3 Chefs Share the Simple Way to Cook the Best Hot Dogs

Fourth of July is right around the corner, and one thing that’s sure to be on the menu if you’re grilling is hot dogs. Here at The Kitchn, we recently debated our favorite hot dog toppings — some keep it with good-old ketchup and mustard, while others prefer something a little more involved, like a bacon-wrapped LA-style dog with pickled jalapeños, fresh tomato, and diced avocado.

Whatever way you like your hot dogs, one thing you need to master is how to cook them. I reached out to three professional chefs to see exactly what method they think is best for cooking hot dogs — and they all agreed on one thing. Their topping recommendations, as expected, were more varied. 

All three chefs I spoke to agreed that the best way to cook hot dogs is on the grill for that classic snap and char. Their techniques, however, varied slightly. 

David Cingari, executive chef of Cingari Family Markets recommended the following: “Preheat the grill to medium heat and place the hot dogs on the upper rack with the lid closed for about 10 minutes. This gently heats them through without burning the outside. Then move them directly onto the grill grates for a few minutes to get those classic grill marks.” Any grill works too, he said, be it “gas, charcoal, or flat-top griddle!” 

Chef Lamar J. Moore is from Chicago, so naturally he knows a thing or two when it comes to hot dogs. “I’m from the South Side, and I grew up where if that hot dog wasn’t blistered black, my mom wouldn’t eat it. I don’t care too much for a boiled hot dog, because I think it just makes it soggy. But with the nice thick hot dogs, you can just lightly bring them to a boil and take them off.” Then, he chars them straight on the grill. “I use that word lightly, not burn, but char. Get some grill marks on there. You get a little extra snap with some of that good barbecue feel,” he says. “And it’s got to be an all beef hot dog.” 

Jamie Milne, cookbook author and creator of Everything Delish, was in full agreement, saying, “I’m a grilled/BBQ hot dog girl through and through! There’s just something about those crispy, charred edges that takes them to the next level.” However if the weather doesn’t allow, she says you can also “cook them in a cast iron skillet, as it gives you that same golden-brown exterior while keeping the inside juicy.” 

One major mistake they all said to avoid is cooking them over high heat. Cingari says, “They can burn quickly on the outside before they’re heated through. Instead, use medium heat and cook them more gently for better flavor, better texture, and to avoid that charred exterior.” Milne added, “Hot dogs are already cooked, so you’re really just heating them through and building flavor on the outside. Cooking them too long can cause them to split and dry out.” 

So what do the chefs like to put on their hot dogs? “That’s a question that’s guaranteed to start a debate!” Cingari says. “At home, I’m a simple mustard-and-ketchup person. If I’m ordering from a hot dog joint, I’ll usually choose either sauerkraut and mustard or chili and ketchup.” 

Moore had just cooked hot dogs last weekend. His take? “A play on the Chicago Maxwell Street Polish with beer-braised sauerkraut and onions with truffle mustard.” 

Milne’s go-to toppings are “honey mustard, dill pickles (chopped), caramelized onions, ketchup, and mayo. Depending on my mood, I can also add crushed-up potato chips on it as well!”

What’s your favorite way to eat hot dogs? Let us know in the comments.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: We Asked 3 Chefs to Share How to Cook the Best Hot Dogs, and They Had the Same Piece of Simple Advice