Puka Dog Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/16/22
Puka dogs

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 hot dogs
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
537 Calories
35g Fat
43g Carbs
15g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 537
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 45%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 1328mg 58%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 16%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 59mg 297%
Calcium 93mg 7%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 588mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Puka dogs are delicious smoky Polish sausages stuffed into a lightly sweet Hawaiian roll and drizzled with mango mustard and pineapple relish. These deliciously sweet, spicy, and salty hot dogs hail from Hawaii. Their name comes from the Hawaiian word “puka” which means hole, in reference to the hole that is speared into the delicious, sweet Hawaiian rolls. At the puka dog stands in Hawaii, they use a special heating rod that pokes the hole in the bun and toasts the inside at the same time. This keeps the inside of the bun from getting soggy from the sauces.

This hot dog is filled with a spicy mango mustard and a sweet and spicy pineapple relish. We’ve included these two delicious sauces for this hot dog, but traditionally a “secret” garlic lemon sauce is also included. You can add garlic aioli if you are looking to add a third sauce. A Polish sausage or veggie dog is often used, but you can substitute a regular hot dog, too. 

Ingredients

For the Mango Mustard:

  • 1/2 cup diced mango

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the Pineapple Relish:

  • 2 cups diced fresh pineapple

  • 1/4 cup diced red onion

  • 1 jalapeño pepper

  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Hot Dogs:

  • 4 Hawaiian rolls, hot dog buns, or sandwich rolls

  • 4 Polish sausages

Steps to Make It

Make Mango Relish

  1. Gather the ingredients for the mango relish.

    Ingredients to make mango relish

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.  Set aside.

    Mango relish in a blender

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make Pineapple Relish

  1. Gather the ingredients for the pineapple relish. 

    Ingredients to make pineapple relish

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Add the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are combined but are still chunky. 

    Pineapple relish in a food processor

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make and Assemble Hot Dogs

  1. Gather the ingredients for the hot dogs, along with the two relishes.

    Hot dog rolls, hot dogs, pineapple relish and mango relish

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. You can either split the hot dog bun and toast the inside of your bun on a griddle or poke a hole into the bun using a turkey baster.

    A baster putting a hole in the middle of a hot dog roll

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Add the polish sausages to a grill pan or grill and cook on high heat until seared on all sides and heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

    Polish sausages cooking in a grill pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Drizzle a few teaspoons of the mustard and the pineapple relish into the bun and stuff the hot dog inside.  Serve immediately with more toppings on the side.

    Puka dogs stuffed with relishes

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck