How To Cook Hot Dogs: The Best And Worst Ways

My vegetarian brother hovered over the stove, staring at a package of uncooked beef hot dogs that he graciously planned to cook for the rest of us, his omnivorous family (he was eating Beyond Brats). “What do I do with these?” he asked, and I chuckled to myself at his naiveté.

But two days later, my meat-eating, hot-dog-loving friend asked me the same question, and I realized: Does no one actually know how to cook hot dogs?

First of all, most processed hot dogs are precooked, so you won’t likely give anyone food poisoning if you serve them cold, straight from the fridge in all their slippery, rubbery glory. (Reheating them, however, does ensure that you’ll kill any listeria that could potentially be lurking.) But you shouldn’t do that.

The ideal hot dog is heated up until it’s nice and plump on the inside and golden (or even charred) on the outside. However, if you ask someone about the best way to prepare a hot dog, you should get ready for a fight. Few people agree on whether you should grill them, pan-fry them, microwave them, roast them in the oven or boil them. You can even spiral-cut them or cook them up into creepy little octopuses. Food writers have tested every which-way in the name of science, but there’s still no consensus.

However you want to cook your dog, there’s a simple technique for each method that you should master before cookout season approaches. Check them out below, ranked from our favorite to least favorite methods.

1. Pan-Frying (starting with a good steam)

This ensures a plump interior and a crispy exterior, and allows you to control the level of golden brown on the outside. Don’t let the word “frying” fool you ― there’s no oil involved.

1. Put half an inch of water in a frying pan and let it come