21 Hot Dog Recipes That Will Have You Barbecuing All Summer Long (2024)

FAQs

Can you season hot dogs before grilling? ›

Mix together the chili sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour into a large ziplock bag, add hot dogs and let marinate for 15-20 minutes up to overnight. Light grill. Grill the hot dogs until nicely charred and the cuts open up, about 4-5 minutes total.

Boiling the heck out of a hot dog before grilling is just wrong, but giving it a little moisture bath isn't a bad idea for several reasons. “We always suggest simmering hot dogs in water for roughly 3 to 5 minutes before grilling," said Elias Cairo, owner and meat master salumist of Olympia Provisions.

Assemble the hot dogs individually, and wrap each fully in it's own tinfoil package. Stack the wrapped hot dogs into a cooler (withOUT ICE!), which will become a warmer for the hot dogs - they should stay warm for several hours, depending on the quality of your cooler. Enjoy with the toppings of your choice!

Seasonings & Additives

Traditionally, hot dogs are seasoned with a mix of paprika, garlic, onion, mace, mustard, and coriander, but can be made from any variety of seasoning blends you choose.

In my experience, beef is the only meat that can stand up to classic hot-dog seasonings, like garlic, onion, paprika, mace, mustard, and coriander, and still maintain its bold, meaty flavor. The final choice is between skinless franks or those in natural casings.

Your best bet is to cook it over indirect heat, away from the grill's hottest spot. And don't forget to poke a few holes in the dog with a fork or tip of a sharp knife. As the fat in the hot dog cooks, it emits steam. Without any means for escape, the steam will find a way: that's the tell-tale broken casing.

Street hot dogs are boiled. This works for two reasons: it's both low-effort and impossible to screw up. However, to avoid overcooking, street dogs are stored in less-than boiling water. In the biz, this is known as “hot holding.” This is an easy way to keep food ready-to-serve over a long period of time.

Grilling on a barbecue or a grill pan can add a smoky flavor, while boiling in water or broth can cook the hot dogs quickly and evenly. Pan-frying or broiling can also be used for a crispy texture. Ultimately, the most important thing is to cook the hot dogs to a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).

Slicing hot dogs helps them cook more evenly

It takes too long to get the interior heated properly, and the exterior skin ends up drying out after it's left to sit. Making shallow slices onto two opposite sides of the hot dogs before putting them on the grill exposes the center of the dog to more heat.

When grilling thin steaks, hot dogs, or quick-cooking foods like sliced vegetables, using the lid open can be more appropriate. The direct heat from the open flames sears the exterior quickly, giving you that coveted char while preserving the juicy center of the meat.

Why boil hot dogs before grilling? ›

Boiling hot dogs for a long time before grilling is a bad move, but "bathing" them in flavorful liquid might actually make your hot dogs tastier. "Keep an aluminum pan filled with a mixture of hot beer, onions, and seasonings on indirect heat and place your hot dogs in before grilling," Busha told Insider.

Oven-baked hot dogs are the fastest and most efficient way to prep perfectly cooked hot dogs for a crowd.

How to keep hot dogs warm for a party - Quora. Crock pot. Place the hot dogs still in their package in the crock-pot, cover with hot water and set on low. They'll cook in their own juices and won't end up tasting watered down from absorbing a lot of plain cooking water.

Temper your steaks before cooking

(This is also the best time to season it with salt, ideally medium-grain sea salt, he says. More on that below.) Sharp prefers to season his steaks a couple of hours in advance, and agrees about letting them come to room temperature before cooking.