Summer is FINALLY here and we are more than ready! I live for warm summer nights, BBQs and dining alfresco! Anything to keep me out of a hot kitchen has my vote. These roasted carrot dogs will be making an appearance on our backyard dining table often. Our whole family LOVED them, with the exception of my husband. You just can’t take hot dogs away from a man and replace them with a carrot! He enjoyed his as a side dish, still yummy!
We used our Traeger Grill to roast the carrots, which gave them a delicious smoky flavor, but you could easily roast them in your oven as well! I am a huge fan of cooking everything on the Traeger Grill in the summer. Anything you put in your oven, you can put on the Traeger. ANYTHING. We’ve even baked cookies on that bad boy!
The key to these delicious dogs is the size of your carrots. Make sure your carrots are uniform in size and not too thin towards the end. If you can, try to find a grocery store, or market that stocks them individually, so you can hand pick them. The thicker the better.
I used a traditional whole wheat hot dog bun, but they kind of swallowed the carrot dogs. We ended up doubling up on the carrots to fill the bun, which wasn’t a bad idea. But you could even wrap them in lettuce!
I am always on the hunt for a healthier alternative to potato chips and these Organic BBQ Black Bean corn chips from Garden of Eatin I picked up at my local Smiths were delicious! Snag them while you can, they are exclusive to Kroger stores for a limited time! We made sure to stock up. So good and they made the perfect addition to our carrot dog dinner!
We topped our carrot dogs with all your traditional fixins, mustard, relish, ketchup and onions. I can’t wait to play around with toppings. Cole slaw, sauerkraut, and pickled veggies are all going to happen. The options are endless. Chili cheese carrot dogs anyone? I’m kidding. Mostly.
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, hot dogs are sure to be on the celebration menu! What’s more American than a hot dog? Try mixing it up. Rather than purchasing veggie dogs with questionable ingredient lists for your vegan and vegetarian guests, throw a few carrot dogs in the mix of your spread. Not only are they tasty, but just look at how pretty! Your guests will thank you!
I wish I could take credit for this incredible idea, but I randomly saw them pop up online and knew I had to try them. I’ve never been much of a hot dog fan, in fact I don’t think I’ve actually had a hot dog since I was a kid. I don’t buy them for our family, because my kids don’t love them either, but my husband CRAVES them every once in awhile. It’s like his Costco guilty pleasure, every time we go haha.
I would always feel left out as he munched down his loaded dog or whenever we were at a summer get together and hot dogs were on the menu. I usually just eat the bun with all the toppings, hello boring.
But… when I saw a carrot dog floating around on the inter webs I knew I had to try it!
THESE. ARE. LIFE. CHANGING.
Okay that’s a little dramatic, but they really are so delicious and fun to eat! I will be making them all summer long! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Vegan Smoked Carrot Dogs
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 4 thick carrots
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat your Traeger grill (or oven) to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Peel the carrots. For real hot dog resemblance, when peeling, round the edges.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, liquid smoke, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Place the carrots on parchment lined baking sheet and pour the liquid mixture over the carrots.
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Roll the carrots around in the mixture, using your fingertips to massage the oil and seasoning into the carrots.
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Roast for 35 minutes or until fork tender. Every five or so minutes, brush the carrots with the remaining marinade mixture. I like mine charred a bit so feel free to roast longer.
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Once your carrot dog is done, place it into a hot dog bun and top it with your favorite hot dog toppings. Enjoy!
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