Does anyone know of a recipe similar to Zeigler Red Hots?

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SherryT

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Dec 23, 2017
790
982
Crawford AL
I've never known exactly WHY they're called "red hots"...yes, they're red, but not very hot (to me, anyway). I've always liked them split in half, seared in a CI skillet, then served on a bun w/mustard.

I've looked at a lot of the "Texas hot links" recipes, but as I've never, to my knowledge, eaten one, I don't know if they're similar.

Thanks!
 
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So I now know you're not talking about the red hot candies I ate as a kid!

Ryan
 
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I've never known exactly WHY they're called "red hots"...yes, they're red, but very hot (to me, anyway). I've always liked them split in half, seared in a CI skillet, then served on a bun w/mustard.

I've looked at a lot of the "Texas hot links" recipes, but as I've never, to my knowledge, eaten one, I don't know if they're similar.

Thanks!
Don't have one but curious if you can find one.

The Texas Hot Links won't be very similar. There is a high amount of character and range of flavor(s) in a Texas Hot Link but all within a certain taste profile. If that makes any sense hahaha.

I believe I've eaten the red hots you are talking about or ones very similar.
The ones I've eaten taste good and they have a fairly straight forward flavor profile.

I prefer a red hot in a hot dog bun or part of a sandwich.
It seems 99% of the time I eat Texas Hot Link by slicing and dipping in mustard or bbq sauce or adding slices to a BBQ sandwich with a bbq meat like brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, or something else. Yeah they are great in a hotdog bun as well, but they almost demand to be treated differently lol :D
 
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Confused these with Zweigles!
Don't feel bad...I thought I'd struck paydirt for a recipe then realized I'd read the name wrong.

I think it's a regional brand and, if it is, I probably won't have any luck. They taste, to me, kind of like bologna with a TINY bit of heat.

Perhaps it's mad-kitchen-scientist time...
 
Don't feel bad...I thought I'd struck paydirt for a recipe then realized I'd read the name wrong.

I think it's a regional brand and, if it is, I probably won't have any luck. They taste, to me, kind of like bologna with a TINY bit of heat.

Perhaps it's mad-kitchen-scientist time...
Yeah that's the kind of flavor I was going to say but didn't want to get it wrong in case I ate a different brand.

I think if you do a general bologna/hot dog flavor and then add red food color, cayenne and a little more paprika, you will get in the ballpark :)
 
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"Imitation" sausage?

1674770059297.png

It's meat and other ingredients stuffed into a sausage casing...to me, that's a sausage. It might not be some "gourmet" masterpiece of a sausage, but it's STILL a sausage!
 
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Being from Rochester NY area... I remember the Red Hots and White Hots... They are a hot dog and not a sausage... I was just up there last July and my brother asked me to cook on the grill... he had both white and red hots... I cooked them to 165-170 degrees and they all about had a fit saying there was no way in hell they were done... I guess your suppose to cook them until they split open and get a lil char on them... My bad ...

But these are what I think your talking about... The meat is emulsified as a hot dog is ...

https://zweigles.com/how-to-choose-red-hot-vs-white-hot/
 
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Being from Rochester NY area... I remember the Red Hots and White Hots... They are a hot dog and not a sausage... I was just up there last July and my brother asked me to cook on the grill... he had both white and red hots... I cooked them to 165-170 degrees and they all about had a fit saying there was no way in hell they were done... I guess your suppose to cook them until they split open and get a lil char on them... My bad ...

But these are what I think your talking about... The meat is emulsified as a hot dog is ...

https://zweigles.com/how-to-choose-red-hot-vs-white-hot/
Yup! Up here. You burn those buggers!! There is another company that Sherry pointed out. Names are close. But 2 different brands. But.I'm thinking she is thinking of Zweigles too.
 
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Being from Rochester NY area... I remember the Red Hots and White Hots... They are a hot dog and not a sausage... I was just up there last July and my brother asked me to cook on the grill... he had both white and red hots... I cooked them to 165-170 degrees and they all about had a fit saying there was no way in hell they were done... I guess your suppose to cook them until they split open and get a lil char on them... My bad ...

But these are what I think your talking about... The meat is emulsified as a hot dog is ...

https://zweigles.com/how-to-choose-red-hot-vs-white-hot/

Yup! Up here. You burn those buggers!! There is another company that Sherry pointed out. Names are close. But 2 different brands. But.I'm thinking she is thinking of Zweigles too.

Nope! Zeigler's...

Screenshot 2023-01-26 174238.jpg
 
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I saw that on the bag! Perhaps not the greatest sales tactic?! :emoji_laughing:

I know!

Still trying to figure out why they consider this "imitation" when it contains "basically" the same ingredients as a lot of other sausages.

Like I said earlier...ground up meat/spices/fillers stuffed into a casing = "sausage" to me!
 
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