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Fourth of July is around the corner and many of us are in the throes of finalizing menus. Chances are if you are having a barbecue and there are kids around, hot dogs will be on your grocery list. Unless you have exactly eight kids present and they each eat one hot dog, there are going to be leftover buns. As a person who does not like to waste, I have been thinking of ways to dress up the hot dog bun for a gourmet treat better suited to adult tastes.
The hot dog bun these days comes in as nearly as many styles as there are types of sandwich bread available. I have seen hot dog buns that range from whole wheat to potato to egg, each kind available in everything ranging from plain to topped with sesame or poppy seed. If you are a Chicago native, you will probably insist that the only proper hot dog bun is one topped with poppy seeds. Although I am a little more flexible in my bun pairing for hot dogs than the Chicagoans, I would have to agree that poppy seed is one of my favorites.
The first good grown up use of the hot dog bun that comes to mind is the classic New England lobster roll. Few dishes are more quintessentially American, at least in New England, than the lobster roll. A lobster roll requires little more than making a lobster salad and serving it in a--you guessed it--hot dog bun. The salad should be a simple combination of cooked lobster meat (crab or cooked shrimp can be substituted here if you don’t have lobster available), mayonnaise, minced celery, lemon juice, and optional additional seasoning that can range from fresh tarragon to chopped dill pickle to seeded and diced cucumber.
The hot dog bun is an essential part of this recipe. In this case, you are better off with a classic white and spongy bun, buttered on both sides and then griddled (or grilled if you are cooking outdoors) until toasted.
If you have a kitchen available in addition to the grill, another classic use of the hot dog bun is as receptacle for shuttling fried fish and shellfish into one’s mouth. Fried crawfish, clams, oysters, even catfish all take nicely to a cornmeal coating and a deep fry. Stuff those babies into a nicely toasted hot dog bun and top with homemade tartar sauce for a truly grown up po’ boy treat.
If you have grossly over-estimated your hot dog needs, or just find yourself with the usual excess of buns on hand, that will be the time to start thinking outside of the bun. Buns drizzled with olive oil and seasoned will dry out and toast up nicely over an indirect flame (or medium oven). If you are still using the grill, use a vegetable tray to roast cherry tomatoes and zucchini. Cut buns and zucchini into bite-size pieces about the same size as the tomatoes. Toss it all with some cubed mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette for a warm panzanella salad of roasted vegetables.
The other option to use up those excess buns is to actually elevate the hot dogs above the realm of the 12-and-under set and, well, dress up the hot dog. The truth is everyone loves a good hot dog. But once you hit puberty you might be looking for something more than just the standard mustard and ketchup. Maybe it is because I live in LA, home of some of the best chili dog purveyors, but a solid meat-based chili on a hot dog is usually enough to get the grown-ups in on the bun action.
When topping hot dogs with chili, best to use all ground beef and skip the beans. Season that pot with some heaping tablespoons of chili powder, tomato paste, some sugar, oregano, bay leaf, and some beef stock then let the whole thing simmer until it is a thick, lumpy mud looking mass. When it comes to chili for hot dogs, the worse it looks, usually the better it tastes. Some grown-up friends of mine like to top that chili dog with some cheese or even avocado for a personal take on grown-up kid classic.
Fourth of July, barbecues, and hot dogs are words that were born to fit in the same sentence. But outside of the kiddie set, your adult friends might be looking for something a little more exciting than a dog in a bun. As much as the bun was born to hold a dog it can also reinvent itself into a lobster roll, a fried clam po’ boy, or even as the toasted bread for a grilled panzanella salad. So this Fourth, no need to be throwing away excess hot dog buns. If you think inside, outside, and all around the bun, there are more than enough ways to make use of the bun in recipes that will appeal to the grown-up, or the kid, in all of us.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
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Thinking Inside and Outside the Bun for the Fourth
The hot dog bun these days comes in as nearly as many styles as there are types of sandwich bread available. I have seen hot dog buns that range from whole wheat to potato to egg, each kind available in everything ranging from plain to topped with sesame or poppy seed. If you are a Chicago native, you will probably insist that the only proper hot dog bun is one topped with poppy seeds. Although I am a little more flexible in my bun pairing for hot dogs than the Chicagoans, I would have to agree that poppy seed is one of my favorites.
The first good grown up use of the hot dog bun that comes to mind is the classic New England lobster roll. Few dishes are more quintessentially American, at least in New England, than the lobster roll. A lobster roll requires little more than making a lobster salad and serving it in a--you guessed it--hot dog bun. The salad should be a simple combination of cooked lobster meat (crab or cooked shrimp can be substituted here if you don’t have lobster available), mayonnaise, minced celery, lemon juice, and optional additional seasoning that can range from fresh tarragon to chopped dill pickle to seeded and diced cucumber.
The hot dog bun is an essential part of this recipe. In this case, you are better off with a classic white and spongy bun, buttered on both sides and then griddled (or grilled if you are cooking outdoors) until toasted.
If you have a kitchen available in addition to the grill, another classic use of the hot dog bun is as receptacle for shuttling fried fish and shellfish into one’s mouth. Fried crawfish, clams, oysters, even catfish all take nicely to a cornmeal coating and a deep fry. Stuff those babies into a nicely toasted hot dog bun and top with homemade tartar sauce for a truly grown up po’ boy treat.
If you have grossly over-estimated your hot dog needs, or just find yourself with the usual excess of buns on hand, that will be the time to start thinking outside of the bun. Buns drizzled with olive oil and seasoned will dry out and toast up nicely over an indirect flame (or medium oven). If you are still using the grill, use a vegetable tray to roast cherry tomatoes and zucchini. Cut buns and zucchini into bite-size pieces about the same size as the tomatoes. Toss it all with some cubed mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette for a warm panzanella salad of roasted vegetables.
The other option to use up those excess buns is to actually elevate the hot dogs above the realm of the 12-and-under set and, well, dress up the hot dog. The truth is everyone loves a good hot dog. But once you hit puberty you might be looking for something more than just the standard mustard and ketchup. Maybe it is because I live in LA, home of some of the best chili dog purveyors, but a solid meat-based chili on a hot dog is usually enough to get the grown-ups in on the bun action.
When topping hot dogs with chili, best to use all ground beef and skip the beans. Season that pot with some heaping tablespoons of chili powder, tomato paste, some sugar, oregano, bay leaf, and some beef stock then let the whole thing simmer until it is a thick, lumpy mud looking mass. When it comes to chili for hot dogs, the worse it looks, usually the better it tastes. Some grown-up friends of mine like to top that chili dog with some cheese or even avocado for a personal take on grown-up kid classic.
Fourth of July, barbecues, and hot dogs are words that were born to fit in the same sentence. But outside of the kiddie set, your adult friends might be looking for something a little more exciting than a dog in a bun. As much as the bun was born to hold a dog it can also reinvent itself into a lobster roll, a fried clam po’ boy, or even as the toasted bread for a grilled panzanella salad. So this Fourth, no need to be throwing away excess hot dog buns. If you think inside, outside, and all around the bun, there are more than enough ways to make use of the bun in recipes that will appeal to the grown-up, or the kid, in all of us.
New England Crab Roll
Made with hot dog buns, butter, lemon, crab meat, mayonnaise, tarragon, celery, gherkins
Made with hot dog buns, butter, lemon, crab meat, mayonnaise, tarragon, celery, gherkins
Serves/Makes: 6
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced tarragon
- 1 stalk celery, finely minced
- 4 medium gherkins, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 6 hot dog buns
In a medium bowl, gently mix crab, mayonnaise, tarragon, celery, gherkins, and lemon juice. Chill crab salad until you are ready to serve.
Butter buns on both sides. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Toast buns for about two minutes per side. Split buns down the center and stuff with a bit of the crab salad in each. Serve immediately.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/916-hot-dog-buns/