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
Course: MainCuisine: Local, Rhode Island6
wieners15
minutes45
minutes1
hourMake these famous Rhode Island Hot Wieners right at home! Grilled wieners on a steamed bun topped with meat sauce, mustard, onions and a sprinkle of celery salt!
Ingredients
- Meat Sauce
1 pound ground beef
½ large onion
1 tbsp. peanut oil
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. celery salt
- Other ingredients/toppings
6 wieners*
6 buns
½ large onion
dijon mustard
sprinkle of celery salt
Directions
- Chop the onions. Set half aside for the sauce, and reserve the other half for topping the wieners at the end.
- Combine the seasonings: smoked paprika, chili powder, onion, powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and celery salt.
- Saute the onions and brown the meat: 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.
- Grill the hotdogs and steam the buns. 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!
- Assemble the wieners! 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
- *If you don’t have wieners, you can use all-beef hotdogs like Nathan’s or Hebrew National
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!