Name: Sloppy Hot Dogs
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper; 1/3 cup chopped onion; 1/2 cup barbecue sauce; 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce; 1 pound hot dogs, cut into 1/4-inch slices; 8 hot dog or hamburger buns, split

Why it works: Pepper and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,923 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Sloppy Hot Dogs

8 buns

Time10 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 pound hot dogs, cut into 1/4-inch slices
8 hot dog or hamburger buns, split

Directions

Make the filling

Heat oil in a 10‑inch skillet over medium heat.
Cook bell pepper and onion in oil, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
Stir in barbecue sauce, tomato sauce and hot dogs.
Simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve

Fill buns with hot dog mixture.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

466Calories

29 gProtein

29 gFat

21 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Green Bell Pepper	1 medium (119g)	31
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Sauce	not in our table	0
Hot Dog	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,923 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together20,633 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Sauce + tomatotop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together5,469 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Onion + saucetop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together10,474 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Onion and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 10,474 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Hot dogs: Provide the meaty base of the filling, cut into slices so they heat through and mix evenly.
Bell pepper: Softens while cooking, adding mild sweetness and texture to the sauce.
Onion: Softens and turns sweet as it cooks, building savory depth in the filling.
Barbecue sauce: Adds sweetness, tang and color that flavor the simmered filling.
Tomato sauce: Adds body and acidity, thickening the filling as it simmers.