How to Cook Perfect Hot Dogs on an Electric Grill

Summers are never any good without grilled hot dogs, especially between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Generally, Americans buy and eat millions of hot dogs. They are full of flavor and taste. 

Can you cook hot dogs on an electric grill? Yes, you can easily and perfectly cook hot dogs on an electric grill or even electric griddles. Also, you don’t have to worry about smoke or food sticking to the cooking surface, yet you can cook in the comfort of your kitchen.

Down here on this post, we have an outline and guide of how to cook hot dogs on an electric grill from preparation to serving your buns.

Step by Step Guide: How to Cook Perfect Hot Dogs on an Electric Grill 

Get your hot dogs ready

The very first step is to prepare your hot dogs for grilling. If your hot dogs are frozen, it’s time to defrost them before placing them on a grill. You should never cook frozen foods on a grill.

The best method is to thaw your hot dogs in a fridge 24 hours before cooking. However, the quickest way is to defrost them in a microwave with a defrost setting.

Preheat your Electric Grill

First, check whether your indoor electric grill is clean. You should never cook on a dirty grill: it’s unhealthy, and foods can easily stick to the cooking surface. 

Then preheat your electric grill for at least 5 to 10 minutes before placing hot dogs on it for cooking.

However, you should go low to medium on the temperatures, i.e., between 250 to 325 degrees F. Extreme heat on hot dogs can cause them to burst (juices flow out) and dry out. 

Cook your Hot Dogs on a Preheated Electric Grill

After your electric grill is preheated and hot dogs are at room temperature; you can start cooking. 

Place your hot dogs on the indoor electric grill using a tong. If you want nice grill marks, place them perpendicular to the grill grates.

While an electric grill can accommodate many hot dogs at once, avoid overcrowding them on the cooking surface. 

Allow your hot dogs to cook for about 2-3 minutes before turning them to cook the other side for typical-sized hot dogs.

Also, ensure they attain a brown color and some charred grill marks. However, jumbo-sized and quarter-pound hot dogs will take longer to cook, i.e., 4-5 minutes and 6-7 minutes on each side, respectively. 

Also, ensure your hot dogs attain an internal temperature of at least 140 degrees F before removing them from the grill. Anything between 140 to 165 degrees F is pretty okay.  

Work on your hot dog buns 

Once your hot dogs are cooked, prepare your hot dog buns. Start by brushing them with melted butter.

Then place them on the electric grill for less than a minute. You should not toast them on the grill for long to avoid the buns from drying out. 

Then place each grilled hot dog in a bun and top the dog with your favorite condiment.

Cooking hot dogs on an electric grill is that simple. 

What are the Common Mistakes When Grilling Hot dogs? 

Below are three common mistakes people make while grilling hot dogs. You should avoid them. 

1. Boiling hot dogs before grilling- boiling your hot dogs before grilling drains out some of its flavors.  
2. Poking holes on the hot dogs- often people poke holes on hot dogs to check the doneness. It only led to spilling out juices from the hot dogs. Use a meat thermometer and proper timing instead to check on the doneness of your hot dogs. 
3. Grilling hot dogs on an open fire- open fire is not the best choice for cooking hot dogs. It can easily burn them and cause fire flare-ups. It’s for this reason; electric grills are the best alternative for cooking grilled hot dogs.

Check out Atgrills indoor electric grills and griddles to cook hot dogs on a cookware with natural stone coating.