For the last few months, I’ve seen a new type of breakfast sandwich pop up all over the Interwebs. The sandwich involves soft bread that is opened like a pocket and stuffed with breakfast fillings. The fancy versions of it can cost $15-$20! I decided to make an at-home version of this and call it a Breakfast Dog since I serve it in a hot dog bun!
This might be my new favorite breakfast sandwich. It’s actually easier to eat in some ways than a traditional breakfast sandwich and you can really stuff it full since there is no top on the breakfast dog.
For this version I chose to layer in cheese, crispy bacon, and fluffy eggs and top it with chives and a quick sriracha mayo. Trust me. It’s a winner!
What is a breakfast dog?
Breakfast dog is a bit of a confusing name because I don’t actually serve a hot dog in this sandwich (although I guess you could). Instead I replace the hot dog with fluffy eggs, cheese, and crispy bacon.
So really the name just comes from using a hot dog bun instead of a bagel or English muffin.
Cooking crispy bacon
I’ve cooked bacon in dozens of ways over the years (baking is good), but I tried to keep it simple for this. Since we are chopping the bacon anyway, you can just toss it in a skillet and stir it as it cooks until it gets really crispy.
Be sure to save the bacon grease! I use it on the buns and in the eggs for this breakfast dog recipe. But if you are leaving the bacon out you can also use melted butter for those things.
This crispy bacon should get chopped and added to the breakfast dogs!
Prepping the hot dog buns
To make these easier, it’s best to use top-cut hot dog buns. This allows you to easily stuff them and they lay flat without falling over.
Optional, but delicious, step: Brush the hot dog buns with bacon grease and then sprinkle them with poppy seeds. Bake these for a few minutes to toast the buns and set the poppy seeds in the bun.
Making the fluffy eggs for breakfast dogs
The eggs are the star of this show and I use the method I used for my fluffy cheesy eggs.
To make these eggs, scramble the eggs well and then heat a large skillet over medium heat. You can use butter or bacon grease once the skillet is hot and then pour in the eggs. Don’t stir them too much as they cook, allowing the bottom layer to cook.
Then use a spatula to push the eggs to the center, letting the uncooked eggs flow to the outer parts of the skillet.
It’s important to not overcook the eggs and once they are about 80% cooked, you can add the cheese and fold them over. Be careful not to over-stir the eggs as that will make them less fluffy.
These are ready to add to our breakfast dogs!
Finishing the Breakfast Dogs
Let’s finish these guys!
Start by adding some cheese and bacon to each hot dog bun and baking it for just a minute or two to melt the cheese.
Then you can pile in the eggs. I use five eggs for three breakfast dogs so each gets almost two full eggs.
The rest is toppings! I like to add more bacon, some chives, and a quick sriracha mayo to the top. These are SO good!
Substitutions
Lots of substitutions for these if you are so inclined!
- Substitute sausage for the bacon or use sauteed mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
- Instead of cheddar, try other good cheeses like American cheese or Gouda cheese.
- Make a spicy version by adding sauteed jalapenos.
These are so good and a fun twist on your standard breakfast sandwich. Give them a shot!
Breakfast Dogs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Top-cut hot dog buns
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, optional
- 4-5 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
- 5 large eggs, scrambled
- 6 ounces bacon, crispy
- Chives, garnish
Sriracha Mayo (optional):
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
Instructions
For Crispy Bacon:
- Add bacon to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon, stirring regularly until it's very crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove bacon to a sheet with paper towels to drain and pour off bacon grease. Save the bacon grease.
For Hot Dog Buns:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Brush each bun with a tiny amount of bacon grease and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake the buns for three minutes to toast them.
For Fluffy Eggs:
- Wipe out your large skillet. Scramble eggs well. Add 2 tablespoons bacon grease to the skillet (or butter) and place over medium heat. Once hot, pour in eggs and let cook for two minutes.
- Use a spatula to gently move eggs to the center, allowing uncooked eggs to flow to the outer parts of the skillet. Continue gently moving eggs until they are mostly cooked. Try to not stir the eggs too much so they stay light and fluffy. It's okay if the eggs aren't 100% cooked through. They will continue to cook.
- Add half of the cheese to the eggs and fold over to melt. Remove eggs from the heat and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
To finish breakfast dogs:
- Add a sprinkle of cheese and crumbled bacon to each hot dog bun. Return to oven for 2 minutes to melt cheese.
- Divided cheese eggs between buns, stuffing them full.
- Top each breakfast dog with a sprinkle of extra bacon, chives, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo.
- Serve while warm.
