One of the many things that I love most about living in Rhode Island is the food! I know what you’re probably thinking, “Rhode Island?! A foodie-haven?! Who knew?! But let me tell you, don’t sleep on us Rhode Islanders, we have some damn good food! Rhode Island Hot Wieners are no exception!
I’ll admit, Rhode Island hot wieners don’t look like much, but man do they smack! You can easily find one at a number of local joints. Each one will claim that theirs is the best! Well here I am, little food blogger that I am, entering mine into the running! I have an annoying little hobby of trying to replicate every tasty meal that I eat out, and wieners are no exception! As sophisticated as my palate is, I am not above chowing down on a hot wiener!
What is a hot wiener, is it spicy?
Ok, so the name can be a little misleading, but honestly there’s nothing spicy about these wieners. They’re called hot wieners literally because they’re hot off the grill.
The traditional wieners (shown above) are made in Rhode Island and are a mixture of veal pork and beef. If you’re local you can buy them in-person, if not, they’re sold online. If the idea of mixing meats scares you or you’re just looking for convenience, all-beef franks (Nathan’s or Hebrew National) will work just as well.
Rhode Island hot wieners are grilled on a flat top (or in my case a cast-iron griddle), served on a steamed bun and topped with a savory meat sauce, yellow mustard, chopped onions and a sprinkle of celery salt. Dassit.
I’m going to be in Rhode Island this summer, what are some local places that I can get a hot wiener from?
I believe you need to try a hot wiener from a local spot at least once. If you’re visiting Rhode Island, you just have to! The most well-known spot is Olneyville New York System. They have locations in Providence and Cranston. Their website will link you to where you can get the wieners that they use as well as the buns and spice-mix. There are other wiener spots throughout Rhode Island too.
How close is the Crumb-Snatched version to the real thing?
Who said mine aren’t the real thing?! Not to toot my own horn, but mine is pretty legit. I find that Olneyville New York System’s spice blend is a tiny bit sweeter and a tad less smokier than mine. I also cut my onions a little coarser and use dijon mustard rather than yellow mustard because that’s my own personal preference. Told you I was fancy!
Rhode Island Hot Wieners
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ large onion
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
Other ingredients/toppings
- 6 wieners*
- 6 buns
- ½ large onion
- dijon mustard
- sprinkle of celery salt
Instructions
- Set half aside for the sauce, and reserve the other half for topping the wieners at the end.
- : smoked paprika, chili powder, onion, powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and celery salt.
- in a deep skillet or dutch oven, heat the peanut oil over medium heat. Saute the onions for 1-2 minutes and then add the ground beef and seasonings. Once the meat is no longer pink, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes. You can lift the lid to check on the beef mixture every so often. Add a little peanut oil if the meat mixture starts to get dry.
- . Brush a griddle or cast pan with a small amount of peanut oil and brown the wieners on all sides. Don’t worry if the wieners split. Steam the hotdog buns for 7-10 minutes using a basket steamer. Buns will be soft and very hot!
- Allow buns to cool to the touch, place the wieners in the buns and generously top each of the wieners with the meat sauce, dijon mustard, raw chopped onions and a sprinkle of celery salt.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out some other summer recipes!
Simple Caesar Salad with Whole-Grain Croutons
Ken Williamson says
Aloha Crystal,
This is the first time I’ve visited your blog. I am a born and raised Rhode Islander who grew up in East Providence and Providence eating Hot Wieners starting when they were 3 for $0,25 and retired to Honolulu, HI as a widower. True RI hot wieners do not have finished ends but are cut from ropes and are cut to size to fit the roll plus only yellow mustard is used not Dijon mustard all three are sold by Little Rhody Brand. As far as the meat sauce is concerned, it is not a sauce but an ethnic chili aligned with the immigrant population that came to America. I have the original full recipe which was published in a very large New England cook book which I make all the time and used as a taste test between my making the recipe and letting the hot wiener restaurants taste it compared to their chili. Your recipe is missing key ingredients which the original recipe totals 13 ingredients.
Crystal DaCruz says
Hello Ken, thanks for visiting! I actually bought the wieners and buns from the same supplier that Olneyville NY system uses! I have no visibility into their actual recipe since it’s not published anywhere. I’m sure it’s not exactly the same but it’s very close! Take care!
Linda Lum says
Your ingredients will probably make a great sauce, but you need to work on the instructions. #1 sounds like it should come later in the recipe, and #2 does not make any sense at all. I would love to see this re-written so that I can give it a better rating.
Harry Dunne says
The type of wiener varies based on the location where they are eaten. Olneyville uses a natural casing wiener, whereas the best and most delicious wieners at Original New York System on Smith Street, use a skinless wiener. Of course the wiener sauce recipe is a proprietary secret, so you do what you can. Or you can order the sauce pre-made from LittleRhodyHotDogs.com. They even have the buns, and they ship! In any event, when you’re hurting for a wiener, Crystal’s recipe will do just fine. But as everyone from RI knows, there’s no substitute for sliding onto that stool at 2 a.m. and getting six all the way with a coffee milk. Oh, Crystal, you should probably let people know that wieners are normally enjoyed with a glass of coffee milk. Yes, coffee milk. I know coffee milk is also a Rhode Island thing, so for those who don’t know: it’s just like chocolate milk, except made with coffee-flavored syrup. No big whoop.
Stan Gables says
Those are the correct wieners that Crystal has pictured – Little Rhody brand. There are a couple of other suppliers, but the big wiener joints use Little Rhody. Personally, I also prefer the skinless wiener used by ONYS. The mustard used by each location selling wieners is also a secret, but it’s not a major factor in the enjoyment of the wiener, so use what you have. The three big ingredients are the wiener itself, the meat sauce, and the steamed bun, and you can get all three of those items at LittleRhodyHotDogs.com. Then let the magic happen!
John Waddington says
onions need to be chopped fine and slathered on top
I always see people say they have the “original” recipe, and tell you something is missing but never post the info.
Crystal DaCruz says
John, thanks for your comment, but I don’t claim to have the original recipe. This is my take on it, just as every NY System restaurant in RI has theirs. Did you intend make the recipe or did you just come by to give your expert opinion?