brand โ€” Drew advises you to spend the money. Itโ€™s worth it.)
  • Horseradish sauce

Horseradish Sauce:

  • 2 parts crรจme fraรฎche
  • 1 part Hellmannโ€™s mayo
  • 0.5 parts whole grain mustard
  • 0.5 parts prepared horseradish (or to taste)
  • Salt

Whisk until smooth and taste for seasoning.

How to Assemble:

  1. Toast and butter the brioche bun.
  2. Add the hot dog.
  3. Drizzle with horseradish sauce.
  4. Top with caviar.

Pro Tip: This oneโ€™s best with a chilled drink in handโ€”might we suggest either Champagne or the Champagne of beers?

Peperonata Dog

Chef Mark Bolchoz | Chef/Owner, Cane Pazzo (Charleston, SC)

Equal parts smoky, sweet, and tangy, this Italian-inspired dog from Chef Mark Bolchoz brings serious flavor to the Fourth. Packed with sautรฉed peppers and onions, melted fontina, and a final hit of crispy garlic thatโ€™s sure to win over the crowd.

What Youโ€™ll Need:

  • Beef hot dog
  • Peperonata
  • Martinโ€™s potato bun (the only option here)
  • Shredded Fontina cheese
  • Crispy garlic

Peperonata:

  • Onion and garlic
  • Bell peppers and banana peppers
  • Vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Butter

Cook everything down until soft, glossy, and jammy.

How to Assemble:

  1. Add the hot dog to the bun.
  2. Top with shredded Fontina.
  3. Spoon over warm peperonata.
  4. Finish with crispy garlic.

Pro Tip: Make the peperonata in advanceโ€”it makes for a great topping to spoon atop burgers, polenta, or pasta salad.

Cachorro Quente (Brazilian Dog)

Chef John Manion | Executive Chef and Owner, El Che Steakhouse & Bar and Brasero (Chicago, IL)

If your Fourth of July philosophy is โ€œmore is more,โ€ this oneโ€™s for you. Inspired by Brazilian street food, Johnโ€™s version features smoky beans, crunchy fried onions, mustard, chimichurri aioli, and bright giardiniera. Itโ€™s messy, itโ€™s bold, and it might just steal the show from the fireworks.

What Youโ€™ll Need:

  • Grilled all-beef natural casing hot dog
  • Poppyseed bun
  • Feijoada-style beans
  • Crispy red onions
  • Yellow mustard
  • Giardiniera (preferably from legendary Chicago grocer J.P. Graziano)
  • Chimichurri aioli

Feijoada-Style Beans:

  • Black beans
  • Bacon
  • Onion and garlic

Crispy Red Onions:

  • Red onions, sliced
  • Buttermilk and hot sauce (for soaking)
  • Seasoned flour (for dredging and frying to GBDโ€“golden, brown, and delicious)

How to Assemble:

  1. Line the bun with black beans.
  2. Add a squiggle of mustard.
  3. Nestle in the hot dog.
  4. Add giardiniera and a drizzle of chimichurri aioli.
  5. Top with crispy onions.

Pro Tip: If youโ€™re looking to keep things really easy and streamlined, prep the fried onions ahead of time and re-crisp them in the oven just before serving.

Ready to Cook?

Whether youโ€™re grilling for two or feeding a whole crowd, these hot dogs are the perfect excuse to show off a little. Theyโ€™re familiar enough to satisfy the purists, but fun (and flavorful) enough to feel like something specialโ€”exactly what a long weekend cookout should be.

Try one or try all four, and donโ€™t forget to tag usโ€”we want to see how youโ€™re celebrating (hopefully with a piece or two from our Performance Grilling Collection).