14 Creative Ways To Use Hot Dogs Without A Bun

Hot dogs and buns don't come in the same quantities. Annoyingly, the packages are mismatched, with glizzys typically coming in packs of 10 and buns in packs of eight, so you always wind up with a few extras. Don't fret, though. There are plenty of creative ways to put those leftover dogs to good use, and they don't require the customary bun. We aren't just talking about chopping them up and putting them in mac and cheese, making corn dogs, or creating pigs in a blanket, either — everyone knows they are nostalgic gems. We are referencing more inventive, dare we say ingenious, options.

From making kebabs with hot dogs and using them to garnish Bloody Marys to turning them into a fun pizza topping, there is an abundance of options for using hot dogs that branch out from the ordinary. So, if you are ready to say goodbye to leftover dogs without having to purchase several packages of buns and their counterparts, you are in the right place. Who knows? Some of them may even be so intriguing that you skip the bread entirely the next time you snag a pack of the humble grilling favorite.

Hearty soups and stews make a fantastic vessel for using leftover hot dogs. Chili, in particular, is a stand-out option. After all, we've all heard of a chili dog before, so we know they make a winning combo. This method simply eliminates the bread, giving you all the same complementary flavors but in a slightly different format. You can also add many of the classic toppings associated with them to your bowl of hot dog chili, such as cheese and diced onions, for even more flavor and texture.

When it comes to the type of chili you add sliced hot dogs to, a meaty beef chili more than fits the bill. Not only does the combination of meats lead to excellent texture and flavor, but it's the type of stew that typically goes on a chili dog. Enough said. Still, other versions of the stew, even vegetarian, bean-heavy ones, also welcome little chunks of hot dog into the mix with ease. If you let your chili simmer for long enough (maybe in a slow-cooker), you don't have to cook the dogs first, either. Grilling them up until they develop a nice char certainly won't hurt, though.

Kebabs can be made with a world of different meats and veggies. Lucky us, you can also add those leftover hot dogs to the list of suitable ingredients. When diced into smaller chunks or slices, you can easily slide them onto a skewer with various vegetables to create a complete meal. Best of all, it is still a handheld hot dog recipe thanks to the skewers, so they are perfect for large gatherings and cookouts, buns or not.

As for the vegetables you stack on skewers with your leftover hot dogs, just about anything goes. Even so, chunks of corn on the cob, onions, tomatoes, and peppers of all kinds are phenomenal picks. They grill up like a charm and add lots of varied texture and crunch to the finished product. We recommend firing up the grill, but your veggie kebabs can also be pan-fried or baked if grilling isn't in the cards. Just make sure to cut all of the ingredients into similarly sized chunks so they cook evenly and season the whole lot generously. A finishing sauce, like chimichurri, will take them to even greater heights.

Mexican cuisine is far from the first thing to come to mind when most of us envision hot dogs. They are an iconic American comfort food, after all. Still, we are here to tell you that some of Mexico's most famous culinary creations — tacos and quesadillas — are also ready to help you use up hot dogs without the need for a bun.

Whether diced finely, chopped into small slices, or left whole, hot dogs get along with quesadillas and tacos like they are old-time friends. The addition of cheese and other Hispanic toppings, like salsa, spicy peppers, avocado, and more, give your average hot dog a serious makeover. In addition, you still get a fantastic shell to transport them straight to your mouth — the tortilla, of course. Instead of being soft, like a classic bun, tortillas develop a crunch factor when pan- or deep-fried to make taco shells or quesadillas, and we all know more textural variation is a great thing. If you were one of those kids who begged for cheese-filled hot dogs, think of this as the grown-up version with way more inspired, authentic flavor. Bonus points if you make your own salsa, too.

Dishes that go in the oven, like casseroles and pasta bakes, also benefit from a meaty infusion of hot dogs. Obviously, they are super tasty in mac and cheese, but that's not where the fun stops with pasta and dogs. They also add lots of flavor to noodle dishes with other types of sauces, including pesto, marinara, and Alfredo (which, as it turns out, is quite similar to an elevated mac and cheese sauce). So, whether you are looking to bulk up lasagna, baked ziti, or some other type of noodle dish that cooks in the oven, the humble glizzy is here for the win.

The same thing can be said about hot dogs and casseroles making a great pair. We all know casseroles are a catch-all for just about any ingredients you have lying around, so the sky is the limit here as well. Suffice it to say, you don't have to get fancy, either. A simple three-ingredient casserole featuring a can of chili, tater tots, and, of course, hot dogs provides you with an unbelievably quick and delicious meal perfect for enjoying at home or bringing to a cookout. You might even consider upgrading a holiday favorite, like green bean casserole, with sliced hot dogs. Food for thought.

When looking to use hot dogs without a bun in your meals, don't forget that they can assist in the breakfast department just as much as at other times of the day. Yup, that's right. All your favorite egg and potato dishes also get a serious boost from hot dogs. Plus, they help you branch out from things like bacon and sausage when it's time for something new. No shade to bacon or sausage; they are the breakfast O.G.s for a reason, but sometimes a switch-up is more than warranted. We've got to keep things interesting, after all.

Breakfast hash is a great place to start incorporating hot dogs into your morning meal. They fit in with any veggies you like, and there's no doubt they pair with potatoes. Case in point: They are often served on the side of a hot dog in a bun, whether in fried or chip form. 

Eggs also welcome hot dogs into the fold, no questions asked. You can chop them up and work them into quiches, omelets, or a plate of good old-fashioned scrambled eggs. Either way, they bulk up your meal while adding lots of flavor and texture. Sounds like a win-win to us.

Both pork and beef fried rice dishes are popular for a reason: They are delicious. And guess what? Hot dogs might not be the first thing we think of when we consider the type of meat we want to put in fried rice, but they can be made with beef or pork, so they certainly fit the mold. When sliced and fried, hot dogs also develop crispy edges and a nice caramelization that only makes whatever you put them in even tastier, and that includes fried rice.

In addition to the customary ingredients, eggs and rice, you can also use lots of veggies in a hot dog fried rice to create a complete, nutritious meal. Think carrots, snap peas, water chestnuts, corn, spicy peppers, onions, and whatever else your little heart desires. Also, if you use day-old rice, the texture will be far superior. Fresh rice tends to get soggy when fried up straight away. Regardless, for the chef's kiss, top it all off with some chili crisp before serving, and you won't regret it. That is, of course, if you can take a little bit of heat. Best of all, you can make your hot dog fried rice in a single pan, streamlining clean-up and cooking as a whole. Talk about convenience.

This next creative way to use hot dogs will speak to people with a gluten intolerance, celiac, or anyone who chooses to limit their carbohydrate intake. It sure is creative, too. Without further ado, may we present the zucchini boat bun. It may sound like cheating a bit, because for all intents and purposes, you'll still be consuming a hot dog the same way — in a handheld food wrapper — but there won't be any bread in sight. Instead, you get to fit it into a halved and hollowed-out zucchini. Cool, huh?

To pull this dish off, you'll want to cook your halved and hollowed-out zucchini boat before simply tossing a hot dog into it. If you already have the grill fired up, that's the way to go. Simply brush it with some oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and let it roast away while your hot dogs are cooking. Just be mindful that you don't overcook them because once they pass a certain point, they won't hold up very well as a makeshift bun. 

For a more classic approach, you can also slice up hot dogs and put them in a more traditional zucchini boat mix. However, this does not allow you to include people who can't partake in the classic bun enjoyment the same way. Just saying.

There are lots of ways to upgrade corn bread with canned ingredients, and hot dogs just so happen to be one of them. Even if the hot dogs you want to use don't come from a can, they are still what every meat lover's corn bread has been craving. Salty, chewy, and full of flavor, they take a bland corn bread recipe from boring to boisterous in one fell swoop.

You could certainly top corn bread with cooked slices of hot dog, but the best time to bring the two ingredients together is before baking. Basically, adding small chunks or finely diced hot dogs to corn bread batter is the way to go. It allows the flavors and textures to meld like no other. Plus, you get a succinct dish instead of an ingredient addition that feels more like an afterthought.

You don't have to make the corn bread from scratch, either. You can easily incorporate hot dogs into a store-bought box of batter and bake away like normal. Then, once you have your perfectly hearty muffins or loaf, we recommend serving it with a bowl of chili, barbecued meats, or simply enjoying your new creation as a snack with butter. It'll certainly be flavorful enough to do so.

Everyone loves pizza. One of the reasons for its widespread popularity is that you can load it up with a world of creative toppings. Obviously, the tasty sauce and gooey cheese help as well, but it allows for never-ending ingredient combinations, so the dish never gets boring. With this in mind, reaching for hot dogs to help you make the most of your next pizza is a crowd-pleasing approach everyone should try at least once. Even if you aren't making one from scratch, they make an outstanding frozen store-bought pizza upgrade.

Just like sausage or pepperoni, sliced hot dogs easily complement pizza. They bake up perfectly when layered on top and add some of the greasy goodness we all know and love to the pie. If you choose to pan-fry the slices a bit first, they also get nice and crispy, so the crust gets a helping hand in terms of texture. If you select a plant-based dog, it would be a great way to give vegetarians some of the meaty chew provided by omnivorous toppings as well. So, move over, pepperoni and sliced sausage; hot dogs are vying for a spot as one of the best pizza toppings around.

Chicken pot pie is great and all, but adding another meat or possibly swapping out the namesake for hot dogs leads to a delightfully new spin on the classic dish that just about anyone could love. It's still meaty, maybe even more so, and as we all know, hot dogs are no strangers to veggie combinations. Plus, the crust will ensure you don't miss serving them with a bun.

To effectively make sure your hot dog pot pies (with or without chicken) don't come out dry, ample sauce is key. Without enough, the center of your pies will become dry. No, thanks; the crust already has the crunchy, dry part covered. When adding hot dogs to an already established chicken pot pie recipe, increasing the liquid is a must. If you swap out the chicken for dogs, you can most likely leave the proportions as-is, but when you use them without subtracting something else, make sure to turn up the saucy element, and you should be just fine.

Even if you opt for a pie from the grocery store, you can still upgrade the flavor and texture with some added hot dog slices on top. In fact, adding meat to the top is one of the best ways to improve a bland store-bought pot pie, so don't let this hack pass you by.

A well-made stuffing is what holiday dreams are made of. Crunchy, chewy, and hearty to boot, many people call the humble dish their celebratory favorite. Sure, there are others who think of the recipe as a simple accompaniment to a turkey or another type of roast, but when you give it the care and attention it deserves, it may just start to hog some of the spotlight. One way to pull this off is by adding sliced hot dogs to the mix.

As it turns out, just about anything can be turned into stuffing, and this includes hot dogs. You need to start with the three main ingredients, which are bread (preferably slightly stale), herbs, and moisture, but after that, the recipe is open to interpretation. What this means is any kind of veggie or meat, such as sliced hot dogs, can be incorporated to give the dish more chewy goodness and a boost in protein. The saltiness of hot dogs goes a long way in adding flavor as well. In fact, using it in stuffing is so tasty that something tells us that once you give it a go, you might start making it for everyday occasions as well, not just holiday dinners.

The list of salad ingredients is never-ending. While some are fairly unusual, like tinned fish and pickled veggie slaw, hot dogs don't have to be included in this category. In fact, they shouldn't be because they make a wonderful addition to salads of all kinds, and there's nothing strange about it.

Once cooked and sliced, tossing a handful of hot dogs onto a salad couldn't be easier. As we already know, they complement endless vegetables and sauces, so don't get hung up on the details. Leafy greens and other veggies give layers of crunch; hot dogs add protein; and the dressing, well, it brings the whole dish together in expert fashion.

If you want to stick with some of the classic flavors typically served with hot dogs, a honey mustard dressing won't let you down. Thousand Island and Russian dressing make excellent picks as well. Heck, even a classic Caesar salad will have you rethinking your protein choice once you give glizzys a chance to show you what they've got when mixed with fresh greens. Since kids find hot dogs so fun and appealing, you may even be able to convince a few to eat a salad with them on top. Here's hoping.

Bloody Marys are the stuff brunch dreams are made of. Filling and overflowing with complex flavors all by themselves, they only get better with a slew of unique garnishes. Actually, with enough of them, you can even turn the drink into a complete meal. If you've ever been to a restaurant with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, you know what we are talking about. Regardless, hot dogs are a shoo-in when it comes time to garnish the tasty tomato-based cocktail.

Bacon is a common Bloody Mary addition — no arguments there — but include a hot dog as well, and your cocktail is sure to turn some heads. You can simply slide a cooked one into your glass and munch away as you sip, but a little extra effort pays off in spades regarding aesthetic appeal. We recommend either slicing and skewering pieces of hot dog, opting for a smaller version (like Lit'l Smokies), or ribboning them so they create curly tendrils that stick out of the glass. Either way, you can keep the bulk-up going by still including pickles, celery, a hard-boiled egg, wedges of citrus, and any other garnishes that are calling your name. Just when you thought Bloody Marys couldn't get any better. Umm, brunch anyone?