I, a Meat Lover, Tried Tabitha Brown’s Chili Carrot Dogs (and My Review May Surprise You)

I love how minimal the prep is for this recipe. All you need to do is peel the carrots and chop some onions; the rest is just combining store-bought ingredients (most of which are pantry staples). I saved time by buying shredded cabbage and diced pecans instead of chopping them myself. One thing to note? Make sure the carrots fit your hot dog buns. Cut the tops off, then make sure they’re still long enough to stick out of both ends of the bun.

Be sure to start with a pot that’s large enough to accommodate all the carrots. Once I chose one, I started tinkering with the marinade components. I began with ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons each of agave, A.1. and ketchup, 1 tablespoon garlic powder and four drops liquid smoke. The broth was too shallow to cover the carrots, so I doubled everything to keep the ratio the same. Upon tasting, I found it savory, salty and balanced, but added a few more drops of liquid smoke to drive the hot dog flavor home. Of course, you can adjust to your liking. (Like Brown says, “I just add what I like, and I do it until my spirit tells me to stop.”)

Once the carrots were boiled and transferred to a platter, I thoroughly patted them dry (this step is key for browning, but the marinade’s sugar content will aid in caramelization too) and preheated a cast iron skillet to grill them on. Take care not to squeeze the carrots too hard if you use tongs; they’ll be fairly soft after being boiled. I also suggest keeping the carrots under a foil tent or in the microwave to keep them warm before serving.

The recipe calls for using the leftover carrot marinade to cook the chili. While Brown suggests blitzing pecans in a food processor, I took the lazy route and started with finely diced pecans. I still boiled them for the full 15 minutes, taking a nibble every few minutes to check for texture. (PSA: The chili smells like savory pecan pie, and the leftovers would taste great with greens, pasta salad or cheesy risotto.)

I used ¼ cup each of mayo and honey mustard dressing (there wasn’t a vegan version at my supermarket, so I used one that contained egg, but you can use a mix of mustard, maple syrup or agave and vegan mayo if you’d prefer) for about 3 cups of cabbage, then seasoned the mixture with garlic powder and black pepper to taste. Again, let your spirit lead the way. Slivers of green apple, pineapple or even shredded kale or Brussels sprouts would make great additions, if you have some neglected produce hiding in your fridge. The leftover coleslaw would be great for veggie burgers, sandwiches, salmon or fried tofu.

The last step before assembling is sautéing the dried chili with more seasonings to slightly brown it and give it a final boost of flavor. I used a spicy Cajun seasoning that I love for the salt-free, multi-spice seasoning Brown calls for. As for measurements, I started with 1½ tablespoons oil (don’t worry if you don’t have grapeseed oil; vegetable oil or another neutral oil are fine substitutes), 2 tablespoons each of mustard and ketchup, 1 tablespoon agave and 1 teaspoon each of chili powder, Cajun seasoning and garlic powder. After tasting, I added an additional 1½ teaspoons chili powder.

I followed Brown’s lead and piled the components onto buns in this order: carrot dog, coleslaw, chili, onion, ketchup and mustard. This makes for a photogenic presentation that makes all the ingredients visible from the top. Another tip? The carrot dogs basically taste like whatever you put on them, so choose your additional toppings wisely. (Hot sauce would be nice.)

The main con for me was how pricy the recipe was. I paid $63 for ingredients (not including pantry staples and basics that I already had at home), $28 on pecans alone. So, if you aren’t vegan and have cheaper alternatives on hand (like soy sauce instead of coconut aminos, regular mayo instead of vegan mayo, honey instead of agave or vegetable oil instead of grapeseed oil), don’t be shy about substituting to save a few bucks. (On that note, if you’re only making 12 hot dogs or even less, you can likely use ½ pound of pecans or less to save money too. I had a ton of chili leftover. Same goes for the coleslaw, although leftovers of both are easy to repurpose.)

Other than that, the finished handhelds are surprisingly hearty. The carrots are sweeter than hot dogs, but texture wise, they offer a pseudo-snap that I was pleased by. One change I’d make is preparing the coleslaw while the carrots boil instead of as the chili cooks, since the chili can’t be made until the carrots are done. This way, it has more time to chill in the fridge before it’s served.

TLDR? Round up all your vegan friends—you’re hosting a barbecue.