How to Make the Onion Sauce from NYC Hot Dog Carts

story by MARCUS WILLIAMS • photos by GRUBBANA STUDIOS and CARLOS VERAS / Unsplash

If you’re craving a hot dog in New York City, no problem—there’s a cart at every corner. One hot dog is somehow the perfect amount of satisfying, with the onion sauce, sauerkraut, ketchup, mustard, relish, or any combination of the lot, taking something simple to the next level. But eat a hot dog at home, and something’s missing. You bought all the right ingredients, the Sabrett-brand hot dogs, the good mustard, the whole nine. So what is it? Well, perhaps it’s the setting. Maybe you really need to be in the city to have the whole experience. Realistically, it’s probably that onion sauce.

What’s So Special About New York Onion Sauce?

The iconic condiment isn’t just caramelized onions simmered down to sauce. The reddish-orange topping from NYC hot dog carts blends onions, tomato paste, sugar, and a hint of spice into a balance of sweet, tangy, and slightly fiery. It’s the little kick, the perfect glossy coating, that takes a hot dog from “meh” to legendary.

How to Make Hot Dog Cart Style Onion Sauce at Home

Since the 1960s, Sabrett brand onion sauce has been the gold standard for hot dog vendors. Originally, carts made it from scratch, but everything changed when food scientist Alan S. Geisler streamlined the recipe for mass production, and sold it under the Sabrett brand. Today, it’s a staple of the New York hot dog, even those not sold from Sabrett carts.

The ingredients are simple: onions, water, tomato paste, corn starch, salt, sugar, olive oil, fumaric acid (easily swapped for lemon juice), and a mysterious mix of spices. The exact proportions are still a closely guarded secret, and as for the signature spice blend, that’s just as much of a mystery. You’d have to be wandering a Manhattan street corner to taste the real thing.

But don’t worry—this homemade version will get you pretty close to the magic. Sweet, tangy, slightly spicy, and utterly irresistible—the perfect way to bring a bit of New York into your kitchen.

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Sabrett Style Hot Dog Cart Onion Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, sliced
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon citric acid or lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the base: In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Stir for 1–2 minutes until coated.
2. Add flavor & thicken: Stir in tomato paste, sugar, spices, and cornstarch. Mix well.
3. Simmer: Pour in water, bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10–12 minutes until onions are soft and the sauce is slightly thickened. Don’t caramelize them long, otherwise you lose that classic “jarred” flavor.
4. Tang it up: Stir in citric acid (or lemon juice). Taste and adjust for salt or heat.
5. Cool & jar: Let cool. Store in a jar in the fridge. It should taste sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy—the exact hot-dog cart vibe.

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