Spiralize Your Hot Dogs For The Ultimate Crunch In Every Bite

If you like extra grill-char on your franks, then this hot dog hack is for you. It's time to rock the cookout with spiralized dogs. Not only is the novelty corkscrew presentation fun, but it also facilitates increased caramelization on the grill. Your guests may attend more than a few cookouts this summer, but with spiralized hot dogs on the menu, your event won't soon be forgotten.

Spiralizing those dogs is the quick extra step that ensures knockout texture. Ever bitten into a hot dog that felt rubbery, undercooked, or even (gasp) sort of "fake?" Never again, with the spiral technique. Increasing that dog's surface area creates maximum grill-exposure, crispness, and deeper savory flavor. Those high-moisture franks won't dry out on the inside either, remaining succulent and juicy. Plus, the spiral ridges catch bursts of relish, ketchup, mustard, and other toppings for pops of flavor. Tend to lose chunks of fried onions or sauerkraut? Nothing's sliding out of these crevices.

To do it, simply skewer your uncooked hot dog onto a metal or wooden skewer. Then, lay it down on a cutting board, grab a paring knife, and carefully rotate the skewer while slicing the hot dog at a downward diagonal. The goal here is to carve a spiralling ridge all around the length. Once finished, your hot dog will take on a spring-like, corkscrew shape. From there, gently slide the skewer out to avoid tearing the meat, then throw that bad boy on the grill as normal.

Admittedly, spiralizing each individual hot dog tacks an extra 30 seconds to one minute onto your hands-on prep time, per dog. This technique might be more realistic for smaller gatherings than for cooking for a large crowd. Still, after the first few spiral cuts, grillmasters are likely to get a hang of the technique pretty quickly. Or, grab a friend, pull 'em behind the grill beside you, and allocate the spiralizing task to them, assembly-line style. A pair of tongs might be useful for rotating these wiggly beauties as they cook. Roughly six minutes on the grill should get the job done. 

To serve, simply lay that spiralized hot dog into a split-top bun and load it up with your favorite toppings, as normal. Every bite will be infused with extra-crispy texture and elevated savory depth. Or, you could leave the skewer inside those spiralized hot dogs as you grill for a playful, portable hot-dog-on-a-stick presentation (fun and hands-free for tailgates and other standing events). Hungry for more grill-spiration? We've rounded up 16 essential grilling tips and tricks to "gas up" summer parties all season long.