Brazilian Hot Dogs, known as cachorro quente, are a popular Brazilian street food made with hot dogs simmered in a flavorful tomato-based sauce and served on soft buns with plenty of toppings. Brazilian hot dogs are loaded with ingredients like corn, potato sticks, parmesan cheese, ketchup, mustard, and mayo, making them a fun and satisfying meal.
Whether you’re hosting a game-day gathering, birthday party, backyard cookout, or simply looking for a new way to enjoy hot dogs, this easy Brazilian recipe is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Silvia’s Note
One bite of a Brazilian hot dog instantly takes me back to my childhood in Brazil. They were a fixture at birthday parties, soccer gatherings, school events, and family celebrations. Unlike American hot dogs, cachorro quente is served with a savory tomato-based sauce and plenty of toppings, making it a meal all its own. Today, it’s one of the Brazilian traditions I still love sharing with my family.
-Silvia
What Makes Brazilian Hot Dogs Different?
Unlike traditional American hot dogs, Brazilian hot dogs are known for their generous toppings. Depending on the region, you might find corn, peas, potato sticks, mashed potatoes, cheese, quail eggs, or a savory tomato-based sauce. Every family has their own version, but one thing remains the same: Brazilian hot dogs are meant to be piled high and enjoyed with plenty of napkins.
With Brazil’s World Cup matches underway, I’ve been thinking about all the foods that showed up during game-day gatherings when I was growing up. Brazilian hot dogs were always one of them—easy to make, easy to share, and always a crowd favorite.
Serve them with this Brazilian Lemonade, these Brazilian Pinto Beans and this Creamy Brazilian Hot Cocoa or these Holiday Brazilian Brigadeiro for dessert for the ultimate Brazilian meal. Or to spice things up serve with Brazilian Caipirinha.
Ingredients for Cachorro Quente
- Hot dogs: Use your favorite hot dogs, any kind will work.
- Hot dog buns: Here too, choose your favorite buns.
- Olive oil: Use olive oil to saute the vegetables and garlic.
- Onion: Any type of onion, diced, will add flavor so use a white, yellow, Vidalia or whatever you have on hand.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is best but jarred will also work.
- Tomato: A fresh diced tomato adds flavor and texture to the sauce.
- Olives: Chopped olives add more flavor but if you don’t love olives, leave them out.
- Tomato sauce: Canned tomato sauce or passata are the base of the tomato sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: Use parmesan cheese to add more saltiness and a cheesy flavor.
- Salt and pepper: Add salt and pepper to taste.
Brazilian Hot Dog Toppings
- Shoestring potatoes or potato sticks – one of the most iconic Brazilian hot dog toppings. They add crunch and are commonly found on street-style hot dogs throughout Brazil.
- Corn – adds sweetness and is a popular addition in many regions of Brazil.
- Tomato Sauce – creates the signature saucy filling that sets Brazilian hot dogs apart from their American counterparts.
- Parmesan cheese – adds saltiness and depth of flavor
- Ketchup, mustard and mayo – as little or as much as you like!
How To Make Brazilian Hot Dog Sauce
- Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil until golden brown.
- Stir in the diced tomato, season with salt and pepper and cook until the tomato breaks down.
- Add the olives and pour in the tomato sauce. Stir well.
- Toss the hot dogs and parmesan cheese into the pan. If you want a thinner sauce, add 1/2 cup of water if not, leave it as is.
- Cook, covered, until the hot dogs are heated through.
- Serve the hot dogs in the buns, with a scoop of sauce on top.
- Add your favorite topping such as shoestring potatoes, parmesan cheese and the usual hot dog condiments.
FAQs
Brazilian hot dogs, known as cachorro quente, are a popular street food made with hot dogs served in soft buns and topped with a variety of ingredients such as tomato sauce, corn, potato sticks, cheese, and other regional toppings.
Any type of hot dog will work well in this recipe.
No, there’s no need to cook the hot dogs before adding them to the sauce. They will cook in the sauce. If you have leftover cooked hot dogs in the fridge you can use them too.
Potato sticks are thin, crispy fried potatoes that add crunch and are one of the most recognizable toppings on Brazilian hot dogs.
Yes, if you want to make a plant-based meal use veggie dogs.
Yes. The topping mixture can be prepared ahead and reheated before serving.
Storage
Store uneaten hot dogs in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It is best to store the hot dogs and buns separately. Don’t store assembled hot dogs as the bun will get soggy. Freeze the hot dog and tomato sauce mixture separately from the buns. Eat them within 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat over the stove or in the microwave.
RECIPE TIP
Make sure to flip the hot dogs while they simmer in the tomato sauce so they cook evenly and soak up the flavorful sauce.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below 👇🏻 Thank you!
Brazilian Hot Dog Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 hot dogs
- 6 hot dog buns
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tomato diced
- 2 tbsp olives chopped (optional)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 4 tbsp parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Toppins
- shoestring potatoes
- parmesan cheese
- ketchup, mustard and mayo
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until golden brown.
- Add diced tomato. Season with salt and pepper and let it cook down for 2-3 minutes
- Add olives and tomato sauce, stir well
- Toss in hot dogs and parmesan cheese. Sometimes we add up to 1/2 cup of water to thin out the sauce but that's optional. Cook hot dogs for 5 minutes covered or until they are heated through.
- Serve hot dog in a hot dog bun, scoop a generous amount of sauce on top. Add your favorite topping such as shoestring potatoes, parmesan cheese and condiments.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I like Brazilian hot dog, I will cook tonight
Perfect! enjoy it!
Hot dog is my prefered lunch
Delicious 😋
must be delicious
So good!!
What type of olives are typically used?, Black, green, both? Thx, your help is appreciated.
Any!! as long as the pit is removed! We Brazilians tend to use both black and green olives interchangeably. Use what you like or what you have in hand.
This looks amazing, Silvia! I’ve always loved how different cultures give their own twist to hot dogs. The tomato sauce and olives definitely make this version unique — I’m excited to try it this weekend.
For anyone who’s curious about how these compare to fast food options, I’ve been exploring different hot dog menus lately and found the Five Guys hot dogs menu pretty interesting. It’s cool to see how places across the world put their own spin on something as simple as a hot dog.
Thanks for sharing this recipe — looks delicious!
Thanks so much Alex, hope you’ll enjoy this Brazilian version of hot dogs
Now that’s a serious hot dog! Love how Brazilian-style ones come loaded with toppings—corn, peas, potato sticks, even mashed potatoes sometimes. Totally transforms the whole experience. Definitely thinking about adding this to my weekend lunch menu. Looks messy in the best way possible. If you haven’t tried a Brazilian hot dog yet, you’re missing out big time.
These Brazilian Hot Dogs sound incredible! I love how the tomato sauce, onions, and garlic come together to make something so comforting and flavorful. I’m definitely trying this at my next gathering, and now I’m oddly craving a mutation calculator to plan portions today.
Thanks For Sharing This!
This recipe is a good example of how small ingredient adjustments can change the overall value and portion outcome of a dish. Brazilian hot dogs are especially interesting because of how customizable they are, from toppings to sauce variations, which makes it harder to estimate quantities and servings accurately. That’s where tools like a value grow a garden can actually help in a broader sense, especially when you’re trying to plan portions, spacing, or ingredient usage more precisely instead of guessing.