Hot dogs may not seem difficult to cook, but they can be tricky to get right, especially if you don’t know how long to boil them. When hot dogs are cooked right, they can be delicious, but when they’re over or underdone, they can be highly unpleasant. And while hotdogs are inexpensive and easy to prepare, they also tend to go stale quickly. This is different than bread, for example, which can be stored without going stale.
However, one cheap and easy way to keep your hot dogs fresh is to boil them. You only need basic kitchen equipment, plus hot dogs, and, after reading this article, you know how to boil hot dogs in four easy steps.
Contents
How to boil hot dogs, step by step
If you’re looking for a quick recipe, hot dogs are a great option, as long as you have the sausages. Below, you will find a brief overview of the types of sausages available in the market. But for now, let’s dive into the main topic.
Here’s the step-by-step recipe for how to boil hot dogs:
Step 1: Prepare your sausages for boiling
Get everything ready. This is not only collecting your ingredients and equipment, but also preparing them for work, especially the sausages. In some countries, you will find brands that have a transparent cover on some sausage once they are out of the pack. People may not realize the sausages have this cover and ruin their meal by trying to cook with the peel on. Make sure that is not you.
Step 2: Fill the pot with water and put in the sausages
Once the sausages are cover-free, you want to fill the pot with water. Make sure it is enough water to cover all the sausages you’re planning to boil. There should always be some extra water, because remember – we are boiling and water evaporates in the process.
Step 3: Boil for 6 minutes
Take the pot with water and sausages to the fire and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, wait for 6 minutes, which is the standard cooking time for the standard sausage. If you are cooking extra-thick sausages (or other types that are not pre-cooked), you may require a longer boiling time that usually does not exceed 20 minutes.
Step 4: Drain the water
Once the 6 minutes are over, you may start to see how the sausages increase in size. Sometimes they even burst open when they are done. That’ll give you the sign to drain the water. We recommend using kitchen clamps to take the sausages out of the water, but you can also use a big colander like that you use for pasta.
Step 5: Serve with hot dog buns and ketchup
Now, you can serve your hot dogs with your favorite ingredients, including the hot dog buns, mayonnaise, ketchup, bacon and anything else that sounds appropriate. One of the best aspects of hot dogs is that there’s nothing right or wrong. You can even add hard-boiled eggs, if you like, and it will taste good.
A guide to different types of sausages for hot dogs
There are many types of sausages and each one is different from the other. Some sausages are soft and juicy, while others can be dry and bland. Some are thick and others are slender; however, no matter what kind of sausage you choose, all hot dogs need to be boiled before serving.
Here, you have a useful table with the most common types of sausages and useful tips on how to boil hot dogs with them:
| Comments | Comments | Cooking time |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh bratwurst | This is a fresh sausage that is sold in a casing. When cooked properly, bratwurst will have a soft texture with a golden-brown color and a delicious natural flavor. | 10 minutes boiling |
| Smoked bratwurst | The main difference between this and fresh bratwurst is that is has a smoky flavor. This flavor comes from the cooking process, in which the sausage is heated and smoked over real hardwood. | Smoking can take up to one or two hours. But if you buy them pre-smoked, it will only take 5 minutes to reheat. |
| Hot Italian sausage | Hot Italian sausage is spicy and has a red or pink color. It is made with a variety of different types of peppers including: green, red, black, garlic, and cayenne. | 6 minutes |
| Corned beef sausage | Corned beef is another type of spicy sausage that is made from brisket of beef. It is usually served with mustard, ketchup and sauerkraut. Corned beef will also have a smoky flavor, due to the smoking process the sausage undergoes. | 20 minutes per 500 grams |
| Vienna sausage | This is the classic hot dog sausage you see everywhere. It is thin and traditionally made of beef and pork. | 6 minutes |
| Frankfurt sausage | In some countries, they call any type of sausage “frankfurter”. However, it is traditionally used for German sausages, which are usually thicker than the average. | 10 to 15 minutes |
How to boil hot dogs
Equipment
- Kitchen clamps
- Knife
Ingredients
- Sausages
- Hot dog buns
- Mayonnaise, ketchup and other toppings
Instructions
- Prepare your sausages for boiling
- Fill the pot with water and put in the sausages
- Boil for 6 minutes
- Drain the water
- Serve with hot dog buns and ketchup
Notes
- Hot dogs can be boiled, grilled or baked. How you prepare a hot dog will largely depend on the type of hot dog you're serving.
- One thing to keep in mind when preparing hot dogs is the sheer number of toppings that may be included. Consider what type of topping your guests will want and which will work for them.
- Consider dietary restrictions. For example, vegetarians may need hot dogs without meat; those with a gluten intolerance may need hot dogs with gluten-free buns.
- Low-quality ingredients can turn a hot dog into something that will fill up your customers' stomachs, but won't fill their hearts or tastebuds. Use the best ingredients you can get within your budget, and your guests will thank you for it.
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