Every great city has a great hot dog. You’ve heard of Chicago Dogs, New York Dogs, Dodger Dogs, Kansas City BBQ Dogs… well, let me introduce you to the dog that will beat them all, Tucson’s very own Sonoran Dog. Yep, tiny little Tucson has the bacon wrapped, bean stuffed, avocado pico topped hot dog that puts power house cities like Chicago under the table.
I mean really, how can “glow in the dark” pickle relish compete with grilled bacon and avocados?
We eat an awful lot of bacon wrapped Sonoran Hot Dogs during grillin’ season. They are quick and easy so I don’t have to sweat over the grill and I can enjoy my own party, instead. Sonoran Hot Dogs are impressive enough to serve to guests and, let’s face it, they are the best hot dogs on the whole darn planet.
If you are lucky enough to live in Tucson, or lucky enough to go there for vacation, you can have your choice of great places to grab a Sonoran Hot Dog. My personal favorite is Fatdogs Real Mexican Hotdogs , a hot dog stand out in the boonies on Thornydale and Overton Road, near my parents home. If you get a chance to check them out, you better be quick! Fatdogs opens around 10:00 a.m. and is open only as long as their bacon wrapped masterpieces last. I recommend getting there around 11:00, after that, there are no guarantees.
If you aren’t lucky enough to live in Tucson, well, you’ve come to the right place to find step by step directions on how to make an authentic Bacon Wrapped Sonoran Hot Dog… even if you do live in Chicago.
- 1 package (10) of your favorite hot dogs (I use Hebrew National)
- 10 slices bacon
- 10 good quality buns, lobster rolls or other soft rolls
- 2 cans ranch style beans or home made beans, drained
- 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ bunch cilantro, minced
- 2 avocados, peeled and diced
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 cup Mexican Crema or mayonnaise thinned with 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- Wrap one piece of bacon around each hot dog and secure on each end with a toothpick. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
- Open cans of beans and heat to a simmer. Drain beans in a strainer over a medium mixing bowl, keep warm.
- Toss diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro together, set aside.
- Grill bacon wrapped hot dogs over medium heat until bacon is crispy on all sides, but not burned. Make sure to cook slowly and turn the dogs often so that the hot dogs are heated through by the time the bacon crisps, about 10 minutes.
- Spoon the mayonnaise into a ketchup type squirt bottle. Thin with milk, a little at a time, if necessary.
- Dice avocado and toss with lime juice. Toss into the tomato mixture.
- Assemble the hot dogs by spooning beans into the bottom of the hot dog bun. Add the hot dog and top with the avocado pico de gallo.
- Drizzle Sonoran Hot Dogs with mayonnaise.
- Garnish with a sprig of cilantro.
Don’t just throw the same ol’ burger and dogs on the grill this season. It is so easy to to kick them up a notch with this Bacon Wrapped Sonoran Hot Dog Recipe. Trust me, you’ll love them.
If you aren’t in a “hot dog kind of mood,” here are a few of our other grill recipes that you might like to try as well as a few great recipes from our foodie friends.
Grilled Babyback Spare Ribs by Foodie Crush
Thai Beef Skewers by I Wash… You Dry
Grilled Pork Chops with Mayan Spiced Mango Marinade by Everyday Southwest
Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese, Blackberries and Lemon Dressing by Everyday Southwest
Be sure to subscribe for future recipes delivered right to your email inbox. You can follow me on twitter.
We love hearing from you so let us know what kinds of recipes you would like to see more of on Everyday Southwest.
—posted by Sandy
Sandy is a former elementary educator whose love for cooking has gone out of control. She has completed a degree in culinary arts and is now a food writer, photographer, cookbook author and co-creator of the popular website Everyday Southwest. 
Beautiful! Just absolutely beautiful!
Gotta love a jazzed up hot dog. These are great!
Thanks, Lori. This is a great dog. All it needs is your Mango Slaw!
http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/05/25/mango-slaw/
Sandy, bless you for making this bit of Sonoran heaven so doable!
Did you notice the beans? There… peeking out from under the hot dog. I kept them in just for you. 🙂
I love sonoran dogs! This makes me miss Tucson.
Happy to meet another blogger with ties to Tucson! I miss it, too (even though it is only a couple hours down the road). And the Tucson food!! Much better than Phoenix with a lot more “Mom and Pop” restaurants that serve authentic Sonoran-style Mexican food.
Okay seriously, this might just be the best dog I have ever seen! I mean, beans, bacon and avocado? I’m dying here!
Really, you must try this hot dog. It will become your absolute favorite!
Oh you know how to dress up a hot dog. I think I know whats for dinner tonight! They sound tasty and so easy.
These will become your favorite. They are the fav in my WHOLE family! I mean brothers, sisters, parents, nieces, nephews, sons…
Had them last night, Loved them!
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for coming back and letting us know.
Bacon , beans, avocado and a little chipotle mayo… oh my! These look SO GOOD I need one now, right now, though I’m out of hot dog buns. Today’s impromptu version will have to be wrapped burrito-style in a warm tortilla instead. I’ll think of Tucson while enjoying this treat.
Hi,
I’m doing a featured food blogger recipe slideshow of all hot dogs for Kitchen Daily. We’d love to include your Sonoran hot dog recipe. Can we have permission to use the photo? We will link back to the post of course.
Thanks,
Joseph Erdos
associate editor
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them. I have one question though, are “ranch” beans baked beans? Please forgive my ignorance. Thanks so much!
I already ate dinner, but could totally go for one of these RIGHT NOW! Gotta try ’em!
My mom came up from Tucson a few months ago and she was telling me about this. So I took her to a diner here in Lincoln Ne that has been making these for about twenty years. And come to find out that it is popular in many places in Canada and other places in the Northern states.
Hi Blanca, Yes! I’m so happy that these hot dogs have caught on and are spreading across the nation. Watch out, Chicago!
These are not Tucson’s hotdogs. These are what Mexican immigrants brought to Arizona from the neighbor state of Mexico, Sonora. These hotdogs were created in Hermosillo city and they are the after party fast food by excelence. There is a big plaza called Hotdog Park (parque de los dogos) where there are docens of hotdog stands each with unique variations of the recipe. If you ever go to Hermosillo the one in the photo is meek in comparison. So this is a hotdog for a great city in Sonora, Hermosillo not Tucson.
My cousin lives in Tucson right at Overton and Thornydale and I have eaten many of those wonderful dogs from that shiny silver truck while vacationing there over the past 3 years. I have brought this wonderful treat back to my friends here in Canada. Hopefully they will catch on across the north!
Hi Rob! So glad to find another Fat Dogs fan! Did you know they even have a small restaurant in a near-by mall? Yep! Their hot dogs are THAT good. I hope they do catch on with our neighbors to the North. Be sure to stop by the blog and say, “Hi” again!
If you guys are ever in Portland checkout Tony’s Cucina in downtown Portland for one of the best Sonoran Dog in Portland http://www.tonyscucina.com
Thanks for the tip! We are in Portland every now and then and will definitely look them up!
Thanks for the recipe! I might have to make these with that mango salsa you suggested. The bad thing is I am hungry now ;-).
Hi Shell, Thanks for stopping by the blog! Be sure to try this recipe, you will love it.
OMG! With 3 boys, we tend to eat tons of “junk” like hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, etc. TBH, I am sick to death of it. However, I stumbled across this recipe and it changed my life. Now, I don’t feel like I am eating a baseball dog! This was so yummy, it really felt like a gourmet meal!
I had loads of bacon left over from Christmas and was searching Pinterest for what to do with it and this recipe caught my eye. It reminded me of the pigs in blankets (UK version not US!) that the kids loved with our Christmas Dinner so I had to make it for them as a treat. They disappeared in minutes delicious