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Firecracker Hot Dogs

Firecracker hot dogs with spiral-scored, charred hot dogs split open on the grill and loaded with spicy jalapeño relish, yellow mustard, and a sriracha drizzle. Toasted buns, crunchy fried onions, and a ketchup side make them easy 4th of July BBQ hot dogs.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef hot dogs
  • 8 8 beef hot dogs
Hot dog buns
  • 8 8 hot dog buns
Butter and toasting
  • 2 tbsp butter softened
Spicy jalapeño relish
  • 0.5 cup jalapeño relish or pickled jalapeños, chopped
Yellow mustard
  • 0.25 cup yellow mustard
Sriracha drizzle
  • 2 tbsp sriracha
Crispy fried onions
  • 0.25 cup crispy fried onions
Ketchup for serving
  • 1 ketchup for serving

Equipment

  • 1 grill pan

Method
 

Score the hot dogs
  1. Score each hot dog with diagonal cuts or a spiral cut to help them char and open on the grill.
Grill and char
  1. Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat, then place hot dogs on and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning frequently, until charred and split open slightly.
Toast the buns
  1. Butter the inside of each bun and toast on the grill for 1–2 minutes until golden, watching for lightly browned edges.
Load and serve
  1. Place a hot dog in each toasted bun and top with jalapeño relish plus a squeeze of yellow mustard.
  2. Drizzle with sriracha, then finish with crispy fried onions and serve immediately with ketchup on the side.

Notes

For best char, keep the grill at medium-high and turn often so the spiral cuts open without burning. Store leftovers refrigerated up to 2 days; rewarm hot dogs gently and toast buns fresh. Freezing is not recommended for the assembled dogs, but you can freeze grilled hot dogs (without toppings) up to 2 months. For a milder option, use mild jalapeño relish or chop fewer pickled jalapeños and reduce the sriracha to a light drizzle.