Move over "pigs in a blanket". There's a new dog in town. Wrapped in a pretzel and topped with your favorite all-American hot dog toppers. Whether it is a cheese dog, Chicago-style or chili-cheese, these whimsical little two-bite "wing dings" are going to be a hit on the appetizer circuit this barbecue season.

Little Smokie "Hot Dog" Pretzel Bites are a riff on another favorite recipe of mine from last fall -- Little Smokie Pretzel Bites with Honey Mustard, Cheddar and Apple Jelly. And while these have been created with summer barbecue season in mind, they would score big at a tailgate or make a big splash at a pool party.
There are days here and there when I think I should just do a rework of The Savory Tart and make it "All About Appetizers". Appetizers just might be my favorite meal -- whether it be passed hors d'oeuvres, artichoke dip, nachos or charcuterie. Or the first course on a 3-course prix fixe menu -- where I've been known to request two first courses and no dessert...
Ingredients
So many familiar ingredients here!
- soft pretzel bites
- little smokies
- sliced American cheese
- ketchup
- mustard
- pickle relish
- chili with no beans
- diced yellow onion
- sport peppers or small hot pickled peppers
- celery salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Preheat oven to 275°F
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the little smokies for 4 minutes.
Using a small serrated knife, split pretzel bites just to the seam, keeping attached.
Tuck a little smokie inside each pretzel bite
Place in an oven-proof baking dish, little smokie facing up.
Top some with a 1” slice of American cheese. Leave others plain.
Cover baking dish with foil and warm for 15 minutes. (Cheese should be melted but retain its shape.)
Remove from oven and start dressing your dogs!
Cheese Dog: Top cheese-topped pretzel bites, top with ketchup mustard and pickle relish.
Chili Cheese Dog: Top cheese-topped pretzel bite with warmed-up chili, and sprinkle with minced onions.
Chicago-Style Dog: Top with mustard, pickle relish, mini hot pepper, sprinkle with minced onions and sprinkle with celery salt.
All-American Pretzel Bite: Top plain pretzel bites with ketchup, mustard and pickle relish.
Hint: Using a full-sized ketchup bottle to “decorate” the little smokie pretzel bites can be cumbersome – and messy. I used a squeeze bottle filled with some ketchup – it makes it easier to control how much ketchup comes out and makes “decorating” easier.
Substitutions
- Pretzel "Buns" - I like the shape of the Pretzilla(R) brand pretzel "buns" for these hot dog pretzel bites. (King's Hawaiian brand also makes pretzel bites.)
- American Cheese - American cheese is my go-to because of the way that it retains its shape when it melts. Cheddar would be a good substitute.
- Sport Peppers - oftentimes these are hard to get your hands on outside of the Chicago market where sport peppers are a requirement on a Chicago dog. (It's nearly official I understand.) They are small, light green pickled peppers with a moderate level of heat. Marconi is the "go-to" brand and you can find them on Amazon. (I used short green hot pickled peppers from a brand named Trappey's -- they are about an inch long and just the right size for pretzel dogs.)
Variations
There are so many ways to top a hotdog with regional variations (variations that oftentimes leads to testy exchanges!)
- Chicago-style Dog - there is limited space to decorate on my pretzel bite hotdogs, but consider in addition to mustard, peppers, onions and relish, consider adding in a wedge of a cherry tomato and a sliver of dill pickle to notch it up. If need be, stack he accompaniments atop the little smoky and secure with a festive toothpick
- Cincinnati-style - top with chili, finely shredded cheddar cheese & fresh chopped onion -- top with chili, shredded cheddar cheese and minced onion
- Georgia Red Hot - top with sauerkraut, mustard and sweet relish. Give it a few dashes of hot sauce.
- New England Style -- sauerkraut, bacon, mustard, sweet relish and fresh chopped onion shine as a topper will transport you right to Fenway!
- New York Style -- top with spicy brown mustard, sauerkraut and dash it with onion salt.
Equipment
- saute pan or skillet
- 9" x 13" baking dish
- aluminum foil
Storage
These are best prepared and served immediately.
🍽️ Recipe
Little Smokie "Hot Dog" Pretzel Bites
Equipment
- 9" x 13" baking dish
Ingredients
- 36 soft pretzel bites, such as Pretzilla(R) prepared according to package directions
- 12 ounce package little smokies
- 3 to 4 slices American cheese cut into 1” squares
Toppings:
- ketchup
- mustard
- pickle relish
- chili with no beans, warmed
- diced yellow onion
- sport peppers, cut in 1” segments or mini hot peppers
- celery salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the little smokies for 4 minutes.
- Using a small serrated knife, split pretzel bites just to the seam, keeping attached.
- Tuck a little smokie inside each pretzel bite and place in an oven-proof baking dish, little smokie facing up.
- Top some with a 1” slice of American cheese. Leave others plain.
- Cover baking dish with foil and warm for 15 minutes. (Cheese should be melted but retain its shape.)
Toppings
- All-American Pretzel Bite: Top plain pretzel bites with ketchup, mustard and pickle relish
- Cheese Dog: Top cheese-topped pretzel bites, top with ketchup mustard and pickle relish
- Chili Cheese Dog: Top cheese-topped pretzel bite with warmed-up chili, and sprinkle with minced onions
- Chicago-Style Dog: Top with mustard, pickle relish, mini hot pepper, sprinkle with minced onions and sprinkle with celery salt.
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