20 Hot Dog Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

Life is full of experiences that pair perfectly with a plump, juicy hot dog. Whether taking in a pivotal home game or impressing guests with your barbecue skills, a hot dog is the perfect food to pull from your culinary arsenal. It's a deceivingly simple staple that's surprisingly versatile. Hamburgers may get the most love, but unlike them, hot dogs can be enjoyed without toppings or fully loaded because the meat is the star of the show, whereas burgers are often defined by their toppings. Funnily enough, both originate from Germany, clearly a country that knows something about meat.

Great debates aside, if you've only tried ketchup and mustard on your frank, you've been missing out on an entire world of flavorful potential. From unique cooking methods to clever cutting tips and more, there are many tricks to learn. We happen to know some fun hacks that, once unlocked, will transform regular dogs into life-changing franks. Trust us, when your canines take a bite out of these hacks, you'll wish you'd known about them sooner.

A simple way to make your hot dog experience more crunchy and crave-able is by preheating the weiners in a pan. Hot dog perfection is about finding the ideal balance between the skin and flesh — the skin should retain some bite and the flesh should be plump but not mushy. While grilling and boiling are often touted as the best ways to make franks, a quick pan fry may be more your speed. Using high heat, warm your pan and put your hot dogs in to cook. They will be ready for your bun in less than five minutes. If the skin begins to bubble, that means you are overcooking it. Unlike other methods, pan-frying allows you to incorporate seasonings as well. Use cast iron due to its superior heat retention to achieve ultimate crispness. 

Believe it or not, hot dogs are pretty hard to give up for many who have transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle. We get it, hot dogs are one of the tastiest inventions in culinary history. It should come as no surprise that someone figured out an ingenious way to capture the smoky savoriness of hot dogs, without the influx of sodium. Using carrots and a few simple ingredients, you can create meatless hot dogs. You start by boiling the carrots until tender. Next, set them in a marinade of soy sauce (amino acids or tamari work as well), liquid smoke, garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and apple cider vinegar for 24 hours. The flavors will infuse the carrot with a frank-like taste and even resemble the real thing once cooked. While the consistency is different and there are still flavor notes of carrot, you'll be surprised that they can be used in this fun way. 

If the thought of hot dog salad raises a red flag, follow this vital step when making authentic Chicago-style dogs. Being topping-happy can ruin the experience, and how you prepare ingredients is just as important as how you balance them. The toppings are a perfect blend of savory, sweet, zesty, and fresh — using too much or too little of one can throw things off. Tomatoes, in particular, should always be sliced into wedges, never diced. Wedge cuts ensure that juicy tomato flavor is in every bite, whereas diced tomatoes tend to fall from the bun, leaving a mess as you eat. Furthermore, that's how they traditionally serve hot dogs in Chicago — the locals call it being "dragged through the garden." 

Every great grillmaster keeps a trick or two up their sleeve. As one of the most popular barbecue staples, there are many ways to grill a hot dog. Anyone who's braved the smokey haze has had franks roll off the grill. Their tubular shape can be slippery, especially if you position them perpendicular to the grate lines. Though parallel is better for reducing slippage, you shouldn't have to compromise on picture-perfect hot dogs with beautiful grill marks. Using wooden skewers will secure the goods and allow you to achieve worry-free grill marks. Slide the skewer through the hot dog lengthwise, making sure that both ends are exposed. The ends secure the dogs and work like corn-on-the-cob holders, allowing you to easily turn dogs when grilling.

For even more crackle, you can marinate hot dogs in ketchup. Flavorfully explosive, ketchup marinade is one of the tastiest ways to elevate everyday hot dogs. The marinade consists of ketchup, the mustard of your choosing, soy sauce, minced garlic, and vegetable oil — in other words, tangy, sweet, and savory are all present and accounted for. Before slathering your dogs in ketchup marinade, follow a few simple steps. Using a skewer, pierce the dogs lengthwise, then slice four scores into each frank diagonally on either side — make sure not to cut fully through though. Take the skewer tips and roll each hot dog in the marinade until they are coated liberally. Once finished, it's time to put your grilling skills to work.

The lengths to which some people are willing to go to enhance flavor are limitless. Hot dogs are mouthwatering enough as is, but simmering them in seasoned liquids will have them exploding with crave-worthy plumpness. Simmering requires less heat than boiling and is usually ideal at around 185 degrees Fahrenheit. The broth is an easy way to give franks more flavor, and this is the perfect opportunity to use leftover pho and ramen seasoning packets. If you don't have those on hand, you can always brew a batch of delectable "dirty water." A street cart staple, dirty water is the pan of hot water that vendors boil dogs in all day. As the hours pass, the water is infused with meaty flavor, gradually becoming a concentrated burst of tastiness. You can take your hot dog to even more flavorful heights by adding a seasoning blend of chicken bouillon, bay leaf, onions, and garlic to the dirty water. 

There have been many great debates throughout history, and whether or not you should apply condiments to a bun or on top of a hot dog is one of the more contentious ones. In pop culture, hot dogs are most commonly depicted with clean squeezes of ketchup and mustard. That image is perhaps to blame for the ketchup stain on your favorite shirt that you tried to remove to no avail. While wiping mustard from your cheek is part of the fun, you don't have to become a Jackson Pollock painting to enjoy a delicious frank. Adding condiments to the bun first is the best way to avoid a messy hot dog. The dog's weight applies pressure to the condiments, securing the whole for clean consumption. Just make sure not to overdo it, as too much will make your buns soggy.

Another flavor-boosting cutting technique is the butterfly cut. It's an easy hack that increases the surface space of your dog, which of course equals more toppings. We especially recommend it if the more complex spiral cut seems too intimidating. Unlike that method, there are no limits to the types of toppings that can elevate the experience. Chicago-style is a no-brainer, and of course, you can never go wrong with a savory chili dog. For something a bit more punchy, try this pickled jalapeño-infused ultimate hot dog recipe, it is the pinnacle of satisfaction. You can also forgo the gluttony and top it with a refreshing salad. From sauerkraut and kimchi to pineapple salsa and potato chips, butterfly-cut dogs are a surefire way to quell your cravings.

After mastering the butterfly cut, you'll want to try the crosshatch cutting method. Quite possibly the best cutting style for plumped-up flavor, it allows heat to distribute evenly, carrying a dose of deliciousness. The grillmasters of olde praised the heavens when they discovered the crosshatch cut. All you have to do is slice shallow X's into your hot dog length-wise until it looks like a work of art. Cutting allows steam and seasoning to infiltrate the flesh, while the skin develops a crispy and crave-worthy char. Along with burnt excellence, the charred skin helps prevent the dog from splitting apart. The savory pockets made from slicing are ideal for securing condiments, and the drizzle snuggles deliciously into the crevices, waiting to hit your tongue. 

Savory hot dogs may get all the attention, but sweet hot dog recipes are where it's at. Experience a world of sweet and savory harmony with corn dog muffins. If logic follows, hot dog lovers who enjoy corn dogs will undoubtedly fall in love with these pastry treats. They are easy to bake, kid-friendly, and guaranteed to be the family's new favorite. You can bake them from scratch, or use a pre-made cornbread mixture. Just blend your ingredients, and add cuts of hot dog to the batter. Only 15 minutes are needed for baking, but if you prefer winging it, you'll know it's ready when the color is golden brown. With cornbread bringing the sweet and hot dogs providing the savory, feel free to spice things up with diced jalapeńos.