The Easiest Way To Enjoy Hot Dogs For Breakfast

There are heaps of creative ways to use up leftover hot dogs, such as turning them into corn dogs or stuffing them into a grilled cheese. However, the easiest way to repurpose them is to enjoy them for breakfast by chopping them up and adding them to your morning serving of fluffy scrambled eggs.

All you need to do is follow one rule of thumb; fry them up in a skillet first so they can heat through and develop some crispy edges before you incorporate them into your huevos. If you add them to your eggs without prepping them first, they won't come up to temperature by the time your scramble is ready. Instead, slice them thinly and fry them separately to garner a moreish texture and flavor. Alternatively, chop them into heartier pieces if you like your hot dogs to be chunky and bouncy.

This trick is much faster than adding sausages to your scrambled eggs because hot dogs are pre-cooked; they just require a quick heat through, rather than a full-on fry in a hot pan. Plus, it increases the protein content of your breakfast in a jiffy, which will instantly make it more filling. Moreover, the final flavor of your eggs will depend on the hot dog brand you've selected so make it a good one. In our taste test of 13 grocery store hot dog brands, ranked worst to best, Kayem Old Tyme beef hot dogs were the best, but you might prefer others made with chicken.

Hot dogs and eggs don't need much to fill you up for breakfast — but there are plenty of ways to take this tip to the next level. Add some onions, chili, and tomatoes to your scrambled eggs to turn it into spicy menemen (a Turkish style breakfast dish). Traditionally, slices of sujuk sausage are served alongside or mixed into these garlicky eggs but you can substitute them for sliced hot dogs in a pinch. While hot dogs don't have the salty quality of a classic sujuk, they will lend your breakfast some textural interest and boost the protein content. 

You could also do as Vermonters do and caramelize your hot dogs in maple syrup first to lend them a sweeter quality. Simply heat them up in a skillet with a squeeze of maple syrup, some butter, and a dash of soy sauce before chopping them up and adding them to your scrambled eggs. The combination of these sweet and salty ingredients will turn the flavor of a basic hot dog into a delightful surprise that's perfect for serving with a stack of pancakes.

On a plant-based diet? Switch the eggs for crumbled tofu and use vegan hot dogs. If you want to recreate the umami flavor of real scrambled eggs, sprinkle in a touch of black salt — an ingredient that will change your vegan recipes forever — to imbue your tofu with an eggy aroma and savory character.