Buzz
It’s the season for sunburns, working through beautiful days, and, of course, grilling hot dogs! While the hot dog may have originated in Germany, it’s now a true American classic. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, 944.3 million pounds of hot dogs were sold in U.S. stores in 2020, with even more consumed at stadiums, upscale eateries, and yes, prisons.
Let’s kick off this hot dog grilling guide with a little disappointment (I prefer to start on a down note): Despite my efforts to uncover some hidden trick that would elevate your grilled hot dogs to perfection, I found only that, if such a trick exists, I couldn’t find it. Whether you top them with fancy condiments or cut them in spirals, at the end of the day, a hot dog is just that—a hot dog. Its unchanging nature is both its charm and its flaw.
The ideal conditions for grilling a hot dog
What makes hot dogs so popular is how quick and simple they are to prepare. You can boil them, microwave them, air fry them, skewer them with a fork and grill them over an open flame on your stove, sous vide them, or even devour them straight from the package like a true caveman. But the best way to prepare them is by grilling. The slight char created by the Maillard reaction boosts the flavor, and you’re typically outside with friends and family, making any meal more enjoyable.
To begin, make sure your grill is clean and has a non-stick surface. You can spray it with non-stick spray like Pam, or wait for it to heat up and use a paper towel dipped in canola or peanut oil to coat the grates. Just make sure to use long tongs to prevent burning yourself.
We used a propane grill, setting the burners to about 3/4 power, closed the lid, and let it preheat for about 15 minutes. It reached roughly 350℉ by the time we placed the hot dogs on. If you’re using charcoal, ensure there's a cooler zone for the initial heating. Check out this article for instructions on setting up dual zones in a charcoal grill, along with additional expert grilling tips.
How long should you grill hot dogs?
Hot dogs come pre-cooked, so you're really just warming them up here. Place your dogs on indirect heat, away from the hottest sections of the grill, whether that’s the rack you see above, or just further from the coals.
Grill times can vary a bit. Let your hot dogs heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, turning them regularly. If you're grilling jumbo dogs, give them an additional two minutes. There’s no precise timing since grills and dogs differ, but they’re done when the ends start to split.
Once they’re heated through, move your dogs to the hottest section of the grill and position them to create those signature diagonal grill marks. (That’s the plan, at least. We couldn’t quite get those picture-perfect marks no matter how hard we tried.) Grill marks or not, you're aiming for a slightly crackly, bubbly skin. This technique, known as “reverse searing,” works just as well with filet mignon as it does with your hot dog. I’m pretty sure my Michelin star is on its way.
Some folks enjoy toasting their buns, but not me. I like my buns soft and spongy—that’s why you should steam your buns. (Heh, “steam your buns.”)
Don’t overcook them: The most common mistake when grilling hot dogs is also the worst: overcooking. If you leave them on the grill for too long, they’ll shrivel up and dry out, or worse, develop a burnt, charcoal-like flavor on the skin.
What’s the best type of hot dog for grilling?
We tested a range of popular hot dogs for this experiment—chicken, beef, turkey, kosher beef, jumbo, skinless, and jumbo skinless from Nathan’s, Farmer John, and Oscar Mayer. All of them grilled similarly, though the skinless varieties tended to dry out a bit more.
We didn’t test soy-based or other meatless hot dogs, as that’s a whole different category. We also didn’t venture to the butcher for premium frankfurters, nor did we go for the cheapest options. All our dogs were decent, but nothing exceptional, reflecting the essence of the hot dog itself.
In the end, our panel of four hot dog connoisseurs unanimously agreed that beef hot dogs are the best choice. The worst combination was beef and chicken dogs. As for jumbo versus regular-sized dogs, we were evenly split—it ultimately comes down to your preference for bun-to-meat ratio.
To spiral cut or not to spiral cut?
If you want to get extra with your hot dogs, you can spiral cut them before you cook them. Our panel agreed that spiral cut hot dogs are marginally tastier than non-spiral cut dogs, due to the extra surface area available for browning. They get a little more “grilly” flavor, and the condiments drop in the cracks as a bonus.
Whether it’s worth the trouble depends on the kind of person you are. Some might say, “I will make this the best hot dog experience I can, so of course I’ll spiral them.” I’m more like, “It’s just a hot dog, man; don’t knock yourself out.”
Here’s how to spiral cut them, if you choose to:
Slide a skewer through the dog.
Hold a sharp knife at an angle to your dog and roll it. Try to get it to be even, but if you’re like me, yours will look like a serial killer hacked at it.
Give the knife to someone with manual dexterity and have them do it.
You can make a second spiral inside the first for a barber-pole effect if you want to get extra-extra.
Grill them the same as uncircumcised hot dogs.
What toppings should you add to your hot dogs?
I’m sure you already have your go-to hot dog topping and are aware of all the possibilities to enhance your frankfurter. I won’t bore you with the usual suggestions like “try mustard!” but I do have one recommendation: grilled onions. Sautéing onions in a bit of oil and butter with a dash of salt, then adding them to your dog, is the perfect topping—it’s subtle, it doesn’t overpower the natural hot dog flavor like sauerkraut can, and it adds a wonderful texture and that certain je ne sais quoi to your meal.
A quick word on how off-putting hot dogs can sometimes be
When we began our mission to sample these hot dogs, the entire team of hot dog enthusiasts was thrilled, eager to spend the day devouring various types of hot dogs (and drinking beer). However, that excitement quickly faded. By the end, the overwhelming conclusion was: 'Hot dogs are truly revolting if you eat more than one.'
