Perro Caliente Maracucho
Venezuelan hot dog with ground beef, cabbage, diced onions, shoestring potatoes, grated queso de mano, and tartar sauce.
The Perro Caliente Maracucho is a wildly extravagant hot dog variation from Maracaibo, Venezuela—hence the name “Maracucho,” referring to residents of the city. Like other Venezuelan perros calientes, it’s topped with cabbage, ketchup, mustard, mayo, garlic sauce, and potato sticks—but the Maracucho version takes it further. Expect add-ons like shredded cheese, chopped ham, bacon bits, quail eggs, olives, and sometimes even shredded beef or corn. It’s often so overloaded that it’s served in a paper tray rather than held by hand. Born out of Maracaibo’s vibrant street food culture, it’s known for its excess, flavor, and local pride. If the standard Perro Caliente is a party, the Maracucho is a full parade.
Authentic Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Hot dogs (Venezuelan-style sausages)
- 4 Hot dog buns (Soft white buns)
- 300g Ground beef (Cooked and seasoned)
- 2 cups Green cabbage (Finely shredded)
- 1 large White onions (Diced)
- 2 cups Shoestring potatoes (Crispy potato sticks)
- ½ cup Queso de mano (Venezuelan cheese, grated)
- ¼ cup Tartar sauce
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Mustard
- 3 tablespoons Garlic sauce (Venezuelan-style alioli)
- 8 Quail eggs (Hard boiled)
- 100g Ham (Chopped, optional)
Instructions
- Cook ground beef with onions and seasonings until browned.
- Boil or grill hot dogs until heated through.
- Warm buns and place hot dogs inside.
- Top with cooked ground beef mixture.
- Layer generously with shredded cabbage.
- Add diced onions and chopped ham if using.
- Drizzle with all sauces: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, garlic sauce, and tartar sauce.
- Sprinkle with grated queso de mano.
- Top with crispy shoestring potatoes.
- Add halved hard-boiled quail eggs.
- Serve in paper tray with utensils. Maracaibo's ultimate hot dog excess!
Related Styles (kinda)
4 similar styles
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Hot dog dressed with pineapple sauce, garlic mayo, salsa rosada, crushed potato chips, and a quail egg; optional cheese, BBQ, or avocado sauce.
Hot dog in a soft bun topped with salsa criolla (onion, ají, lime), ketchup, mustard, mayo, and often crushed potato chips/papitas al hilo. Ubiquitous Peruvian street dog; locals recognize the build.
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