Why You Should Avoid Making Slow Cooker Hot Dogs

There's a lot to love about hot dogs, from their delicious taste to their affordable price. Another major benefit of these tasty sausages is that there are a huge number of ways to cook them. However, not all are worth your time and effort. When we sized up the best and worst ways to cook a hot dog, among the unfortunate latter group was the slow cooker, for reasons primarily related to time and texture.

Time is the first consideration that should lead many home cooks to conclude the slow cooker is a poor choice. Hot dogs are known for their quick preparation. While hot dogs are fully cooked and technically ready to eat out of the package, they're almost always heated or cooked in some way, with most methods taking anywhere from as few as three minutes to as many as 15. Slow cookers are one of the only exceptions, with cook times measured in hours rather than minutes. This can be a big issue for those who don't anticipate and plan for their craving for a hot dog hours in advance.

Slow cookers also fail when it comes to texture, another crucial differentiator between various cooking methods. Although the low, persistent temperatures of a slow cooker can warm the dogs to normal eating temperature, the exterior will never take on the crispiness or char provided by grills, pan-frying, or even roasting over a campfire. The dogs will also never plump in the same way that ones cooked over high heat do. That plumping phenomenon is caused by the water in the hot dog's interior rapidly changing to steam, causing the dogs to swell. Without the direct, high heat, this rapid expansion never happens.

To be fair to the sturdy, reliable slow cooker, it's not entirely useless for hot dog preparation. However, this is true only in certain situations, and with the help of extra equipment. Those preparing hot dogs for a large group or party can use the slow cooker to gradually bring the dogs to the right temperature in a hands-off way, after which they can be seared on the grill far more quickly than grilling from scratch.

Still, this more complicated two-step process is yet another piece of evidence that other cooking methods are usually better choices. Our review found these included not just grilling, but also using a rotisserie or roller, pan-frying, stir-frying, braising, or even air frying.

Die-hard slow cooker aficionados may be somewhat surprised by this recommendation, especially since slow cooker brats are a well-known use of the device. However, the uncooked bratwurst benefits more from the slow-and-low cooking process, allowing its flavors to meld with other ingredients. And don't worry: There are still seemingly countless slow cooker recipes that will make your life easier. Just leave it in the cabinet the next time you feel like chowing down on a quick, tasty hot dog.