Summer is almost officially upon us, and that means it’s grilling season! One of my favorite recipes to cook up on the grill (or off) are carrot hot dogs. It sounds super weird, but I promise they are full of flavor, and great with all the regular hot dog toppings! I have been bringing these to my family’s fourth of July cookout the last few years. They are kind enough to reserve a small section of the grill for my carrot dogs. 😊 (I only got made fun of a few times🤔.) It almost seems like magic, the way this simple marinade is able to give the carrot such a unique flavor. The texture of the carrot is important here. You want to steam it for the correct amount of time before placing it in the marinade. If steamed too long, you run the risk of the carrots breaking into a soggy mess. If you don’t steam them long enough, they will still be very raw when you place them on the bun to eat. You should be able to stick a fork in them, but not all the way through. Maybe the best part? These are super kind to your waistline! The calories mainly come from the bun and the toppings you put on your carrot dog. It’s a great alternative, as we all want to maintain our summer beach bods!😉 These need at least 3 hours to sit in the marinade before you cook them so plan accordingly! Try these and then go forth and make a believer out of others. 🥕🌭❤
Recipe makes 6 to 8 carrot dogs, depending on how many carrots used.
Ingredients:
6 to 8 full sized raw carrots
-It is best to find carrots that are the same thickness throughout and do not narrow at the end, but you can use whatever is in your bag! If you have some thicker carrots mixed in, just know that they may take a few extra minutes to steam.
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar can work here, too.)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, but great!)
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
Directions:
Peel carrots and trim them at both ends. If you have any extremely long carrots, trim off a bit more so they are bun-length.
You will want them as equal in size as possible.
Growing up, my mom would always steam veggies using a steamer basket. Because of this, I can’t imagine life without one. I have always steamed veggies this way! It is great for preparing the carrots.
If using a steamer basket, line a large pot with about two cups of water, place steamer inside, place carrots on top and cover. Steam carrots about 20 minutes.
If you do not have a steamer basket, fill a large pot about halfway with water and set to boil. Once boiling, place carrots in and boil for 12 minutes.
While the carrots are cooking, make your marinade. Place all other ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly.
Once carrots are finished, place into a large, gallon size, Ziploc bag and pour marinade over.
You can instead use a shallow dish, as long as the carrots are completely covered!
Make sure carrots are coated well and seal the bag. Place in fridge and let marinate for 3-24 hours.
Take out of fridge about an hour before planning to cook. (This isn’t mandatory, so it’s ok if you forget. It just helps with the cooking process.) Heat up your grill or heat a saucepan over medium heat with a small amount of cooking oil.
On the grill:
Using tongs, place carrots on a preheated grill. Turn every few minutes to make grill marks on each side of the carrot. Total cook time will be about 10 minutes.
Stovetop:
Once your saucepan is hot, place carrots in and spoon a little bit of the marinade over the top. Turn every 2 minutes until you have sear marks on each side. Spoon more marinade on as you rotate them.
Serve with your favorite toppings and revel in the fact that you just made a hot dog out of a carrot!
The Veg Table 