Young female hand holding American style hotdog on a pastel pink background
Food - Drink
How Long Can You Leave Grilled Hot Dogs Outside?
By LAUREN ROTHMAN
With warmer months approaching in many parts of the United States and beyond, it's time to start thinking about all the delicious hot-weather food we'll be cooking up this summer. If you love summertime grilling and frequently feature hot dogs at your barbecues, listen up.
According to experts, hot dogs should be eaten within about an hour of being pulled off the grill. In ambient temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, foodborne bacteria that might already be present in the hot dogs, such as Listeria monocytogenes, can multiply much more rapidly, making the wieners dangerous to eat.
If summer temperatures are a bit cooler, grilled hot dogs have a bit more time to hang out, but no longer than two hours. After that, any leftover dogs should head straight to the fridge. When you're ready to eat those leftovers, you should fully reheat the hot dogs, making sure they're hot and steaming all the way through, which will reduce any risk of listeriosis.