Red Onion Hot Dog Sauce (2024)

WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN! I COOK REAL FOOD FOR REAL PEOPLE LIKE YOUR MOM OR YOUR GRANDMA DID BECAUSE THAT IS HOW I LEARNED FROM MY PASTRY CHEF MOM AND FANTASTIC, OLD WORLD GRANDMOTHERS!IF YOU ARE HEREFOR THE FIRST TIME, I INVITE YOU TO HAVE A LOOK AROUND AND EXPLORE SOME OF MY QUICK, EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND DELICIOUS RECIPES! COME SPEND SOME TIME WITH ME AND MY FAMILY LEARNING HOW TO COOK, PURE, WHOLESOME FOOD! I HOPE YOU TRY THESE RECIPES AND I HOPE YOU LOVE THEM! HAPPY EATING!

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Noreen's Kitchen
Red Onion Hot Dog Sauce Ingredients
4 large Vidalia Onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup tomato powder or paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons water

Step by Step Instructions

Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat.

Add onion and toss to coat.

Add garlic, and toss to combine.

Add tomato paste, spices, vinegar and brown sugar and stir well.

Add water and stir to combine and be sure the tomato paste is broken up.

Bring to a simmer and continue to cook until the mixture has reduced by half and becomes slightly thick. This will take between 20 and 30 minutes.

Mix corn starch with remaining 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry.

Add slurry to the onion mixture and stir well until it becomes clear and thickened.

Serve on hot dogs, bratwurst, sausages or burgers!

Allow to cool and store in a mason jar or air tight container in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Lots of people have indeed used red onions in their onion sauce. I have chosen to use sweet Vidalias and it was the perfect choice. I also saw a lot of people adding spicy brown mustard or table mustard to their recipes. I went ahead and added some dry mustard and it lends just enough heat without being to spicy. Some called for corn syrup, some for white sugar but I added brown sugar to deepen the sweet flavor. In went some tomato paste. You can use tomato powder if you like as well. Vinegar for tang and a bunch of other spices, salt and pepper.

This is mixed together with some water and simmered. I simmered mine for around 40 minutes over medium heat until it was reduced by about half and the mixture was thickened and deep in color. My house smelled amazing! I thickened things up with a corn starch slurry just to give this the extra added body it needs to drape over your dog. It is sheer perfection!

If you have never tried red onion sauce on your dog, I highly recommend it. This homemade version is perfect for us and I will be making it again in the future. This recipe made a ton. LIke three pints worth so I will be sharing some and then using the rest. It will last me the summer.

Today I am sharing how to make red onion hot dog sauce. If you are a fan of the New York style hot dog and the carts from which they hail or places like Nathan's Famous, Gray's Papaya and a myriad of others, you know red onion sauce. It is the most amazing condiment to ever top a tube steak (that is what my step dad always called them) ever! Lots of onion and I mean a lot, simmered with vinegar, spices, sugar and tomato paste until it is a thick and unctuous sauce that just clings in all the right place. Perfect when combined with spicy brown mustard and just a smattering of sauerkraut this onion sauce is simply delicious!​

​I used to be able to buy the Sabrett's brand of red onion hot dog sauce at my local grocer in the cooler next to the hot dogs, but now it seems that none of the stores in my area even carry the Sabrett's dogs or any other thing in their line. So, I breathed a sad sigh of frustration and went to work researching this east coast delight. I wanted it for my hot dogs and I missed it so what do you do? You make it yourself!

There are many different recipes for red onion hot dog sauce, and they are very similar in nature, with simple variations depending on the spices that people have chosen to use. When you know the history of the sauce it becomes clear that it was a creation of a Greek man who had a hot dog stand/cart. I say this because most of the recipes contain cinnamon. This is a big flavor profile in Greek cooking so it made sense to me that it was in there. We have left it out of ours because Rick just doesn't care for it. We did not miss it.

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This recipe is not appropriate for canning. Because I know some of you will ask. Onions and the addition of corn starch make this a big no way for me. This will keep in the fridge in a jar for up to three months, if it lasts that long. You will want to put it on everything, I promise!

I hope you give this red onion hot dog sauce a try and I hope you love it!

Happy eating!

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