The Quick Technique That Cooks Hot Dogs Even Faster On The Grill

Sometimes, grilling can be a leisurely activity, a great time to kick back with a cold drink and prepare a steak or two. Other times, it can be a race against the clock to feed hungry family members or party guests clamoring for their barbecue favorites. While hot dogs are already one of the fastest items to cook, busy grill-masters will be happy to learn there's a way to get them ready even quicker.

The technique is as simple as making crosshatched cuts into the dogs. Make shallow, intersecting slices around the outside of the hot dog, creating a grid or pattern of Xs. This will expose more surface area to the heat and flames of the grill, allowing the inside to heat up even quicker while producing a crispy, lightly-charred exterior.

Hot dogs prepared this way should only need about 2 minutes total on high heat. That's less than half of the time typically required for hot dogs, which often take 5 to 7 minutes of grill time.

One of the false facts about hot dogs that many believe is that they're packaged raw. Store-bought ones are actually fully cooked by the time they hit grocery shelves. In reality, cooking time for hot dogs is more about warming them while adding texture and flavor.

Like any cooking method, crosshatching your hot dogs has some potential downsides. Because they cook so much quicker, you'll need to carefully watch your grill to avoid charring them beyond the point of being edible. In addition, you'll need to be mindful not to slice too deeply and cut right through the dog. This issue can be solved with an ingenious sausage hack you'll wish you knew sooner, which first threads the hot dogs onto skewers before cutting them in a spiral. The skewer can provide similar protection for crosshatched dogs, too.

No longer will those looking for a quick bite have to resort to some of the worst ways to cook a hot dog, like boiling or microwaving. With a few seconds of knifework, your grilled dogs will be ready before you know it.