Japanese Hot Dogs (Japadog) | Two Plaid Aprons (2024)

Published: Apr 20, 2022 / Modified: Apr 20, 2022 by Mei / This post may contain affiliate links / Leave a Comment

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These Japanese hot dogs, or Japadog, are glazed with sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, and nori (seaweed) flakes/ strips. They are an umami bombs in hot dog form, inspired by Japadog (the Vancouver street food chain).

Japanese Hot Dogs (Japadog) | Two Plaid Aprons (1)

If you're a hot dog fan, you'll love these Japanese hot dogs, also known as Japadog! They are hot dogs with a flare and a total umami bomb.

Topped with sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, and nori, these Japanese hot dogs are so deliciously additive!

So upgrade your grilling game with these Japadogs! Plus, they are perfect for keeping up with your baseball games. 😉

For more street food recipes, check out our okonomiyaki (Japanese savory cabbage pancake), Korean corn dog, and Taiwanese fried chicken.

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What are Japanese hot dogs?
Ingredients
What sausage does Japadog use?
How to make Japanese hot dog
How to make teriyaki sauce
Recipe Tips
FAQ
📖 Recipe
💬 Feedback

What are Japanese hot dogs?

Japanese hot dogs, also known as Japadog and sometimes as terimayo hot dog, is a Japanese style hot dog created by a hot dog chain located in Vancouver.

These hot dogs are glazed with teriyaki sauce, then dressed a variety of toppings like kewpie mayo, sautéed onions, bonito flakes, nori (seaweed) flakes, and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

For the Japanese hot dogs:

Hot dogs - Any hot dogs of your choice, as long they fit the buns. If you can find Berkshire hot dogs, it'll be even better!

Hot dog buns - Any hot dog buns of you choice, as long they fit the hot dogs. We really liked the sweet Hawaiian hot dog buns for the Japadogs. They added to the sweet and savory combo.

Kewpie mayo - This is a Japanese mayo brand and it tastes totally different than regular mayo. Kewpie mayo is a must have condiment for these Japanese hot dogs.

Teriyaki sauce - Also a must have condiment for Japadog. You can use the store bought ones or make our homemade teriyaki sauce.

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For the homemade teriyaki sauce:

Homemade teriyaki sauce is super easy to make. It takes only 3 ingredients and less than 5 minutes!

Soy sauce - Both regular or low sodium soy sauce will work. We used Kikkoman's low sodium soy sauce.

Mirin - This is a Japanese pantry must have item. Mirin is a sweet rice wine, usually used for cooking. It adds sweetness to the teriyaki sauce and also gives the sauce that nice glossy look. You can use any types of mirin you'd like. We used a mirin style condiment, also known as Aji-mirin. It's a lot cheaper and tastes just as good in cooking.

Sugar - Regular granulated white sugar will do. It's to add sweetness to the teriyaki sauce.

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Toppings for your Japanese hot dog:

Bonito flakes - These are smoked and fermented, shaved skipjack tuna. Bonito flakes adds lots of umami flavor and savoriness. Another Japanese pantry must have.

Nori flakes/strips - Nori is also known as seaweed sheet. You can buy the flakes or the whole sheet and cut it into strips or crumble it yourself.

Sautéed onions - If you like onions, you can add some to your Japanese hot dog. Just thinly slice an onion and sauté in a pan with some cooking oil until golden and lightly caramelized. If you want, you can also add a small amount of sugar to give it a bit more sweetness.

Green onion

Sesame seeds

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What sausage does Japadog use?

At the Vancouver hot dog chain, the Japadogs are made made with Japanese Berkshire Kurobuta pork sausages. But since Kurobuta sausages are hard to find, regular hot dogs are fine to use as well.

How to make Japanese hot dog

Japanese hot dogs are incredibly easy to make, and you can customize it to your preference. There's only four ingredients you must have.

1. On a preheated grill, cook the hot dogs until they are heated through and have some char marks, about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on your hot dogs. You can also cook the hot dogs on a pan if you prefer.

2. If you like your hot dog buns grilled, brush the buns with some butter and briefly grill them until they are lightly colored.

How to make teriyaki sauce

Homemade teriyaki sauce really easy to make and takes only 3 ingredients!

1. Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a sauce pan and bring it up to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium or medium high and let the teriyaki sauce simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, or to your desired thickness.

📝 Note: There's no perfect teriyaki sauce, just what you like best. Some teriyaki sauces are thin, others are thick. We prefer ours a little on the thicker side so that we can brush/glaze the hot dogs. If you prefer it thinner, simmer for about 2 minutes.

2. Transfer the teriyaki sauce to a small bowl or an air tight container. Either let it cool then refrigerate until needed, or set aside until needed.

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Recipe Tips

Make sure to preheat your grill. Reduce your wait time and preheat your grill before or while preparing your ingredients.

Don't skip the teriyaki sauce and Kewpie mayo! These two condiments are the musts of Japanese hot dogs. The teriyaki sauce adds some sweet, tangy, and savory flavor. The mayo adds a bit of creaminess and richness.

Customize to your preference. These Japanese hot dogs should be made to your preference. But we do highly recommend enjoying them with some bonito flakes and nori.

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FAQ

What can I substitute mirin with?

If you don't have mirin, you could substitute it with 3 parts sake to 1 part sugar (ie. 3 tablespoons sake and 1 tablespoon sugar). It won't taste the same, but will be quite close.

Is there a non-alcoholic substitute for mirin?

If you can't consume alcohol, you can substitute the mirin for 3 to 1 ratio of water to sugar, but the flavor will not be the same. Or you can use Honteri, a non-alcoholic mirin by

What kind of sausage does Japadog use?

Japadog is best made with Japanese Berkshire Kurobuta pork sausages, but regular beef or pork franks will work just fine.

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📖 Recipe

Japanese Hot Dog (Japadog)

These Japanese hot dogs, or Japadog, are glazed with sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, and nori (seaweed) flakes/ strips. They are an

Prep Time6 minutes mins

Cook Time9 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Yield: 6 hotdogs

Ingredients

For the Japanese hot dogs and toppings:

▢ 6 hot dogs (Your preferred brand or berkshire hot dogs)
▢ 6 hot dog buns
▢ Kewpie mayo as needed
▢ Teriyaki sauce as needed (premade or homemade)
▢ Bonito flakes (optional topping)
▢ Nori cut into thin strips or crushed (Japanese seaweed sheet; optional topping)
▢ Toasted sesame seed (optional toppings)
▢ Green onion sliced (optional toppings)

For the homemade teriyaki sauce:

▢ ¼ cup soy sauce regular or light sodium (we used Kikoman's light sodium soy sauce)
▢ ¼ cup mirin any kind (Japanese sweet rice cooking wine)
▢ 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

For the homemade teriyaki sauce:

Combine the all ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a small saucepan (soy sauce, mirin, and sugar).
Bring the sauce to up boil, then reduce the heat to medium/ medium high and let the sauce simmer for 3 to 4 mintues, or until the teriyaki sauce looks thickened and glossy. Make sure to stir constantly the entire time.
*The teriyaki sauce will be very bubbly while it's simmering, but will dissipate while cooling. The consistency of the sauce will look kind of thickned but still very fluid while hot. When it cools, it'll become even thicker, so don't over reduce it!*
Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside to let cool or until ready to use.

For the Japanese hot dogs:

Place the hot dogs on a preheated grill and cook until the hot dogs are heated through and have some char marks, about 5 to 7 minutes depending on the hot dogs.
*You can also cook your hot dogs on a pan over medium heat.*
Place each of the hot dogs into a hot dog bun and brush the hotdog with the homemade teriyaki sauce. You can drizzle it instead as well. Top the hotdog with your desired amount of Kewpie mayo.
Dress your Japadogs with your desired amount of toppings: bonito flakes, thinly cut nori, sliced green onions, and/or toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Please refer to the post for step by step photos, tips, and FAQs!

Japanese hot dogs are usually made with Japanese Berkshire pork hot dogs, but it's not very accessible. So feel free to use any hot dogs you prefer, as long they're long enough to fit in your hot dog buns.
Kewpie mayo - This is a Japanese brand mayo and taste very different to regular mayo. It's a must for Japanese hot dogs.
Teriyaki sauce - Also a must for Japanese hot dogs. You can use store bought ones or our homemade recipe. Just make sure to not over reduce it!
Leftover homemade teriyaki sauce - If you have leftover teriyaki sauce, you can store it in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks.
Japadog toppings - Besides the teriyaki sauce and kewpie mayo, all toppings are really just optional. But they definitely add flare to the hot dog and adds so much flavor. Highly recommended if you can find the ingredients.