Grilled Cucumber Is the Topping Your Hot Dogs Need

But there’s another thing we think you should grill. Your hot dog topping. Specifically, cucumbers. 

The team behind our new cookbook The Outdoor Cook was looking for a way to "spruce up" a hot simple hot dog, said Executive Food Editor Dan Zuccarello. Inspired by an Ottolenghi recipe, the team landed on adding a slice of grilled cucumber. "Pickles and hot dogs are a common pairing, and this seemed like a fun twist," adds Zuccarello.

We couldn't agree more.

Grilling a cucumber turns it into a whole new vegetable. As with most grilled vegetables, the exterior caramelizes over the hot grate and the smallest amount of oil keeps everything from sticking. Cooking off so much water results in a crisp-tender texture that is reminiscent of grilled zucchini. 

Plus, grilling amplifies the cucumber’s natural flavor with the crisp crunch you’d expect. The more char, the better. In fact the biggest takeaway Zuccarello and the team developing the grilling recipes for The Outdoor Cook found was about achieving the maximum amount of char while still maintaining the crunchy texture. 

“In order to achieve enough charring, we needed to slice it into quarters for grilling, then slice it further into thinner spears for serving,” said Zuccarello. That way, the slices of cucumber didn’t cook too quickly (or slip through the grates) and fit perfectly onto a hot dog bun.

Here’s how to grill your new favorite hot dog topper.