The Icelandic hot dog, or pylsa (plural pylsur), is one of Iceland's best-loved street foods. It differs from most hot dogs in two ways: the sausage blends lamb with pork and beef in a natural casing, and it is dressed with a set of toppings: crispy fried onions, raw onion, ketchup, sweet brown mustard and remoulade.
Order it the local way, eina með öllu ("one with everything"), and you get all five. The best-known place to try one is Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the stand near Reykjavík's harbour that has been serving hot dogs since 1937 and drew wider fame when Bill Clinton stopped by in 2004. This page explains what goes into a pylsa and how to make one at home.
Makes 4 · Total time 15 minutes
What makes it Icelandic
The sausage. Lamb is the signature ingredient. The pylsa combines lamb, beef and pork, stuffed into a natural casing that gives it a distinctive snap.
Pylsusinnep (sweet brown mustard). A sweet, slightly spicy brown mustard made with brown mustard seeds. It is closer in spirit to a sweet Scandinavian mustard than to American yellow mustard.
Remúlaði (remoulade). A mayonnaise-based sauce made with mustard, capers, pickles, herbs and spices such as turmeric, garlic and paprika.
Two kinds of onion. Raw white onion for bite and crispy fried onion for crunch.
A steamed bun. Soft and warm, steamed rather than toasted. For more of Iceland's everyday food, browse our classic Icelandic dishes.
Ingredients
- 4 hot dogs in natural casing, lamb-based if you can find them (otherwise good-quality beef or beef-and-pork frankfurters)
- 4 soft hot dog buns
- ½ small white onion, very finely diced
- ½ cup (about 30 g) crispy fried onions
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 4 tablespoons pylsusinnep (sweet brown mustard); as a rough stand-in, stir 1 tablespoon brown sugar into 3 tablespoons Dijon or brown mustard
- 4 tablespoons remoulade (a Danish-style remoulade is a close match)
Preparation
- Bring a wide pan of water to a gentle simmer, with small bubbles and never a rolling boil, which can split the casings.
- Add the hot dogs, cover, and keep at a bare simmer for 5–7 minutes, until heated through. Most hot dogs are sold fully cooked, so check the pack: they only need to be piping hot throughout.
- Steam the buns for 30–60 seconds over the same pan, in a steamer basket or colander with the lid on, until soft and warm.
- Tuck a hot dog into each bun.
- Add a line of ketchup, pylsusinnep and remoulade along each sausage.
- Finish with the raw onion, then a generous handful of crispy fried onions, and eat right away.
Chef's tips
- Steam the buns instead of toasting them; a soft, warm bun is part of the experience.
- Add the crispy onions at the very end so they stay crunchy.
- Eat immediately, while the sausage still has its snap.
- Stands differ on the order in which they layer the sauces and onions, so treat the order above as a starting point.
How to order in Iceland
Ask for eina með öllu, takk ("one with everything, please") for the classic: remoulade, fried and raw onions, ketchup and sweet mustard. If there is something you do not like, tell them what to leave off.
Where to try one
The original stop is Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, whose stand near Reykjavík's harbour dates back to 1937.
Icelandic hot dog FAQ
What is an Icelandic hot dog made of?
Lamb, beef and pork in a natural casing. Lamb is what sets it apart from most hot dogs, which tend to use only pork or beef.
What does "eina með öllu" mean?
"One with everything." It means a hot dog with ketchup, sweet mustard, remoulade, raw onion and crispy fried onion.
Can I make an Icelandic hot dog outside Iceland?
Yes. Look for lamb hot dogs at specialty butchers or Icelandic and Scandinavian food shops online; otherwise use natural-casing frankfurters. Sweet brown mustard and remoulade are sold in Scandinavian food sections and online, and crispy fried onions are widely available. The ingredient list above has stand-ins.
Sources
About Sigrún Ólafsdóttir
Sigrún grew up baking rúgbrauð with her grandmother in Akureyri and has spent the last decade collecting recipes from kitchens all over Iceland. She writes Icelandic MAT's recipes, one dish at a time.