Don't Do This When Cooking Hot Dogs In The Oven

Of the 15 best and worst ways to cook a hot dog, some say putting it in the oven is among the most inferior, but we say that's just because they haven't gotten it down to a science quite yet. When you're looking for a perfectly cooked hot dog in no time, you can't beat putting it in the oven — so long as you do it right. Amelia Eudailey, owner at Hej Hej Swedish Style Hot Dogs, exclusively tells Mashed that the secret to consistently well-cooked oven franks comes down to timing and temperature.

"The biggest mistake people make when cooking hot dogs in the oven is heating the hot dogs too fast or too long," warns Eudailey. As your hot dog cooks, the water inside the meat begins to steam, making the meat expand. If this goes on for long enough, or if the meat gets too hot all at once, it can cause the casing to burst. This is one of those mistakes everyone makes at some point when cooking hot dogs, and while it doesn't make the beloved sausages inedible, they certainly aren't as good as they could be after they've split. "When the hot dog breaks open you can lose juices and flavor," Eudailey explains.

While it's easy to keep an eye on stovetop hot dogs and pick up on cues that they're done before anything catastrophic happens, it's harder to notice these changes when they're tucked out of view in the oven. But you can easily circumvent the bummer of an overcooked, split-open frank with the help of a simple kitchen instrument. While the USDA says we should always use a meat thermometer, few of us regularly pull it out for everyday meat preparation, particularly with fully cooked items like hot dogs. However, Amelia Eudailey says using one is the key to keeping your dogs from bursting.  

"The best way to avoid this is to start your oven at 375 [degrees Fahrenheit] and check the temperature after 4-5 minutes using a meat thermometer," she tells us. That's about how long it will take for the internal temperature to start climbing. "With precooked hot dogs and sausages, you need the temperature to get to 165 [degrees] Fahrenheit," advises Eudailey, adding, "Any higher will risk a burst hot dog!"

Pick up a simple meat thermometer like this one from ThermoPro and the next time you're craving a hot dog you'll be ready. In just a few minutes with virtually no hands-on time, you'll have a sizzling, snappy frank ready for your favorite toppings. If you need some ideas, check out our list of 13 things you should be putting on your hot dog, but aren't.