How to Grill Hot Dogs

Fire Up the Grill

Pour on the charcoal. If you have a charcoal grill, fill your chimney starter, soak the briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid, and light 'em up. Carefully, of course. Your eyebrows look good on you. Allow about 20 to 30 minutes to burn off the lighter fluid and get the coals evenly burning. When the briquettes are covered with a layer of ash and glowing, they're ready. Pour them into the bottom of the grill, cover, and let it heat up. Consider using hardwood charcoal instead of the standard charcoal briquette. It adds a great smoky flavor that marries well with hot dogs.

Step on the gas. If you have a gas grill, turn on all burners to get the grill good and hot. You want the grill itself to sear the dogs as soon as they hit. When you're ready to grill, you can turn down the heat to medium so you don't burn the dogs through and through. Not even Grey Poupon can help that!

Do the Dog

Grab your tongs. Now that your grill of choice is heated up and ready for searing, it's time for the big event. Grab a set of tongs and load up the grill. Lay the dogs on the grill perpendicular to the grate. This will give them nice char lines that enhance the flavor.Grill Hot Dogs Step 3Bullet1.jpg Make sure they're well-spaced. You need room to roll those puppies around on the grill.Grill Hot Dogs Step 3Bullet2.jpg

Roll those dogs. Every minute or two, roll the dogs about a quarter turn so that you cook all sides evenly. Thicker dogs will take a little longer to heat up on the inside.

Be patient. Don't remove your dogs too soon. They will still taste good, but you want to let the skin turn a deep reddish brown color. This is evidence of something called the Maillard Reaction, which is what gives grilled and roasted foods such great flavors.

Finishing Up

Toast your buns. Sure, you can plop that freshly grilled wiener between a couple pasty-white hot dog buns, but why would you want to? Remember that Maillard reaction we talked about? That's what makes toast so good, too. So take advantage of that hot grill. Turn off your gas grill. It should be plenty hot enough to toast up a couple buns. If you're serving a whole crew, keep it turned on low.Grill Hot Dogs Step 6Bullet1.jpg If you're using a charcoal grill, scoot the coals to one side. Put the buns on the cool side.Grill Hot Dogs Step 6Bullet2.jpg Open up your buns, slather a little butter on them, and then place them face down on the grill. Close the lid so it warms the whole bun. Keep an eye on them—if your grill is really hot, they can burn quickly.Grill Hot Dogs Step 6Bullet3.jpg When they start to brown, rotate them 90°, then give them another 30 seconds or so. Don't let them burn!Grill Hot Dogs Step 6Bullet4.jpg

Load your dog. When the bun's done, drop your dog in, and add condiments to your heart's desire. Here are some ideas for toppings: Mustard—golden, yellow, gray, searing, smooth, or seedy. Hot dogs love it. Ketchup—the old standby. Pickle relish—dill, sweet, however you like it. Raw onions—green, white, yellow, or sweet, it's all good! Grilled onions—the only thing better than raw onions. Grilled peppers—is there anything grilled peppers don't taste good on? Cheese—add a little, add a lot. Pepper jack is a nice change from cheddar or processed cheese, though processed cheese has a really nice melt to it. Chili—this makes it a little harder to eat with your hands, but it is delicious. Barbecue sauce—adds to that smokey barbecue thing you have going on here. Steak sauce—tired of ketchup? kick it up a notch. Hot sauce—kick it up a couple more notches. Sauerkraut—yes, it was nasty when you were a kid. Try it now! Pretty much anything that'll fit on a bun that you like. Okay, maybe not rocky road ice cream, but you know what we mean!

Chow time! Enjoy your dog with relish (or any of the other aforementioned condiments). Before the coals die, roast some marshmallows!Grill Hot Dogs Step 8Bullet1.jpg