The Record-Breaking Story Of The World's Largest Commercially Sold Hot Dog

There was once a time when you could buy a hot dog the weight of a newborn online. The aptly named Big Hot Dog debuted in 2010 and snagged a Guinness World Record for its gargantuan size — 7 pounds, 16 inches long, and a hefty 4 inches in diameter. This colossal wiener was invented by Dan Abbate and sold by his single-product company, Gorilla Tango Novelty Meats, in Chicago.

Dan Abbate created the Big Hot Dog not just for its novelty, but to solve a common grilling problem. As he explained in a 2012 interview with Guinness, traditional, small franks tend to roll around on the grill and fall off when bumped. To fix this, he wanted to make "a hot dog with a flat side" (per YouTube). Essentially, the Big Hot Dog allowed you to have slices of meat that you could grill like hamburger patties without rolling away.

Abbate teamed up with Schmeisser's Homemade Sausage, a fifth-generation Chicago sausage maker, to repackage hot dog meat into something super-sized. Though designed to be enjoyed in slices, the Big Hot Dog was also served in a custom-made bun from Woodstock, Illinois, to secure the record for the World's Largest Commercially Available Hot Dog.

While Gorilla Tango Novelty Meats still holds the record for the largest commercially available hot dog, the race for hot dog records is always evolving. The famous Feltman's of Coney Island, for example, made headlines in 2019 with a 66-pound, five-foot-long hot dog aimed at breaking the Guinness record for the biggest hot dog ever.

In 2004 in Chicago, a hot dog measuring 37 feet, 2 inches long was created in an attempt to claim the record for the longest hot dog. The bar was raised quickly, and in 2006, Japan's All-Japan Bread Association and Shizuoka Meat Producers crafted a 197-foot-long hot dog to celebrate the Association's 50th anniversary. But according to Guinness, the longest hot dog ever made came from Paraguay in 2011, measuring a staggering 668 feet — longer than six football fields.

Of course, not all records focus on size alone. Tokyo Dog in Seattle set the record for the world's most expensive hot dog, a $169 creation topped with foie gras, shaved truffles, and caviar.

Sadly — or fortunately, depending on your point of view — the days of buying a 7-pound hot dog online are largely over. But that doesn't mean your everyday frankfurter can't be a big event.

For many, the perfect hot dog starts with the right brand. You could prioritize choosing one with the absolute best snap, or simply choose a brand that offers the best value — Costco's $1.50 dog remains a fan favorite. Once you've picked your franks, the next question is how to cook them. The grill is the gold standard, but be sure to avoid common mistakes like heating them too quickly.

Ultimately, it's the toppings that make the meal. In the U.S., your topping preferences often say something about where you grew up. There are famous regional hot dog styles — think a Chicago dog with a pickle spear and sport peppers — and lesser-known creations like the cream cheese-loaded Seattle dog. Even Alaska boasts its own specialty reindeer dog, topped with Coca-Cola–glazed onions. Around the globe, hot dog variations abound, from Colombian dogs with pineapple chunks and crushed potato chips to Filipino versions served on rice (no bun) with a fried egg and banana ketchup. Ever adaptable, even if no longer giant, there's always a hot dog to suit your taste.