50 States of Hot Dog Toppings

Boiled peanuts add some Southern sass and crunch, so pile them on and take a bite. A smear of peanut butter will also do the trick.

In Alaska they eat hot dogs differently: The dogs are made from caribou. The solution for those of us not rugged enough to make it up north? Caramelized onions deglazed with Coca-Cola—it's the must-have caribou dog topping and it doesn't require a plane ticket.

Arizona natives are lucky: The weather is great and tamales are abundant. Stuff yours with an all-beef frank, slice it long-ways, and add some peppers down the center.

Cheese dip: It's a wonderful thing. The Arkansas version is a spicy (non-nacho, non-traditional) dip that begs to be eaten with a hot dog. Serve it on the side: Dipping your dog is part of the fun.

California is a long state with many distant hot dog identities but one things for sure: The dog must be bacon-wrapped. Cali bonus points for sliced avocado.

Colorado was made for green chili—the pepper grows like crazy in the Colorado climate and, it goes on everything. Even hot dogs. Especially hot dogs.

White Clam Pizza is a Connecticut mainstay, so try this hot dog version: Put a hot dog in a bun, dust it with parmesan, and dot it with little neck clams—then broil until the clams are cooked and the cheese is melted. Then top with slices of fried garlic and a serious sprinkling of oregano.

If you have ever gone to a Delaware beach, you know that vinegar fries are a necessity. Our replacement? A handful of crushed salt and vinegar chips—a much more reasonable alternative than a trip to the state.

A lot of Floridians love the mayo-only hot dog, but we chose to spice things up with a healthy dose of mango salsa.

Georgia peaches are so good this time of year, you'll need to thoroughly cover your hot dog with a pile of these southern beauties. The salty-sweet combination is surprisingly tasty.

Sliced Spam and chopped pineapples live together happily ever after in this Hawaiian hot dog. Aloha.

Idaho is known for its spud power, which is why any self-respecting Idahoan will jump at the chance to top a dog with fluffy, mashed potatoes.

Don't even think about getting ketchup near this Chicago beauty. It's layered with fresh sliced tomatoes, quartered pickles, yellow mustard, chopped onions, bright-green relish, sport peppers, and a sprinkle of celery salt. *swoon*

Indiana is known for corn, so a corn dog is only fitting. And also awesome.

We chose a topping that reflects the long history of farming in this great state: Succotash. Ours is a corn-and-lima-bean mix with a kick of peppers, just for fun.

Popcorn lovers, rejoice—you can, and should, be putting popcorn on hot dogs. It's the perfect balance of light, salty, and crunchy.

Hot Browns are a true Kentucky sandwich, so we turned it into a dog by oven-baking a bacon-wrapped hot dog. Make a Mornay sauce as the dog cools. Line a bun with sliced turkey, place your hot dog on top, cover in Mornay sauce and broil until the sauce is bubbly and begins to brown. Eat with great relish (the feeling—not the condiment).

We all know about the legendary food scene in New Orleans: The crawfish, beignets, muffalettas, gumbo, and étouffée. But there is one Louisiana staple that really seems like it was made for hot dogs: Red Gravy. Trust.

Why eat a hot dog when you could eat a lobster roll? Because the two are even better together. A lobster salad–topped hot dog is pure heaven.

Like the aforementioned lobster–hot dog roll, the crab meat–covered dog from Maryland is surf-and-turf happiness. The more crab the better—we like it served with crab cakes on the side.