My Husband’s Awesome Method for “Super Juicy, Perfectly Cooked” Hot Dogs (Almost As Good as Grilled!)

In my house, we love hot dogs. With two young kids running around, we grill hot dogs throughout the summer, or boil them in a pot on the stove when it’s too cold to venture outside. And while it’s hard to beat that smoky flavor and distinct snap that grilling brings, boiling hot dogs was always our fallback cooking method because that’s the one my husband and I remember most from childhood. 

That continued to be the case for years … until I recently tried broiling them. I first learned about this method in our cooking hot dogs showdown, in which we tested eight different ways to cook hot dogs. Don’t get me wrong — it’ll never taste as good as a grilled hot dog, but it’s a close second. 

If you don’t have access to a grill, boiling hot dogs is a popular option for getting those dogs warmed up. (I mean, it was the one we loved until recently). But it does come with pitfalls: The hot dogs look less appealing, they take on a soft and slightly spongy texture, and your home will smell like hot dog water. At the end of the day, boiled hot dogs are simply lackluster. 

After trying broiled hot dogs, I haven’t boiled them since. They were so good that my husband now broils hot dogs on the regular. They come out evenly browned, super juicy, and perfectly cooked. And while they lack that snap we all know and love about a grilled hot dog, the texture is ever-so-slightly crisp on the outside with a plump and juicy interior. Even better, there’s a bit of a time-saving aspect to this method, as you don’t have to bother with boiling water. Try it for yourself — I promise you won’t be disappointed. 

1. Move one oven rack to the top position so that it’s nice and close to the heat source. 
2. Preheat the broiler to high.
3. Place your hot dogs on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. 
4. Use a sharp knife to make a few shallow cuts in each one (this prevents any bursting). 
5. Broil the hot dogs, turning them occasionally, until they have a slightly charred exterior, about 4 minutes. 
6. Let the dogs cool for a minute, then serve. 

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: My Husband’s Brilliant Trick for Cooking Hot Dogs (It’s Just as Delicious as Grilled!)