Cooking hot dogs is easy.
Just plop them on a grill, wait a few minutes, and you’re done! It’s one of the things that makes hot dogs so popular.
But while anyone can cook hot dogs, there are a few small things you can do to up your game and make them stand out from the usual fare.
8 Ways to Grill the Best Hot Dogs
Remember, it’s not about having the fanciest grill or the best grilling accessories kit. It’s all about the small ways you can cook your hot dogs better.
From your grill to the buns, here are eight ways to take your hot dogs to the next level!
1. Pre-Heat Your Grill
This might sound simple, but too many people just toss their hot dogs onto the grill without ever thinking to pre-heat it. This is a big mistake.
Without pre-heating your grill, your hot dogs are going to stay in the grill for a lot longer than they need to. This can easily lead to overcooked, dried-out hot dogs.
You won’t get those beautiful sear marks on your hot dogs, and they might even stick to the grill, forcing you to lose some of their skin when you peel them out.
2. Clean Your Grill
Some people say that a dirty grill adds more flavor. In reality, leftover gunk is not only gross but can also cause your hot dogs to cook unevenly.
So once your grill is preheated, don’t throw in the hot dogs just yet! Instead, take a cleaning cloth and wipe away any grease left behind.
If you find hard debris, you can always use a stainless steel or brass wire brush to remove it.
3. Oil Your Grill
By now, you might be wondering if we’ll ever get to cooking the hot dogs. Don’t worry; this is the last step before that!
Before you start cooking, it’s a very good idea to lightly oil your grill first. This not only prevents your hot dogs from sticking to the grill but also allows them to cook evenly.
Again, it’s just a small improvement. But if you want to grill the best hot dogs, it’s these small steps that get you there.
4. Slit Your Hot Dogs
To some, this is common knowledge.
For others, throwing hot dogs onto gas grills without cutting a slit is normal. There are two problems with this.
The first is that without slits, it’s very hard to cook your hot dogs evenly. You’ll have a charred outside and an undercooked inside.
The second is that hot dogs expand when they’re cooking. And if you try to eat one straight off the grill, they’ll burst hot juices into your mouth, burning you.
A small slit on the tips and a few along the sides of the hot dog will solve both of these problems.
5. Use a Spiral Cut
Bonus tip!
Instead of just slitting your hot dogs, you can take it a step further and use a spiral cut.
To do this, you’ll need to skewer your hot dog first. Then, take a knife, and cut a spiral from the top of your hot dog all the way down.
You’ll want a skewer for this so that you’ll never accidentally cut your hot dog in half.
Spiral cuts look nice and ensure that the inside of your hotdog is thoroughly cooked!
6. Add Some Char
If you don’t have char marks, did you even grill?
Char marks are one of the things that make grilling special. It not only looks good but also adds a unique flavor. However, the technique used in grilling can greatly impact the outcome.
If you cook your hot dogs parallel to your grills, you’ll get weird long char marks, and your hot dogs might even fall through the grates.
Instead, you’ll want to cook them perpendicularly to your grills. This way, you’ll get a nice char all along your hot dogs (this step doesn’t apply to spiral-cut hot dogs).
7. Roll Your Hot Dogs
Unlike burgers, hot dogs don’t just have two sides.
But many people only flip their hot dogs once while grilling. This creates an uneven cook, where two sides are well done, but in between those are pale, uncooked lines.
Instead, when it comes to hot dogs, you’ll want to roll them once in a while to get an even cook all around.
8. Toast Your Buns
What condiments and toppings you use is up to you. But what’s not optional when grilling the best hot dogs is toasting your buns.
It might seem like a small step, but the extra crunch and flavor that toasted buns bring can make all the difference between ordinary grilled hot dogs, and the best ones!
Wrapping Up
Grilling hot dogs is easy. And the eight tips here might seem like they won’t make much of a difference.
But the secret to the best hot dogs is in the small things. And the more small improvements you make, the better your hot dogs will come out!
So apply these tips the next time you’re grilling, and enjoy the best hot dogs you’ve ever had!
