“Dragged Through the Garden”: The Chicago Dog

The Chicago-style hot dog is the quintessential windy city street food. Its seven unique toppings create a harmony of flavors and textures that have stood the test of time.

or read on for a little history

What is a Chicago Dog?

Don’t be fooled by the alarmingly bright green relish or seemingly odd choice of fresh tomatoes. Everything that goes on this authentic dog is there for a reason, making it uniquely delicious. 

I’m someone who usually despises relish, but when it comes to Chicago dogs, the toppings are like a well-coordinated band. Each ingredient plays a specific role, contributing to its perfect balance of flavors, even the relish.

The essential ingredients for a Chicago dog are:

1. an all-beef hot dog, boiled, steamed, or grilled over charcoal

2. steamed poppy seed bun 

3. yellow mustard 

4. chopped onions 

5. neon green sweet pickle relish

6. dill pickle spear

7. tomato slices or wedges

8. sport peppers (small green pickled hot peppers similar to pepperoncini)

9. a dash of celery salt

I know that sounds like a lot! In fact, the term “dragged through the garden” became a popular phrase to describe these hot dogs because of their abundance of toppings.

One topping you will never see though, is ketchup, and if you’re in Chicago don’t ask for it or you might risk offending the locals. Ketchup is widely believed to mask the flavor of the other ingredients with its high amount of sugar that many vendors don’t even offer it.

A Brief History

The Chicago dog’s roots go back to the great depression where a nickel could get you a hot dog with enough toppings to make it feel more like a nutritious meal. 

Once called a “depression sandwich”, this was a staple food of working-class people. While there were many variations back then of hot dogs being “dragged through the garden” - the seven toppings mentioned above quickly became the favorite amongst Chicagoans.

Although popularized during the great depression, the Chicago dog is a lasting and beloved food tradition that’s still going strong. Often served at ballparks, backyard barbecues, and July 4th celebrations, this delicious hot dog is a must-try.

My Version

• Hot dog - I used regular grocery store all-beef frankfurters, but the classic brand used in Chicago is Vienna. I also grilled my hot dog, typically called a “char-dog” in Chicago, to distinguish it from the steamed or boiled versions.

• Bun - I went with sesame seed hot dog buns. Unfortunately, I could not source a poppy seed version when I was making these but the sesame seeds add a similar texture at least. Rosen’s poppy seed buns are the ones to use if you can find them. 

• Mustard - yellow mustard is essential here. Its tangy flavor is a key to balancing the sweet relish and bringing everything together. I used French’s yellow mustard. 

• Onions - traditionally, chopped white onions are used for their sharp, pungent flavor and fresh crunchiness. I didn't stray away from tradition and used these for mine. 

• Relish - neon green relish is the staple but can be hard to find if you’re not in Chicago or the United States. Luckily, food coloring is the main difference between that version and regular pickle relish, otherwise, the flavor is mostly the same. I used regular relish and chopped sweet and spicy “cowboy” pickles for added texture and heat. 

• Pickle Spear - dill pickles are used traditionally and are what you’ll want to use here to cut through the sweetness of the relish. Slicing them into spears adds a satisfying crunch to every bite. 

• Tomato - usually cut into slices or wedges, tomatoes add a fresh and juicy component that is much needed. I went with slices for mine, hoping that they would be less slippery in the sandwich and they stayed put as intended. 

• Sport peppers - these are small green pickled hot peppers similar to pepperoncini but a little hotter. They can be difficult to source in Canada, so I went with a mix of pepperoncini and hot pickled banana peppers. The combination of the two adds a very similar spicy and vinegary kick. Usually, sport peppers are left whole, but I chopped my peppers into the relish to get a more evenly distributed spicy flavor throughout.

• Celery salt - this ingredient adds a salty, savory element that brings the whole thing together. It's what I used but could be substituted with regular salt if you don't have it. 

What you’ll need

Ingredients

• 2 all-beef frankfurters

• 2 sesame seed hot dog buns (or poppy seed if you can find them)

• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

• 2 tablespoons sweet pickles such as cowboy or bread & butter, chopped

• 2 tablespoons hot banana peppers, chopped

• 4 pepperoncini peppers, stems removed and chopped

• 1 tomato, sliced

• 1 large dill pickle, sliced into spears

• ½ white onion, finely diced

• yellow mustard, to taste 

• celery salt, to taste

Equipment

• A way to cook the hot dogs such as a barbecue grill, stovetop, microwave, or electric kettle

• Knife, cutting board, and mixing bowl

Makes: 2 portions Prep: 10 min  Cook: 5 min

How to make it

Step 1

Make the relish.

Make the relish by combining chopped cowboy or bread & butter pickles, pepperoncini, and banana peppers with the sweet pickle relish.

Step 2

Prep and gather the toppings.

Prep and gather the rest of the ingredients - chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, dill pickle spears, yellow mustard, and celery salt.

Step 3

Cook the hot dogs and warm up the buns.

Prepare your hot dogs and buns. I grilled mine because I like the char marks and smoky flavor, but you can boil, steam, microwave, or cook any ay you prefer.

Step 4

Assemble and enjoy.

Lastly, top your hot dogs with a couple of tablespoons of the pickled hot pepper & relish mix, chopped onions, a few slices of tomato, two pickle spears, a good drizzle of mustard, and a dash of celery salt on top.

The perfect food for a ballgame

We had the privilege of visiting Wrigley Field last summer. I was super excited to see one of the last two original ballparks left standing and to get a Chicago dog right at the park. 

I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with the hot dog condiment station (oh, and the park too!). It had all seven of the classic toppings and was somehow kept very clean and orderly. Eating that hot dog right at the park made me feel like I was taking part in an old-age tradition, and was easily the best ballpark hot dog I’ve ever had. 

It was an amazing experience for the food, history, and the passionate yet down-to-earth Chicagoans. It left me with a lasting memory that I’ve tried to recreate with my version of the sandwich. 

I hope you give these unique toppings a try on your next hot dog. And if you’re a baseball fan like me, bring the ballpark home by enjoying these Chicago dogs with some cold ones while watching the game.

This was a really delicious Chicago dog from Devil Dawgs last time we were in the windy city. If you look closely, you can see the neon green relish peeking out from behind the sport peppers.

What are your favorite hot dog toppings? Let me know in the comments!