“Oh So Good” Grilled Vegan Carrot Hot Dogs

They say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  That is what I thought after reading about and watching YouTube videos about carrot hot dogs.  But being someone who loved a good hot dog, especially with a cold beer, I owed it to myself to give it a try.  The result was not too good to be true but rather, “Oh so good” I can’t believe it is really true!  If you miss hot dogs since becoming vegan, I give you my “Oh So Good” Grilled Vegan Carrot Hot Dogs!

Every hot dog lover knows the key to a good hot dog is the bite and the flavor.  I can hear some of you yelling, “what about the fat”!  I get that.  The problem with the fat in the hot dog is that it is just plain unhealthy.  It’s not the good type of fat.  If you need fat, I suggest adding avocado as a topping.

The Bite

I was really surprised how satisfying the first bite into the carrot hot dog was…as was the second, third, fourth, and every bite I took.  It was so familiar.  My teeth sunk into the carrot just like it was a real hot dog, with similar resistance and snap.

The key is making sure that the carrot has been sufficiently been cooked through, but not overcooked or undercooked.  This requires testing throughout.

I prefer a thick hot dog, so the carrots I chose were thick.  This required boiling (low rolling boil) the carrots for almost 15 minutes until a fork could pierce through the carrot.  Cooking too long leaves the carrot too mushy for use.  But if not cooked long enough, your bite will be reminiscent of eating a cooked carrot.  My recommendation is test, test, test until the carrot can be pierced through without breaking apart.

The Flavor

Capturing the flavor of a hot dog is tricky.  It needs to be salty, but not overly salty.  It needs to be smoky like it’s been cooked over a fire.  There has to be the presence of sweetness, but ever so slight.  Seasoned with garlic, onion, and the tang of vinegar and a hint of heat.

Using a marinade of apple cider and rice vinegars, soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, paprika, granulated garlic, dehydrated onion, and red pepper flakes, the carrots need time to soak in as much as possible to properly capture the flavor.  Don’t rush the process.  Give the carrots 24 hours or more to marinade before grilling.

I like to pierce the carrots several times to allow the marinade to go deep into the carrots.  Alternatively, the outside of the carrot can be scored with a fork or grater, but I think the carrot looks more “hot dog-like” without the outside being scored.

The Finish

After the carrots have marinaded for a sufficiently long time, they are ready to grill.  This can be on an actual grill or on a stovetop.  Do not boil.  The grilling helps with the replication of the snappy bite into the carrot hot dog.

Grill the carrots as you do real hot dogs.  It’s that simple.

Dress the carrot hot dog as you would normally.  Sauerkraut, mustard, pickles, hot peppers, onions, and relish are my favorites on a whole wheat bun, but you do you.  Just please don’t put ketchup on it!

For those who want some fat on their hot dog, I offer an offbeat alternative.  I substituted guacamole for the sauerkraut.  I substituted sriracha for the mustard.  Sliced tomato, pickled jalapenos, and onions round it out!  Delicious!

This is a perfect complement to my Quick and Easy Very Veggie Vegan Game Day Chili!

I promise you…these “Oh So Good” Grilled Vegan Carrot Hot Dogs will please your guilty pleasure!

Print Recipe

“Oh So Good” Grilled Vegan Carrot Hot Dogs

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Dinner – Casual

By Stephen R. MacNeil – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour

Satisfy your guilty pleasure with these Vegan Carrot Hot Dogs that are OH SO GOOD! The marinade gives the right balance of salt, sweet, and heat to these carrots. Grill and serve on a hot dog bun with your favorite fixings!

Ingredients

• 4 thick carrots, washed and scrubbed, but not peeled (try to find carrots with consistent thickness from top to bottom)
• 4 hot dog buns, preferably whole wheat
• Marinade
• 1 ½ tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp of maple syrup
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce (I recommend not using low sodium soy sauce for this recipe)
• 2 tsp of Liquid Smoke
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of granulated garlic
• 1 tsp of dehydrated onion
• ½ tsp of red pepper flakes

Instructions

Preparation the day before

1

Cut the carrots to roughly the length of the hot dog bun (about 5 to 6 inches).

2

In a large saucepan, boil water until a low rolling boil is achieved.

3

Place the carrots in the boiling water.

4

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and whisk.

5

Transfer the marinade to a large resealable bag.

6

Continue to boil the carrots until the carrot can be pierced through with a fork or skewer.

7

Remove carrots from the water.

8

Using a fork, pierce each carrot 6 to 8 times to allow the marinade to permeate the carrot.

9

Place the carrots in the resealable bag with the marinade.

10

Remove most of the air from the bag and seal.

11

Place the resealable bag in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

Grilling

12

Remove the carrots from resealable bag.

13

Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan.

14

Heat the marinade over medium high heat and allow it to reduce by a third.

15

Grill the carrots over medium to medium-high heat for roughly 12 to 15 minutes, basting the carrots with the marinade reduction.

16

Turn the carrots occasionally to allow for the grill marks to appear.

17

Remove from the grill.

18

Serve on a hot dog bun with the fixings of your choice!

19

Enjoy!

Notes

If you are looking for a sauerkraut for your hot dog, especially if you are eating it with a beer, I recommend Saverne Kraut Artisanal Craft Beer sauerkraut.