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The best recipe for hot dog sauce you'll ever make. Forget ketchup and mustard, this easy JDawg's sauce recipe is the key to amazing hot dogs.
AMAZING HOT DOG SAUCE RECIPE
You know what they say, "the secret is in the sauce?" That couldn't be truer than when it comes to eating a hot dog with this amazing hot dog sauce.
Once you eat a hot dog using this hot dog sauce recipe on it, there is no going back. This is coming from the girl who used to HATE hot dogs. But once this sauce came into my life, it's hard to resist.
This hot dog sauce is a JDawg's special sauce copycat recipe. All of you Utah peeps will know what I'm talking about. JDawg's is a famous hot dog restaurant that made hot dogs delicious and popular to eat again. The secret of their hot dogs is the j dawg's sauce called "special sauce".
Now you get to try this life-changing hot dog sauce, too. (I hope I'm not sounding too dramatic, but really, this hot dog sauce recipe is THE BEST.)
INGREDIENTS
- ketchup
- regular mustard (prepared, not dry mustard)
- apple cider vinegar
- lemon juice
- brown sugar
HOW TO MAKE HOT DOG SAUCE
This easy homemade hot dog sauce recipe will only take about 6 minutes of your time. Combine ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and brown sugar together in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes until it has thickened.
Remove from the heat and pour the jdawg's special sauce into a 16 oz. condiment bottle. Use it immediately on hot dogs or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Feel free to heat it up again or just use it straight from the fridge.
So easy, right?
3 TIPS FOR THE BEST HOT DOG
1. USE ALL-BEEF HOT DOGS
A hot dog can only be as good as the hot dog itself. No condiments can make a cheap chicken/beef/pork hot dog taste amazing. Make sure you buy all beef hot dogs. Costco sells a package of 30 beef hot dogs for about $11. Nathan's and Hebrew Nationals are also good all-beef hot dog brands that you can find at your local grocery store.
2. CUT HOT DOGS WITH SLOT DOG SLICING TOOL

Say goodbye to mushy hot dogs. The Slot Dog Hot Dog Slicing Tool cuts hot dogs into a nice criss-cross pattern in about 2 seconds. Cutting them this way practically doubles the surface area that gets grilled. That means the inside gets nice and caramelized. We absolutely love our Slot Dog and use it every time we have hot dogs for a BBQ or to make our favorite camping meals.
Just look at those hot dogs!

BUY A SLOT DOG FROM AMAZON HERE:
3. HOT DOG TOPPINGS
Besides the sauce, plan to add diced onions and sliced dill pickles to the bun with your dog. The flavor combinations cannot be beat!
GREAT HOT DOG SIDE DISHES
RECIPE
Here's the recipe for hot dog sauce so you can make some now. This recipe doubles well, so make a batch of it and take it on your next camping trip or BBQ.
After you make this recipe, will you pretty please leave a comment with a star rating? This will help others find this amazing recipe! Thanks SO much! ♡
Print📖 Recipe

Hot Dog Sauce (JDawg's Copycat Recipe)
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 8 oz. 1x
Description
Forget ketchup and mustard, this is the best hot dog sauce recipe ever.
Ingredients
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. mustard (prepared, not powdered)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently.
- After 5 minutes, remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully pour into a 16 oz. condiment bottle.
- Use this sauce, pickles, and diced onions to make the best tasting hot dog just like J Dawg's hot dogs.
Notes
One batch makes 8 oz. Double the recipe to fill a 16 0z. condiment bottle.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 1 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Misc
Keywords: hot dogs, hot dog sauce, j dawgs, bbq
Jenny says
Thank you for this recipe! We just had some homemade J-dawgs at a neighbor's house this past weekend here in good ol' Utah. I had never had them before and was surprised at how delicious they tasted. I can't wait to make them myself.
sofestivemel says
I'm so glad you loved them! They are so tasty right? This sauce takes hot dogs to an entire new level!! Perfect for camping trips and summer BBQs!