Tips for Grilling
Hot Dogs

Your Guide to Mistake-Free Franks

Hot dogs on the grill are as simple as it gets. They’re a no-frills meal anyone can cook; quick and easy for family dinners and large get-togethers alike. No wonder hot dogs are so popular.

As crowd-pleasing as they are, everyone has a preference for how they’re served. Some like them burnt to a crisp, others consider ketchup off-limits. The variations are endless. There’s no wrong way to put the finishing touches on your grilled hot dog—and anything surely beats boiling. There are, however, mistakes to avoid. Before you light the grill, check out these tips.

What Are the Best Grilling Hot Dogs?
Hot dogs come in all shapes and sizes... OK, maybe there’s just one shape. But whether you want bun-length, jumbo or footlong, there are other factors to consider before you grill. Do you want all-beef? Organic? Turkey? The choice is yours. And we have hot dogs for every taste. No matter which type you like, they’ll turn out great if you cook them right …

Top Tips for Grilled Hot Dogs

Now that you have your hot dog of choice. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it’s time to cook:

Indirect Hit
For grilled hot dogs that everyone loves, use indirect heat. Keep one side of your grill cooler than the other. Start the dogs off on the cooler side to cook the inside through consistently. Then move them to the hot side to finish to your preferred degree of darkness. Just keep them rolling so they don’t get overdone—unless, of course, you like them charred.

Casing Closed
The indirect method helps prevent the dreaded burst casing. If your hot dogs split down the middle, or the casing otherwise gives way, it means you grilled them at too high of a temperature and robbed yourself of the satisfying snap of a well-cooked casing.

How Long to Grill
The more you grill hot dogs, the more of a feel you’ll get for when they’re done to your liking. In general, we grill a standard dog for about 5 minutes and jumbo dogs for a couple minutes more, around 7-10 minutes.

The Mark of a Winner
Every griller should leave behind the telltale sign of a well-grilled hot dog: grill lines. Place your hot dogs perpendicular to the grates to get that perfectly grilled look.

Roll with It
Regardless of how you like yours cooked, consistency is key. No one wants a hot dog that’s brown on one side and burnt on the other. For well-rounded color, keep your dogs moving by rolling them around. No flipping allowed either.

Bring the Heat to Buns
A grilled hot dog belongs on a toasted bun. Open them up and place them face down on the grates for a minute or two or until they get a slight char to them. For bonus points, brush them with melted butter first.

Condiment to Be
Every hot dogs is a blank canvas for condiments. It’s not our place to tell you what to use or if it should be applied along the side of the dog or drizzled from one end to the other. What’s important is that you have a variety of condiments at the ready. So when the dogs are done, everyone can grab their favorites and get creative.