Updated on July 4th, 2022
Mention the average American staple diet, and hotdog reaches the top five. I love them so much that for once a week, I always visit Cook Out for their amazing hot dogs. The reason why I love them is because they are delicious, versatile, and fast to add flavor or richness to a dish. Hotdogs can be eaten straight from the stove, on a bun, or cut into pieces and added to other recipes. It’s why you’ll find them in pasta, salads, potato dishes, casseroles, and tons of different menus.
Hotdogs can be prepared using various methods, but cooking them on the stove tends to be the most preferred. But not many can use this technique. For this reason, you’ll find here tips on how best to cook hotdogs of any kind on the stove. You’ll also find a handy recipe guide to help you prepare your favorite pastime snack every time.
Why Cook Hotdogs on the Stove?
Hotdogs can be grilled on a rack or roasted in the oven. And in cases of extreme emergency, you can even prepare them in a microwave. But the stovetop style remains the most loved, and this is for several reasons;
It’s Faster: Believe it or not, cooking hotdogs on an iron skillet or pan takes very little time. All you need is to have the pan heated, and you can finish preparing your hotdogs in under three minutes!
It’s More Convenient: You won’t need to pre-heat an oven or grill or measure a specific unwavering amount of water. With only a tiny amount, your hotdogs would come out just as crispy and delicious as you want and with zero hassle.
It’s Flexible: You can use water or oil to cook your hotdogs on the stove. You can also include other ingredients to the mix- fresh pepper, green onions, or even mushrooms. And you can stir the added ingredients to perfection without having to open and close a door or lid constantly.
Hot Dog Nutrition Facts
Stovetop Hot Dogs Cooking Tips
While it’s a breeze to prepare your favorite hotdog recipes on the stove, you still need a few suggestions to run smoothly.
Choosing Hot Dogs
You don’t have to be specific about what kind of hotdogs to cook on the stove. This choice boils down to you or what flavor you seek. It could be beef franks, chicken franks, or regular hotdogs. But you do want to keep them at roughly equal sizes, so they cook simultaneously. Also, make sure they’re uncured and cased in natural skin.
Cooking Hot Dogs
There are various ways to cook hotdogs on the stove. You can boil them in water, brown them with a dash of water, or fry them in butter or oil. Many people prefer to submerge hotdogs in water and boil them, but frying or browning them gives the tastiest results.
To cook hotdogs by browning, add a little water to a frying pan or iron skillet to about half an inch. Heat the pan at medium-high till the water begins to boil off. Add your hotdogs- a few at a time- and roll them until they’re brown on all sides. It takes from three to five minutes for this process to complete.
For oil or butter-frying, make shallow cuts on your hotdogs; these ensure they don’t burst as you fry them. Add two or three tablespoons of butter or oil to a pan at medium-high heat. Make sure the oil or butter is enough to cover half the hotdog. Fry the hotdogs until the side-facing down is browned, then turn with a fork or tong and repeat the process. The cooking should take you about five minutes. Once they’re ready, transfer the hotdogs to a plate lined with paper napkins to drain them. You can also use the oil or butter left in the pan to cook your vegetables.
Since you’ve now known how convenient it is to cook hotdogs on the stove, why not give this recipe a shot;
PrintPan-Fried Hot Dogs (3 servings)
Ingredients
- Three hotdogs, uncured
- One tablespoon butter, unsalted
- Water
- Three hotdog buns
Instructions
- Add some water to a skillet at medium heat, just enough to cover the base. Once the water starts to boil off, gently place the hotdogs in the skillet and leave them to cook until the water disappears. Roll them around so all sides brown and cook evenly.
- Add the butter and let it melt, then cook the hotdogs in it till it browns even more. Transfer the hotdogs to a plate and toast the bun in the remaining juice. Serve the hotdogs in the buns with your favorite toppings.
For more directions, check out this stovetop hotdog video recipe.
