Chicago Style Hot Dog: the only hot dog that matters

Illinois is home to a long and rich culinary tradition. The people who came to call this place home brought with them their own cuisines, and, calling on the produce of the state’s vast swathes of farmland, they set about creating new tastes, ways, and innovations that would influence the entire country, and indeed, the entire world.

But we’ll talk about all that another time. Because here we’re interested in only one thing: the Chicago Hot Dog.

The Chicago Hot Dog is one of the world’s finest foods, and you simply cannot convince us otherwise. But why would you want to? Its splendor is obvious to all who sample it. In a world full of flash-in-the-pan fast foods, the Chicago Hot Dog rides high, a legacy whose roots stretch back further here than even the hamburger or the pizza.

If you’ve ever had a Chicago Hot Dog, then you know what we’re talking about. But if you haven’t, dear reader, then, well, we’re not sure you’ve really lived.

Chicago Style Hot Dog Ingredients

While the form and fashion of many dishes are up for some debate, the fundamentals of the Chicago Hot Dog are sacred and certain. You’re free to debate us on this, of course, but it would be futile.

Hot dogs elsewhere, you’re gonna have your frank, your bun, your mustard; maybe a little ketchup if you’re so inclined, maybe onion if you’re living large. And you might think that’s enough.

Friend, that’s just not how we roll with a Chicago Hot Dog.

Here it is. And it is always in this order:

• You get your bun. Poppyseed. Steamed.
• You add your all-beef frankfurter, natural casing. Must have a good “snap”—that’s the satisfying resistance you get when you bite into the all-natural casing.
• Yellow mustard is the next contestant. Squiggle that guy.
• Here comes the relish! Neon-green, sweet-pickle.
• Fresh, delicious diced/chopped onions.
• Tomatoes? You better believe there’s tomatoes. Two or three slices or wedges.
• A single kosher-style dill pickle spear.
• Be a good sport and throw on two sport peppers.
• And finally, a dash of celery salt.

And always remember: dress the dog, not the bun. Do all of this right, and you will have in your possession (briefly, they never stick round long) the perfect Chicago Hot Dog, with a taste of all its glorious ingredients in every bite.

Where is the ketchup, you ask?

There is no ketchup. That’s not how this works. You’re of course free to do what you like—it’s your Dog—but you won’t be eating a Chicago Hot Dog. There’s even a whole book about that. (But we can summarize it for you: no ketchup.)

Chicago Hot Dog History

The history of the Chicago Style Hot Dog mirrors the construction of the Chicago Hot Dog itself. A number of elements, coming along at just the right time, in just the right way, in a manner you couldn’t quite predict, to create something greater than each of them. Kind of like the history of Illinois, too.

The first inklings of the wonder we now know as the Chicago Hot Dog go back to the 1840s. Large numbers of German immigrants arrived in Chicago, and with them, they brought the meat products of their homeland—including the frankfurter. Soon, it became a staple of this land, too.

But that was just the first generation ‘dog, an exotic mix of meats. It was later that century that the frank that sits proudly astride the Chicago Hot Dog today made its presence known. Jewish immigrants brought the all-beef frankfurter, and with that, we were finally on the way to glory.

Still, there are two more milestones to touch on before we can reach Chicago Hot Dog Nirvana.

The bun, that classic poppyseed-adorned bun, was gifted to Chicago and its culinary legacy by Polish-born Sam Rosen. The bun found a lifetime partner in the all-beef hot dog, and the two have been an unstoppable duo ever since. You can buy them to this very day from the original S. Rosen Baking Company!

In the ensuing years, the nascent Chicago Hot Dog moved ever-closer to its current form. Vendors would put their own mark on it, adding the condiments and toppings that came from, and appealed to, the new communities shaping Chicago. Each of these bore a closer and closer resemblance to the Chicago Hot Dog millions enjoy today.

And then, the same event that shaped so much of American history for decades to come gave rise to the final Chicago Hot Dog form.

Chicago Hot Dog: forged in the Great Depression

As America fell on hard times, the humble hot dog rose to the occasion. Cheap, plentiful, and satisfying, the hot dog filled a gap, and it filled stomachs.

But as it was then, it just wasn’t quite enough. It needed more.

So the vendors dragged it through the garden.

That phrase would become the defining characteristic of the Chicago Hot Dog. It’s the signature combination of toppings that distinguish the Chicago Hot Dog from its lesser rivals. And it all came from struggling communities trying to make the ‘Dog just a little more filling, to get them through lean times. They came together, they experimented with what they had, and as in so many other times in America, that need led to something great and enduring. And the shouts of early 1930s hot dog vendors became the birth cry of a Chicago legend.

Where to Find The Best Hot Dogs in Chicago