If you have ever had a hot dog from a New York City street cart, you know the onion sauce. It is that murky, slightly sweet, slightly spicy red-orange sauce ladled over the top of the dog. Nobody who has eaten one has ever stopped to ask what is in it. You just want more of it.
This sauce is part of the full NYC Pushcart Style Hot Dogs spread I put together, along with a homemade sauerkraut that ferments for five days and comes out tangy and crunchy. Watch the full video to see it all come together.
What Is In New York Onion Sauce?
The base is just soft cooked onions. From there, the flavor comes from a combination of ketchup, a small amount of brown sugar, a pinch of chili powder, and — here is the one that surprises people every time — a pinch of cinnamon.
The cinnamon is subtle. You will not bite into the hot dog and think “this tastes like a cinnamon roll.” What it does is add a warm, slightly sweet depth in the background that rounds out the whole sauce. It is one of those ingredients where you would only notice it if it was missing.
The hot sauce adds a little kick. I use Cholula because it has good flavor along with the heat, but use whatever you have on hand.
Getting the Onions Right
The most important step is cooking the onions down properly before you add anything else. Start over medium high heat and let them go until they are fully softened and starting to turn a little golden. Cover them briefly with a lid to let the steam help them along.
Once they are soft, roughly chop them right in the pan with your spatula or spoon to break them down into smaller irregular pieces. You want them soft enough to melt into the sauce but not so finely chopped that they disappear entirely.
From there it comes together fast. Add the spices, the ketchup, the hot sauce, and a splash of water and just let it cook low and slow until the whole thing melds together. Right before serving, add just a little more water to bring it to a saucy, spoonable consistency.
Tips
The sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. If it thickens up after storing, just add a small splash of water and warm it back up in a pan.
You want to taste and adjust as you go. If you want more heat, add more hot sauce. If it is too sharp, a tiny bit more brown sugar will balance it out. This is a very forgiving recipe.
New York Pushcart Onion Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 large onions sliced
- Oil for cooking
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp of chili powder
- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
- 4 to 5 tbsp ketchup
- Splash of hot sauce Cholula recommended
- Small amount of water to loosen
Instructions
- Get your oil hot before anything goes in. Heat a thin layer of oil in a pan over medium high heat.
- Cook the onions down until they are fully soft. Add the sliced onions and cook until soft, covering with a lid briefly to let them steam and speed things along.
- Break them up right in the pan. Use a spatula or spoon to roughly chop the onions into smaller, irregular pieces.
- Add the spices and let them bloom for a minute. Add the brown sugar, chili powder, and cinnamon. Toss to combine and cook for another minute.
- Bring in the ketchup and hot sauce. Add both and stir everything together.
- Add a splash of water to keep it moving. A small amount of water will loosen the sauce and keep it from scorching.
- Drop the heat and let it come together. Reduce to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes until the flavors meld.
- Loosen it up right before serving. Add a little more water to bring it to a loose, saucy consistency that is easy to spoon over a hot dog.
