Simple Pretzel Dogs + Video
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Pretzel Dogs feature all-beef dogs baked inside of soft pretzel hot dog buns. Ready in just 35 minutes, so you can make this pretzel dog recipe any night!
This is a recipe that is perfect for dinner, but even better for serving as game day snacks. Soft pretzels and beer with cheesy hot dogs are perfect party food, and it doesn’t get much better than having them all together in one bite!
Some of our other favorite pretzel recipes are perfect party food, too.
Jalapeño Popper Bread Bombs are filled with cream cheese and spicy jalapeno. The soft bread on the outside makes them irresistible.
If all you’re looking for is a soft pretzel to dip into cheese sauce, make the Best Ever Soft Pretzel Bites. Then, make a batch of beer cheese sauce to dip them in!
Simple Pretzel Dogs
These baked hot dogs are so much tastier than anything you can buy pre-made. Plus, they are so much fun to make, especially if you get your kids to help you.
You don’t even need a stand mixer. Because beer and pretzels go so well together, we use beer as the liquid in the dough for the pretzel dog buns! It adds a little punch of flavor and oh boy, its spectacular!
Recipe Video
Be sure to watch the video! Look for it in the recipe card, at the bottom of this post.
Ingredient Notes
You can use organic, all beef, nitrate-free, sausages, or whatever makes you happy. I am going to make these in mini size next time which will make for the perfect appetizer.
If you would like suggestions on alternatives for the beer, see the recipe notes below. Either way, you and your family are going to go nuts over these!
Making Pretzel Hot Dog Buns without a Stand Mixer
Mixing the dough by hand
You can mix the dough by hand if you do not have a stand mixer.
Just add beer, yeast, and honey to a large mixing bowl. Once the yeast blooms, stir in the salt and the flour, then use a spoon to combine everything.
Then, turn the dough out onto a floured countertop and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until the dough is no longer sticky.
After that, simply proceed with the remaining instructions as written in the recipe card below!
Tips and Notes for the Best Pretzel Dogs
- Make sure the beer is warm.
Microwave the beer in a glass microwave-safe measuring cup for 15 seconds at a time. For the yeast to activate, the beer should be 110-120°F.
- Need a substitute for beer?
You can substitute milk or water for the beer. I prefer Blue Moon beer in this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Want to make pretzel dogs ahead of time?
This is a great make-ahead recipe, and they freeze well too!
When you’re ready to serve them, thaw in the fridge, then pop them in a 350°F oven until warm, about 5-8 minutes.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Easy Pretzel Recipes
Simple Pretzel Dogs + Video
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 12 ounces warmed beer, 110°-120°F* see notes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg
- coarse salt, or pretzel salt
- 8 hot dogs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Pour beer into the bowl of a stand mixer (see cooks note if you do not have a stand mixer), sprinkle yeast over top, add honey and stir. Allow yeast to bloom for 5-10 minutes. Once it is nice and foamy, it is ready.
- Fill an 8-quart pot with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. In a small bowl beat egg and 2 tablespoons water with a fork. Set aside. Wash a section of countertop for rolling out dough. Do not flour it or it will be harder to roll out the dough.
- Add flour and salt to mixer. Knead for about 3 minutes until the dough comes together in one ball. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed, if the bread is too sticky to come together. The dough should be tacky when you pull it out of the mixer, not sticky.
- Place dough on countertop and form dough into a ball.
- We are going to cut this ball into 8 (somewhat) even pieces. First, quarter the ball of dough. Then cut each quarter in half. Roll each piece into a 12” strand.
- Place the end of the dough strand on the end of the hot dog pinching the end together, and then wrap it around the dog until all of the dough is wrapped around the dog. Pinch the ends so they stay together.
- Carefully, add baking soda to boiling water. USE CAUTION: IT WILL BUBBLE UP. Place hot dogs into boiling water about 3 at a time. Remove with a slotted spoon after 30 seconds. Place on parchment paper to cool and repeat until all hot dogs have been boiled.
- Arrange all pretzel dogs on parchment so they are not touching. Brush eggwash onto each one and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until the tops are browned.
- Enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2014.
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Lovely pictures
What a clever idea, I bet this is a great combination. love it!
I am drooling – absolutely drooling over these! I would be the most popular girl on my street if I shared these. They look amazing, and beautiful, and completely perfect!
You boil the dough WITH the hot dog?
Yes you do. Enjoy!
instead of beer what can be replaced?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Just warm water would be used for activating the yeast in a normal pretzel recipe.
thank you
I can see she used warm beer (but for a 4 yr old…I don't think so) to activate the yeast, but I would think adding the honey at that point would interfere?? Shouldn't it be added after?
There is no alcohol in the beer once it is cooked.
just realized I don't have buns for tonight, gonna make these instead. Thanks for posting, dinner looks even better now!
I'd like to know if you've ever made these and frozen them? Can they be frozen successfully and reheated? Thanks!
I believe so; under the first picture up top it says "They are a great make ahead recipe and they freeze well too. Just thaw and pop them in a 350°F oven until warm, about 5-8 minutes."
I hope this doesn't end up showing up twice… my computer is acting up… but up top under the first picture it says "They are a great make ahead recipe and they freeze well too. Just thaw and pop them in a 350°F oven until warm, about 5-8 minutes." 🙂 HTH
look right under the pic! =) "Ready in just 35 minutes you can enjoy these any night. They are a great make ahead recipe and they freeze well too". thaw, and heat 5-8 minutes in a 350 degree oven…
Those look like something my kids would actually eat…they love soft pretzels, and they love hotdogs…so I think I am going to give this a try sometime
If only I could make them gluten free!
Melanie, I would try Cup4Cup GF Flour. I have not tried it, but a professional baker friend of mine swears by it. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
What can you substitute for the beer?
water or milk
Club soda works great as a substitute.
so you put the hot dog with the pretzel dough around it into boiling water?? That seems so strange!
Traditional soft pretzels are boiled before baking 🙂
Just made these and they are D-Lish! I could get in trouble eating these. I'm going to have to use a lot of restraint to not just eat them all right now. 🙂
I think the baking soda is to much?
The baking soda goes in the water to boil the pretzel dogs.
Really tasty! Made them with the beer and the flavor is delicious and not "beery". There's a fine line between "Sticky" and "Tacky"…. added close to another 1/2 cup of flour at 1 TBS at a time… Plus the baking soda REALLY bubbles up!!!! Volcano of evil spewing all over the stove. Perhaps a gentle sprinkle of the baking soda instead of a dumping motion 🙂 Of course there's no accounting for taste as 1 kid only ate the dog and the other only the pretzel. Hubby and I ate several each!
This is a great plain pretzel recipe as well ~ fast with no rising time = good for me!
I make these for tailgating, road trips and whenever people ask me too. Everyone loves them. I do have a problem with the dogs sticking to the wax paper. I end up cutting the bottom off, even when I spray before hand. So I don't use you wax paper. Regardless, you can never go wrong with this.
That is awesome. Sticking and oven/heat safe is a great reason to use parchment. You should try it. It works perfectly. Enjoy!
This sounds great! Have you tried them with cheese?
This sounds great! Have you made them with cheese?
What can i substitute for beer please, coz i cant have beer
I used warm water and it worked great 🙂
What kind of beer do you suggest? An IPA? Porter? Ale?
Whatever you have on hand. I use Blue Moon. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
½ cup baking soda is way to much had to put 1/2 tablespoon instead
I was thinking the same thing!
The baking soda goes into the boiling water, not the dough. Something tells me this is to help brown the pretzel dough. Pro pretzel makers actually use a small amount of lye for browning.
If I'm not about the purpose of baking soda, I hope someone will correct me.
Dang, I fell victim to the baking soda thing. Mine came out nasty. Maybe for
people like me on the ingredients list write do not put in mixture. Water only. Save someone's dinner. I'll try this recipe again the right way soon.
Just made these tonight, oh my goodness, these are so chewy and soft! I used warm water and instant yeast and they worked beautifully. Thanks for sharing!!
H. I just made these too and the pretzel turned out bitter and have a sour taste to it. What could've gone wrong?
Did you add the baking soda to the water or the dough mixture? What type of beer did you use? There should be no bitterness to the pretzel whatsoever. They are actually a tiny bit sweet.
Can I make the dough earlier in the day and then refrigerate it until dinner time?
Can I make the dough earlier in the day and refrigerate until dinner time?
I have not tried it. Worst case they would be risen and much fluffier. Let us know how it goes. Enjoy!
What can I replace the beer with if possible?
You can substitute milk or water for the beer. Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
My husband LOVES this recipe! Super easy and super quick, along with great flavor. Try using different beers for changing up the flavor.
Is 1/2 CUP of baking soda right? I've never seen a recipe that calls for that much baking soda.
The baking soda goes into the water to boil the pretzels dogs for 30 seconds. It is NOT added to the dough mixture. It is the boiling in the water/baking soda bath that gives pretzels their taste. Without the baking soda, they would be bagels.