These Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs Bring Sweet, Smoky, And Spicy Flavor To The Grill

There are quite a few ways to enjoy a hot dog, ranging from your plain mustard-topped frank to all-out Chicago-style hot dogs and anything in between. I'd argue that this bacon-wrapped hot dog recipe lands pretty far on the decked-out end of the hot dog spectrum, and in the most unexpectedly delicious way possible. 

Instead of focusing on one single flavor profile, these hot dogs are the ultimate combination of smoky, salty, sweet, and spicy — served on a perfectly toasted bun. I wrapped hot dogs in crispy, smoky bacon, brushed them with a sticky-sweet maple-bourbon glaze, then topped them with French's Crispy Fried Onions. The maple-bourbon sauce is no doubt the star of the show here, adding a uniquely sweet, tangy, and savory depth to the dogs. The sauce is also super easy to whip up and pairs well with other types of meat, like pork, chicken wings, or even salmon, so I highly recommend making extra.

To add to the over-the-top nature of the dish, once those maple-soaked, bacon-wrapped dogs are comfortably nestled into the toasted buns, I added jalapeño slices for a little fresh heat and crispy fried onions for a touch of crunch. The resulting hot dog is bold and bursting with an intricate balance of flavors, and it's (most likely) unlike any other frank you've tried before.

You'll begin this recipe by making the maple-bourbon sauce, which consists of maple syrup, bourbon, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. You'll need all-beef hot dogs and bacon to make up the base of the dish, along with hot dog buns and softened butter to get the buns nice and toasty. To top off the hot dogs, have sliced jalapeño and French's crispy fried onions on hand. 

Add the maple syrup, bourbon, Dijon, vinegar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper to a small saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together.

Bring to a light boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat.

Wrap each hot dog tightly with one slice of bacon, slightly overlapping and stretching the bacon as you wrap it to help it stay snug around the hot dog.

Preheat the grill to 350 F.

Spritz the skillet with cooking spray.

Place the hot dogs on the skillet.

Cook the bacon-wrapped hot dogs for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the bacon is browned and crisp.

Brush the hot dogs generously with the maple bourbon sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes until the sauce is caramelized.

Add the butter to the buns.

Lightly toast the buns.

Spoon a little of the remaining sauce onto each bun.

Add a hot dog to each bun and garnish each with jalapeño slices and crispy onions to serve.

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There are a couple of reasons why I cooked these bacon-wrapped hot dogs on a grill skillet instead of directly on the grill. To start, it makes clean-up a bit easier, as all of the oil or drippings end up on one removable pan, which you can easily wipe down or transfer to your kitchen to wash. The skillet also helps reduce the chance of flare-ups on the grill, since there's less likelihood that the grease from the bacon can drip onto an open flame. I definitely recommend using a grill skillet if you have one, but you can modify this recipe to cook the hot dogs directly on the grill grates.

The most important thing to avoid with classic on-the-grates grilling is a possible flare-up from the bacon grease, so to ensure safe cooking, place the hot dogs over indirect heat. Cook them at 350 F, rotating every so often to ensure that all of the bacon crisps up evenly. When there are about 2 minutes of cooking time left, brush the hot dogs all over with the maple-bourbon sauce. If you want to get the bacon extra crispy, place the hot dogs over direct heat for a minute or 2 towards the end, but watch them carefully to make sure the glaze doesn't burn.

There are plenty of ways to switch up this bacon-wrapped hot dog recipe while still retaining those distinct sweet, salty, savory, and spicy flavors. To start, you don't need to stick with all-beef franks. Pork hot dogs will also work here, and they'll especially pair well with the bacon. Otherwise, beef-pork combination hot dogs or even chicken or veggie dogs will work. I specifically used jumbo-sized hot dogs here, but you can use any size depending on what buns you go with.

If you love hot dogs with a cheesy element, and you'd like to add an extra layer of savory depth, sprinkle some grated cheddar onto the franks once they're in the buns. For the jalapeños, you can easily switch out fresh for pickled ones, which will temper the heat a bit while adding a tangy pop. If you prefer creamy sauces, mix mayonnaise into the sauce you have leftover after brushing the hot dogs on the grill. Spread the creamy sauce onto the buns before assembling the hot dogs for a burst of tangy richness. Finally, play up the sweet element of these hot dogs by topping them with grilled pineapple or a tangy slaw.

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