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How To Make Hot Dogs

posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Lunch by Kathy Maister
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Hot dogs  cooked in the microwave oven are a quick and easy snack, lunch or dinner.  (Fenway Franks are my favorite but turkey dogs are also pretty great as well!)

Let me begin by stressing that all microwaves have different strengths. They range in power from 500 watts to over 1500 watts. Just inside the frame of your microwave door there should be a label indicating the strength of your microwave.

Knowing the strength of your microwave is very important. Otherwise you may be following cooking directions exactly and still end up with burnt popcorn or an under cooked baked potato! I have an 850 watt microwave oven. All of my directions are based on that wattage.  (Here is a great microwave wattage conversion chart.)

Hot dogs are already cooked when you buy them. All you need to do is heat them up. Place 1 to 4 hot dogs on a paper plate or a microwave-safe dish with a paper towel. (If you are cooking more than 4 hot dogs, do it in stages.)

With the tip of a sharp knife, pierce the hot dog three times; on one end, in the middle, and on the other end. You only need to break the skin. This allows the steam to escape so they don’t explode!

Cover the hot dogs with another paper towel.

Cook on high for 35 seconds. That should be enough to heat them through, but you may have to add another 10-15 seconds.

Remove the hot dogs from the microwave.

Wrap the bun in a paper towel and zap it for about 15 seconds.

You only want to warm the bun. If you over cook the bun in the microwave it will get very hard and chewy as it cools.

I don’t recommend putting the hot dog in the bun and heating everything at once. The steam from hot dog makes the bun very soggy.

For a real treat try toasting the hot dog bun under the broiler. It will make the bun a bit firmer and able to hold all the extras you’re going to pile on!

I like my hot dogs with ketchup, mustard and relish…hold the onions please!

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12 Comments

kiki said:

what about frozen hotdogs?

Kathy Maister said:

Kiki, defrost them first!

For just two or three hot dogs, put them in a shallow bowl with about 1/3 cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap. Be sure to leave a vent for the steam to escape. Zap the hot dogs in the microwave in 30 second -1 minute increments until they are defrosted and heated through.

Or put the whole package of hot dogs in a bowl of cool water to defrost. It will only take about 20-30 minutes for the whole package to defrost. Much less time if you break off what you need and return the rest to the freezer.

Be sure to re-wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap. You don’t want your hot dogs go get freezer burn!

jomai said:

you could spread a little mayonnaise on your hot dog bun after toasting…it’s more yummy!

Kathy Maister said:

Hi Jomai, I tried using mayo, instead of butter, on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich. It made the bread brown beautifully but there was a distinct mayo flavor. For all the mayo lovers out there, this is a great option!

Chase said:

Woah thanks they taste very good

Kathy Maister said:

The toasted buns really makes a hot dog special!

RedRob said:

Kathy.. not sure why you say to defrost the dogs first. They’re all pre-cooked, so you might as well just heat-em frozen, yes? What advantage does defrosting have, other than to complicate such an easy cook?

Kathy Maister said:

Good point RedRob. You can do it all at once but VERY slowly, on very low power.

Put the 1-2 hot dogs in a dish with a small amount of water and then cover the dish with plastic wrap. Zap it on low power in 1-2 minute increments until it is defrosted. Then continue heating until the hot dogs are heated through.

If you try to just zap it full power, the end of the hot dog may well burst from over cooking while the center is still frozen.

Anonymous said:

I will try to make these hot dogs – they look goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!

peter Lim said:

Hi, i love the video blog so much…:) but i don’t see any video on how to make hot dog? can you include it on the video blog too..:)

startcooking said:

Hi Peter, thanks!
Unfortunately, there is not a matching video to every blog post. I will add you request to the (REALLY LONG) list of requested videos.
Cheers,
Kathy

Fredd said:

I am starting to think I may be the only one besides my wife that likes this but….

I like to cook my hotdogs by boiling them till they just explode…they taste so good like that!

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