There is no easier meal on the planet to cook than hot dogs. Hot dogs are sold in gas stations, sporting events, movie theatres, and many other places. You can go to any grocery store and buy the ingredients to make hot dogs yourselves. All you need are buns and toppings to go with your hot dog, and you’ve got yourself a meal.
You can top them will all kinds of delicious items, such as mustard, ketchup, onions, chili, cheese, and relish. I personally love just plain mustard on my hot dog. Yum! There are several different ways to cook hot dogs. You can take them outside and throw them on the grill for a delicious chargrilled taste, or you can boil them in a pot for a faster meal.
These methods are pretty fast, but can you cook them even faster? There are so many foods that get cooked in microwaves; so what about hot dogs? Can you microwave hot dogs? Absolutely! But how safe is it to microwave hot dogs? That depends on your technique.
Is It Safe to Microwave Hot Dogs?
When I talk about “cooking” a hot dog, I am really talking about re-heating them. You see, hot dogs are already cooked when you buy them from the grocery store. You would think that you can just eat them straight from the package and that it would be safe. However, even though they are pre-cooked, they still need to be properly reheated!
Do not ever eat them straight out of the package. This is very wrong! Even though they are pre-cooked, consider them “raw” right out of the package. Hot dogs need to be heated through in order to be consumed. People cook them differently, but microwaves are very popular to use. Can you microwave hot dogs? Yes, but you have to do it right.
Microwaving hot dogs is perfectly safe, but if you don’t microwave them right, they could be dangerous. You see, there are bacteria that live in hot dogs called Listeria. Listeria can make you very ill if you’ve got a compromised immune system, or you are elderly, pregnant, or a newborn. If you don’t cook your hot dog properly, you can risk getting sick.
In order to prevent getting ill from Listeria, it is important that you microwave your hot dog long enough to make it hot enough to kill the bacteria. The key to proper hot dog cooking is making sure they are heated to 175°F.
This makes grilling hot dogs perfectly safe since the grill flame is so hot; however, the grill can scorch the hot dog. I personally like that, but if you don’t you may prefer to cook them in water.
How to Microwave a Hot Dog in Water
One of the safest ways to cook a hot dog is in water. You can either cook them in boiling water on the stove or in water in the microwave. It is easy to cook them on the stove, but a little time consuming compared to microwaving them.
What you do is you bring the water to a rolling boil and place the hot dogs in the water fully submerged. After 6 minutes, the hot dogs are done. You can store any leftover hot dogs in the refrigerator, but you have to make sure that you reheat them properly again to 175°F. A faster and also safe way is to microwave them in water.
To do this you need to cut a slit into each hot dog to prevent them from bursting open during the heating process. Afterward, you need to place them in a bowl of water with enough water to fully submerge them. Heat them for 75 seconds. At this point, you can cut the tip off the hot dog to make sure it is thoroughly heated through.
If it isn’t, you can keep microwaving them in 30-minute increments until done. This method works well, but bowls can be a little awkward to lay hot dogs in. If you want a perfect tool for microwaving your hot dog you can buy yourself a microwave hot dog cooker.
How to Use a Microwave Hot Dog Cooker
I have been cooking hot dogs in the microwave for years. It works great, but honestly, I have never had the perfect bowl to use. I have used a longer square storage container before that fits the hot dog better but still holds water; because bowls are awkward to sit hot dogs in. I am not the only person on the planet that got fed up with the awkwardness of cooking hot dogs in a bowl.
I am sure many people did. That is why someone invented a microwave hot dog cooker! This device is oblong shaped so it fits hot dogs perfectly. It has a chamber for the water and a lid. The lid traps the steam inside the container heating up the hot dog even more. Heat is good for hot dogs! The more heat, the more listeria is being destroyed; and the safer they are to eat. Microwave hot dog cookers aren’t the only inventions made for hot dogs.
There are also hot dog cookers that look like toasters. They heat up the hot dog and bun simultaneously. These can heat up your hot dog to a high enough heat to be safe to eat. They even come with temperature controls so that you can make sure your hot dog is hot enough. Either way, there are easier ways to cook hot dogs so that they are safe to eat.
Its a Dog Eat Hot Dog World Out There
Hot dogs have been and will continue to be very popular. They will continue to be sold conveniently across the world, and they will continue to be a staple in every household. It is just too easy of a meal to make. The world is too busy not to cook hot dogs some nights. Knowing how to properly cook hot dogs is very important for the health of you and your family.
Can you microwave hot dogs so that they are safe to eat? Yes, but do it right. Don’t ever assume that just because a hot dog is pre-cooked, that is doesn’t need to be heated properly. Always remember to heat your hot dogs up to 175°F to make sure it reaches the Listeria killing temperature. Choose your way of cooking them! If you want that chargrilled taste, head out to the backyard to grill them.
If you don’t care for the grilled hot dog taste, throw them in a pot of boiling water. Now, you know you can microwave them in some water to cook the perfect hot dog; or you can buy a fancy microwave hot dog cooker. Either way, hot dogs will always be there for you to make cooking dinner a breeze.
