The Ultimate Guide to Carrot Dogs (Summer Live Series)
The Carrot Dog is definitely one of the most talked about, loved, and feared recipes on our blog. It’s one of those things where it can either go so right and leave you gloriously munching on the vegan hot dog of your dreams, or it can go so wrong and leave you eating a very, painfully obvious carrot in a bun.
In Episode 1 of our Live Summer Series, we give all our BEST tips and tricks to make sure your first (or 23rd!) carrot dog experience goes as smoothly and deliciously as possible.
Are you ready?! Let’s turn carrots into hot dogs!
Recipes mentioned in this episode:
Our Top Tips:
1. Take the time to peel and shape your carrots. (10:50) We use a vegetable peeler to peel and round the ends of our carrots to make them look more like those traditional ballpark dogs. It totally takes your carrot dog game to the next level!
2. Boiling times will vary depending on the size of your carrots. (15:30) This one tip will 100% make or break your carrot dog experience! You want the carrots to be fork-tender but not falling apart when you pierce them.
3. Marinate immediately after boiling; don’t spray them with cold water! (33:00) We’ve gone back and forth on this one over the years. A lot of carrot dog recipes call for spraying them with cold water to stop the carrots from cooking any further before they’re marinated, but we find they get a better flavor when you cut this step out.
4. For best results, cook your carrot dogs in a cast iron pan with a little marinade until they are slightly caramelized. (38:30) This is another tip that will take the appearance of your carrot dogs to the next level. A cast iron pan is best for this but non-stick will also work.
Carrot Dog FAQs:
Can you make these carrot dogs on a grill? While we have not yet tried these on a grill ourselves, many readers have shared positive feedback when they tried it!
In the video, a viewer suggested spraying or brushing the excess marinade onto the carrot dogs, since you won’t be able to pour it over them like you can in a pan.
Can you use this recipe to make vegan “pigs in a blanket”? Why, yes you can!We like to call them “Piggies Safe-In-Their Blankets” and they are SO tasty (and total crowd-pleasers)! You can find the recipe here.
Can you boil the carrot dogs in an Instant Pot? Again, this isn’t something we’ve tried, but it could work, as long as you are checking the texture of the dogs regularly!
Can you freeze them? We would not recommend this as we feel it changes the texture of the carrot too much and makes it less meaty, more vegetable-y. 😧
Could you slice these carrot dogs for frank and beans? Totally! But we suggest slicing them at the beginning of the process. So you’ll boil, marinate, and saute them as rounds.
Have a question that’s not answered here or in the video? Leave it in the comments below!
Products & Equipment Used in This Episode:
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