Plant-based Carrot Dogs

These vegan hot dogs are awesome!! Just top them with your preferred hot dog toppings and prepare to be impressed!

How many times have you attended a picnic, barbecue, outdoor party, or a similar event where hot dogs were served?  

The answer is infinity times infinity! Everyone serves hot dogs because most people like them and kids seem to really like them even more. Besides, most hot dogs are simple, fast, and cheap.

In fact, my husband told me that carrot dogs are his favorite meal. When I questioned his sanity – they are carrots after all – he confided to me that if he were offered his last meal before his execution, he would choose hot dogs and Doritos.

Wait, wha-at?!? Yes, he said this out loud while we were eating said carrot dogs. And no, I couldn’t believe it. But please don’t worry, my husband hasn’t killed anyone so I don’t think he’ll be on death row, hopefully not anytime ever. But since he did say this and I responded with that dog-like tilting of my head, I had to know more. After some gentle prodding (not nagging), he explained that he has always loved hot dogs – from the time he was “real little” – and now that he eats plant-based, he absolutely loves these carrot dogs. He also told me that this marinade is spot-on incredible. Yay for carrot dogs!!

Carrot dogs?! Yes, they do exist. I’m not making them up. You are not dreaming nor are you hallucinating. Well you might be, but it’s not my fault if you are. Carrot dogs are marinaded and grilled carrots on a hot dog bun, covered in mustard, ketchup, diced onions, and dill pickle relish. Or they’re covered in anything you want to cover yours in. I just prefer them with the standard hot dog fare.

And yes, carrot dogs are quite delicious. Mind blowing, I’m sure. To be honest, I was seriously skeptical when I first saw a carrot hot dog pin on Pinterest a couple years back. It sounded so foreign. So abstract. Kind of like putting banana peels in barbecue sauce and calling it pulled pork – that’s a real thing, too. And yes, I have tried it – meh, it tastes like it sounds.

I’ll be the first to tell you that you should try any recipe once; and that includes this one, of course. 😉

Getting back on track…. after seeing that outlandish life-changing pin for Carrot Hot Dogs a couple years ago, I thought to myself: “What is the worst thing that could happen?” My self contemplated this question and couldn’t come up with anything better than, “We may not like them?” Bingo!! The answer was very low risk… so why not?

After this deep introspection, it seemed like a good idea to try carrot dogs out for ourselves. Now, the first recipe was pretty straightforward; but it called for juniper berries. I had never used them before and didn’t know anything about them. So, I ordered the juniper berries on Amazon (not an affiliate) because I wanted to give carrot dogs their best chance for winning me over. I couldn’t very well sabotage the recipe from the very beginning, simply because I didn’t use the right ingredients – it wouldn’t be right.

Now, I think we’ve established that I can be a bit snooty when it comes to my food. I like real food. Even before I started eating plant-based, I was pretty ornery about high fructose corn syrup and other artificial junk. Hot dogs are no exception. Besides, it costs way too much for a package of formed meat. So now that we try to eat plant-based as much as we can, what do I do on Memorial Day or July 4th or Labor Day when tradition begs me to serve hot dogs to myself and my family? Hmmm…..

I’m sure you can guess at the answer and I’m sure you can guess what happened when we tried that first carrot dog recipe. We learned that carrot dogs are not weird or strange or some mystical abstract thing – they are amazing!!! Since that day a couple of years ago, we’ve enjoyed carrot dogs so many times, mostly on holidays but also on camping trips.

Surprisingly, these little wonders can transport me back to a nice summer day outside with my family and friends – no matter the age, no matter the family, no matter the friends. I say this because, like most people, I have enjoyed a lot of different phases over the course of my life; and hot dogs are always served at summer gatherings. And when I bite into my carrot dog, I truly feel “home” – even if it’s just me and my husband (and my dogs begging for a taste). No matter where I am.

So, let’s get one thing straight up front. These carrot dogs are super amazing!! But they are not going to fool you or anyone into thinking they are hot dogs. They are 100% carrots and will remain as such. It may seem like a magical transformation and you will be impressed. But they will remain the long orange vegetables that grow in dirt carrots that they are. They are legit plants. And you aren’t going to fool anyone into thinking otherwise. But if you are looking for a healthy whole food plant-based alternative with zero guilt, low sugar, low salt, unprocessed, these are true bits of happiness right here.

I assure you these carrots taste really really good on a hot dog bun with your favorite fixin’s. Believe me, take a bite into these and you will be overcome with the complete satisfaction of eating a hot dog. (My mom tried them once and she even liked them.)

Best of all, they are super easy to make! Like most good things, they do take a bit of planning. Your carrot dogs need time to work their mojo in the marinade. So, it’s best to start the process at least 1-2 days before you want to serve them.

It’s important to choose straight carrots that are more uniform in size, as much as possible. But this is almost impossible to find. Use this photo as a guide. They shouldn’t be too skinny on one end and fat on the other. They shouldn’t be too crooked either. And since they do shrink a little in the cooking and grilling process, small ones get lost in the bun. Look for a nice medium to large size carrot that resembles a hot dog.

Then, simply cut your carrots to the right length – that is, bun length. I just take a bun and put it right next to the carrot, leaving a little bit more room on each end to round the edges. This is good to since they will shrink a little bit.

Par-cook the carrots in the marinade for a few minutes in a pressure cooker (or pot on the stove) , and then allow them to marinade for a day or two. Please don’t let the list of ingredients daunt you. Some of that magic happens in that brown mojo marinade – but kindly remember that I told you that these do remain as carrots. The outer part of your carrots turn a slightly darker hue and soak in some nice deep layers of flavor goodness. When you’re ready, simply grill them for about 10-20 minutes, depending on their size.

If your carrots are thinner, they may take a little less time to cook on the grill – you don’t want mush. If your carrots are super huge, then they may need an extra minute or two in the Instant Pot – you don’t want crunch. These are the only two rules – no mush, no crunch.

Interestingly, that first recipe I tried back when is the only recipe that I have seen that uses juniper berries. Well, except for mine, since I always add them to my marinade. They lend a slightly citrus and bitter undertone that lends nicely to this marinade and are full of antioxidants. If you don’t have them and can’t wait to order them, I understand. It is not absolutely essential; but I always include it in the marinade.

So there you go. You have got to try these carrot dogs!! The immediate satisfaction you receive when you bite into a dressed carrot dog is phenomenal! Please don’t just take my word for it. Or my husband’s. Or my mom’s. You need to try these carrot dogs for yourself. And then, please let me know what you think in the comments. I do hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

And there you have it – amazing carrot dogs for your next summer holiday weekend barbecue or backyard bash. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 8 uniform and somewhat straight carrots
• Carrot Dog Marinade (included below)
• 8 hot dog buns
• relish, ketchup, mustard, onions
• anything else you enjoy on your hot dog

Carrot Dog Marinade

• ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)*
• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbsp ACV
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 1 tsp ginger puree
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2-3” dashi kombu (adds umami)
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp juniper berries (10-12)
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seed
• ½ tsp allspice
• ½ tsp poultry blend
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Select uniform carrots and cut the carrots to bun length.
2. Wash and peel the carrots, making them even all around, rounding the ends a little.
3. Mix all of the ingredients together and place them in the Instant Pot with the carrots.
4. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes; naturally release (about 15-16 minutes).
5. Remove the lid and place the carrots in a covered dish.  Pour the marinade on top and cover.  
6. Place in the refrigerator to marinade 24-48 hours.

1. When you’re ready to serve, preheat the grill to 350-400° F.
2. Place the carrots dogs on the grill for about 20-30 minutes, basting with marinade and turning once or twice. 
3. Transfer the carrot dogs to hot dog buns and enjoy with your favorite condiments or toppings!!

Notes

This may seem strange, but I freeze my used marinade. First, before you freak out, this was used to marinade carrots. As in, there is nothing to cause any kind of bio-harm after 24-48 hours in the refrigerator. If it were meat, I would be the first to tell you to discard it immediately. But alas, another silver lining to a plant-based life. Simply place the marinade in a freezer ziplock bag and lay it into the freezer. Then, when you want carrot dogs again, thaw it out and follow the directions in this post. You can reuse it a few times, though you may want to add a few spices or more kombu. Otherwise, it’s good to go.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, cook them in the marinade in a large saucepan (large enough to accommodate the carrots) for about 10 minutes.  Check them often though – the carrots should remain firm, not mushy.  Then grill as directed above.

* Gluten free? No problem! Carrots are naturally gluten-free. But you need to use coconut aminos or tamari and verify any other ingredients do not contain gluten. Either eat without a bun or use a gluten-free bun.

This carrot dog recipe was inspired by Nutritionist meets Chef but has taken on a life of its own as I’ve learned how a marinade can enhance and transform a vegetable into something even more phenomenal. Enjoy!!

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