Approximately 20 billion hot dogs are consumed in a year and 50 billion burgers are consumed in a year. Knowing this left me no choice but to make these Animal Style Burger Dogs. It only makes sense to combine the two most consumed proteins ever! Personally, it turned out to be an awesome idea!
The problem I had was making these Burger Dogs with some style so they didn’t come across boring. This is where the Animal Style came to play. I caramelized some onions and made a delicious sauce to amp up the taste buds and then stuffed the Burger Dogs with Cheddar Cheese. They were an absolute success! 
Now that the Burger Dogs are in full vision, it was time to decide what approach was appropriate to take so they came out perfect. I decided to smoke them so the cheese in the core would melt and allow the meat to slowly cook inside out. The smoke added an extra flavor profile as well.
HOW TO PREPARE BURGER DOGS
The ratio of fat to meat is critical here, it is best to use 80/20 ground chuck because it contains enough fat for the meat to be formed and stick. Plus, it won’t dry out during cooking.
Prepare jalapeños by removing the seeds (this is optional) and then dicing them. I typically do a full jalapeño for 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck. Add the ground chuck into a mixing bowl with the jalapeño and a few tablespoons of your favorite beef rub. I used Thundering Longhorn from Fire and Smoke Society.
Hand mix the ingredients and then form a flat square (about 6” X 3”) out of the mixture. Place a 1/4” thick block of cheddar cheese in the center and form it into a hotdog. Be sure to make sure the seal is closed and worked into one smooth surface. Place the Burger Dogs in the fridge for 30 minutes.
During this time, chop a whole yellow onion and place it in a medium heat skillet with a tablespoon of unsalted butter. Cook these down until they are caramelized and then season with Onion Butter Seasoning. Once these are finished you can keep them warm by placing them in foil.
HOW TO PREPARE THE SMOKER
Fire up the smoker and set the temp to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature is obtained add some apple wood chunks for the extra smokey flavor. Place the Burger Dog’s on the smoker and let them smoke until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. This should take about one hour.
Once the Burger Dog’s are on the smoker, make the Animal Sauce. In a small mixing bowl add mayo, ketchup, mustard and hot sauce. Whisk this together and place in the fridge until it’s needed.
CRISPY SHOESTRING FRIES
Starting off with a whole russet potato, cut an even side off to create a smooth surface. Place the potato down on this side and then make as evenly thin slices as you can make. Stack these sliced and then cut them into thin shoestring fries.
Quick add all of the raw shoestring fries into cold water and let them soak for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove them and place the fries on a dry towel and pat them dry.
Be sure to have peanut oil (or lard) in a skillet or frying pan ready for frying the fries. I like to fry the first batch at 350 degrees F for about 4-5 minutes. This is how you blanch them. From here, let them hang out until the Burger Dog’s are done smoking. When the Burger Dog’s come off the smoker for their resting, place the fries back into the oil and fry until they are golden and crispy.
Toss the fries in Potato Slayer seasoning and plate with the Burger Dogs.
Animal Style Burger Dog
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 whole jalapeño diced and seeded
- 2 tablespoons Thundering Longhorn Seasoning
- Brioche Buns
- 2 Russet Potatoes
- Peanut oil for frying
- 1 Tablespoons potato slayer seasoning
- 1 Yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Romaine Lettuce Chopped for garnish
- 1 8 ounce block cheddar cheese cut into 1/4” strips
Animal Sauce
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Start off by prepping the Jalapeño by removing the seeds and then dicing it. Add this with the 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck and the Thundering Longhorn seasoning. Hand mix until combined well.
- Form 6” x 3” flat rectangles and then place a strip of the cheddar cheese in the center. From here make them into a rounded shape of a hotdog. Place them in the fridge for 25-30 minutes.
- Chop the yellow onion and add to a medium heat skillet with a tablespoon of butter. Cook these until translucent. Season with onion butter seasoning and keep warm in foil.
- Have your smoker set up at 250 degrees F and add some Apple wood chunks for a nice smokey flavor. Place the Burger Dogs on the smoker and let them smoke until 165 degrees F internally.
- Slice the russet potatoes into shoestring fries and place them in cold water for 15 minutes. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel. Fry in peanut oil (or lard) for 4-5 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove and let them sit until the Burger Dog’s are finished smoking. Once the Burger Dog’s are removed from the smoker, fry the fries for the second time until they are golden and crispy. Remove and season with potato slayer seasoning.
- Make the burger sauce by mixing mayo, ketchup, mustard and hot sauce together.
- Assemble the Burger Dogs with pickles on the bottom, the Burger Dog, the Animal Sauce, Caramelized onions and chopped romaine lettuce as a garnish.
- Serve and enjoy with family and friends!
Video
As a lover of both hot dogs and burgers, I was fascinated by the number of these meats consumed each year – approximately 20 billion hot dogs and 50 billion burgers! I knew that combining these two favorites in a way would be a fun and exciting challenge. And thus, the Animal Style Burger Dogs were born.
In conclusion, I’m so happy I decided to create Animal Style Burger Dogs. This recipe is a unique and fun twist on two of the most popular foods in the world. The caramelized onions, homemade sauce, and melted cheddar cheese stuffed inside a juicy burger dog are mouth-watering. And smoking the Burger Dogs added an extra element of flavor that made them even better. Whether you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe to share with friends and family, or just want to have in a delicious treat, these Burger Dogs are a must-try!
DID YOU ENJOY THIS BURGER DOG RECIPE? YOU’LL LOVE MY OTHER BEEF RECIPES IN THE LINK BELOW!
BEEF RECIPES
Items used in This Recipe
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