Making hot dogs at home is not that difficult as you may think. Ultimately, they are just ground meat with your favorite seasoning.
So, why are you waiting when you can prepare some yummy hot dogs in your kitchen in just an hour?
Do you know the best part of homemade hot dogs? You can control what goes inside them. Keep your hot dogs all pork, all beef, or in combination by using both; It is your choice.
And you can even customize the hot dog seasoning choices as per your likings. Hot dogs never ran out of trend. They can be your savior for summer barbecues and even cozy night bonfires.
So, if you are looking for How To Make Hot Dogs From Scratch ? a mouth-watering frankfurter recipe for inspiration, you are in the right place. Let’s have a look.
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What Is Hot Dog Meaning?
A hot dog is working-class street food and people enjoy its taste across the globe. It has a close association with American culture and baseball. Hot dog ingredients include sausage and a bun.
The hot dog sausage is made using pork, beef, chicken, turkey, or in combination with these. Thus, a cooked hot dog is a grilled or boiled sausage served in between a sliced bun with different condiments and garnishes.
Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, cheese sauce, and relish form the typical condiments that are used to make hot dogs. It is also known by various alternative names such as wiener, frankfurter, banger, sausage, etc.
While saucerkraut, onions, jalapenos, grated cheese, bacon, coleslaw, chili, and olives make the common garnish used for hot dog stuffing. Although you can easily find ready-to-eat hot dogs in the market,.
It is always special to make them at home where you can control the ingredients. Let’s explore the best way to cook hot dogs at home in the next section.
What Are The Best Way to Cook Hot Dogs
No matter how we cook hot dogs, we always wish that they turn out to be the plumpest and juiciest. Therefore, we have covered a few things that will ensure that your hot dogs are prepared in the best possible way:
- Since how best to heat them is the harder question. Testing has shown that the temperature window of 150-160 F is ideal.
- Heating to temperatures below 140 F makes hot dogs spongy and also mutes their flavors.
- On the other hand, heating to temperatures above 165 F makes them dry. Also, they may burst at high temperatures.
- Since now you know how hot you must heat your hot dogs. The next best question is, what is the best cooking method.
- Well, though there are many ways to cook your hot dog such as grilling, broiling, poaching, roasting, steaming, etc.
- But here is a two-step that will ensure that you get the perfect hot dogs every time.
#1 First Step: Poaching
- Use the saucepan to heat the water and measure temperature using a thermometer.
- When water attains a temperature around 150 F to 155 F, turn the heat to low.
- Put the hot dogs in the water for 10 minutes to get the juicy texture.
Pro tip: Use the ice cubes, if water gets heated too much.
#2 Second Step: Grilling
Yes, you have read it right! Grill your hot dogs after poaching. Will it remove the juices that poaching has perfectly induced in your sausages?
No, because after poaching they will be at the right temperature. Therefore, you can directly put them on the grill to get a perfect seared look.
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How Are Hot Dogs Made Off?
Hot dogs are made using meat trimmings, which are usually ground to turn them into a fine mixture.
Additional flavors are also added to enhance the taste. After it, this prepared mixture is put into a casing to obtain the desired shape.

Sausage forms a cheap source of protein, and it can be eaten with or without cooking.
How To Make Hot Dogs At Home?
It takes just an hour to prepare some yummy hot dogs in your kitchen. Here a quick and easy hot dog recipe that you can follow at home:
- Prep time: 45 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Finely minced onion -1/4 cup
- Finely chopped garlic – 1 clove
- Ground mace – 1/4 teaspoon
- Ground coriander – 1 teaspoon
- Dried marjoram – 1/4 teaspoon
- Sweet paprika – 1 teaspoon
- Milk – 1/4 cup
- Ground mustard seed – 1/2 teaspoon
- Egg White – 1
- Sugar – 1 and a ½ teaspoon
- Freshly ground white pepper – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – 1 teaspoon (or to taste)
- Lean pork (cubed) – 1 pound
- Pork fat (cubed) – 1/4 pound
- Lean beef (cubed) – 3/4 pound
- Sheep casings – 4 feet
- White vinegar – 1 tablespoon
Directions:
For making the filling (with hot dog recipe ingredients) –
- Place these ingredients first in the food processor to make a puree – onion, garlic, coriander, paprika, mustard seed, marjoram, and mace. Next, add milk, egg white, sugar, salt, and pepper to the puree and mix them well. Take out the mix in a bowl.
- Grind the pork, beef, and fat cubes one-by-one in a meat grinder. Then, combine them and grind them again.
- Use a large bowl to mix the meat with the pureed seasoning. Also, in order to prevent the mixture from sticking on your hand, dip them in cold water before mixing.
- Now, keep the mixture in refrigerator in mixture for half an hour. Grind it again and prepare the casings.

For making hot dogs –
- Rinse the casing properly under cool running water to get rid of the salt. Use a bowl to soak casing in cold water for 30 min.
- After soaking, rinse the casing again under cold water to flush out any remaining salt.
- Place the casing in a bowl of water (about one cup) and add a tablespoon of white vinegar. You can leave the casing in the bowl until you use them.
- After this, rinse the casing well and drain them. Use sausage stuffer to fill the casing with the meat mixture (ideally 6-inch links are preferred).
- Parboil the links in simmering water for about 20 minutes without separating them.
- Place them in a bowl filled with ice water. Remove and pat dry them before refrigerating them.
Homemade Hot Dogs Without Casing
It is also possible to make hot dogs without casing. Try out this recipe and then pan-fry them on a stove or bake them in an oven.
Ingredients:
- Minced pork – 500 grams
- Sea salt – 1 and a half teaspoon
- Minced clove garlic – 1
- Freshly minced herbs – 2 tablespoons
- Maple syrup – 1 tablespoon
- Ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon
- Chili flakes – ½ to 1 teaspoon
Directions:
- Use mixing bowl to mix all the with your clean hands. Cover this bowl using a cling-film and refrigerate overnight.
- Take out the mixture, let it come to room temperature, and squeeze it with your hands until it is slightly sticky.
- Split the prepared mixture into 8 equal parts. Roll each one of them between your hands and form them into balls.
- Hold one meatball in your dominant hand and slap it against the palm of the other hand several times to get rid of the air pockets.
- Roll the meatball between your hands to form a log shape of about 1.5-inch thickness and place it onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat the same process with all meatballs.
- Freeze the sausages uncovered for an hour or until they turn solid. Keep the sausages in a Ziploc bag or air tight container for future use. Also, you can bake or pan-fry them. Your homemade hot dogs without casing will be ready to serve in no time.
What Spices Are Used In Hot Dogs?
The most common spices that are used while preparing hot dogs are
- cinnamon,
- cumin,
- nutmeg,
- paprika,
- garlic,
- coriander,
- allspice,
- and red, white,
- and black pepper.
- Sweeteners like corn syrup and sugar are also used to enhance flavor and encourage browning.
How To Make Hot Dogs On Stove?
- Try the pan-fried hot dogs on the stove as they are quite easy to make. You can simply use a skillet or a cast-iron pan of good quality.
- Use a pan to heat small amount of water over medium-high flame. Place the hot dogs carefully in the skillet or pan once the water begins to boil.
- Cook the hot dogs by rolling them until they are evenly brown and serve. To add more flavor, you can use butter or a few tablespoons of oil instead of water.
How To Make Hot Dogs Sandwich?
The beef hot dog recipe sandwich is very popular among people. Here is an easy recipe:
Ingredients:
- Beef hot dogs – 4
- Lettuce – 4 leaves
- Radishes – 4 (sliced)
- Mayonnaise – 4 tablespoons
- Hot dog buns – 4
- Ketchup and mustard (as per taste)
Directions:
- Heat the grill on high heat and place the hot dogs. Grill them until all sides are evenly brown.
- Slice the buns and put one tablespoon of mayonnaise in each of them.
- Put lettuce leaves and radish slices on top.
- Now place the grilled hot dogs on the buns. Serve hot.
You can also add some veggies to the beef hot dogs recipe to make the hot dogs crunchier.
How To Make Hot Dogs In The Oven?
With the help of an oven, you can roast the Hot Dogs(frankfurters) quickly without creating any mess.
- Though you won’t be able to grill them, they would still taste as good.
- Line the baking sheet with aluminium foil.
- Place the hot dogs on the sheet and cook them for about 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 400 degrees.
- And just like that you can serve the hot dogs in no time.
How Do You Make Old Fashioned Hot Dogs?
If you are craving some old fashioned chili hot dogs, try out this classic recipe:
Ingredients:
- Ground beef – 1 pound
- Chili powder – 2 tablespoons
- Water – 1 cup
- Garlic powder – 1 teaspoon
- Tomato sauce – 1 can
- Onion powder – 1 teaspoon
- Hot dogs – 6 to 8 (try our recommended homemade recipes)
- Salt – ½ teaspoon
- Hot dog rolls – 6 to 8
- Onion – ½ cup (chopped)
- Black pepper – ½ teaspoon
- Cheddar cheese – 1 cup
Directions:
- Take a large skillet and cook ground beef and water in it for 5-7 minutes over high heat (stirring occasionally until browned). Next, put tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in the mix and stir well.
- Bring the entire mix to a boil and then keep it on simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid cooks down.
- Now, put hot dogs in boiling water for around 5 minutes. Place them in roll and garnish with onion, chili sauce, and Cheddar cheese. Serve immediately.
How To Make Sausage Hot Dog-Recipe?
If you are looking for sausage hot dog recipes, then here is an amazing one:
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Chicken Sausages – 6 to 8
- Hot Dog Buns – 4
- Oil – 1 teaspoon
- Onion (medium) – 1
- Green capsicum (medium) – 1/2
- Schezwan chutney – 1 tablespoon
- Mustard paste – 4 teaspoons
Directions:
- Chop down chicken sausages into 1-inch pieces. Chop onion and green capsicum as well.
- Sauté onion in non-stick pan until they turn light brown. Add green capsicum and chicken sausages in the pan and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add Schezwan chutney in the end and turn off the gas.
- Heat a non-stick grill pan. Slice the buns and heat them through on the grill pan.
- Spread one teaspoon mustard paste on each bun. Put the chicken sausage mixture on top of the buns and serve them.
How To Make Hot Dogs Vegan From Scratch?
For the vegans out there, follow this seitan sausages hot dog recipe step by step:
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- Canola oil – 1/2 tablespoon
- White onion chopped – 1/2 large
- Fennel seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
- Garlic clove chopped – 1
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
- Chickpeas – ¼ cup (cooked)
- Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon
- Sale – 1/8 teaspoon
- Thyme – 1/2 teaspoon
- Smoked paprika – 1/2 teaspoon
- Soy sauce – 1 tablespoon
- Sparkling water – ¼ cup
- Wheat gluten – ¾ cup
Directions:
- Sauté chopped onion and garlic cloves in a pan with canola oil. Add cumin and fennel seeds and roast them.
- Mix the remaining items from the hot dog ingredient list in a food processor. Add wheat gluten to the seitan mix at the end.
- Take a large pot that contain steaming basket and heat small amount of water in it.
- Divide the seitan into four equal chunks and roll them in the shape of sausages. Wrap them in parchment paper and aluminum foil and twist the ends.
- Place the seitan sausages for about 20 minutes. Flip them and let them steam for another 20 minutes.
- Cool them off. Remove the wraps and heat them on a grill. Now, put them in hot dog buns and they are ready to be served.
How To Make Lamb Hot Dogs From Scratch?
Here is a simple recipe for lamb hot dogs:
Ingredients:
- Lamb shank (cubed) – 950 grams
- Pork fatback (cubed) – 212 grams
- Sea salt – 23 grams
- Paprika – 10 grams
- Granulated garlic – 5 grams
- Black pepper – 4 grams
- Onion powder – 3 grams
- Insta Cure – 4 grams
- Smoked paprika – 5 grams
- Ground coriander – 2 grams
- Aleppo pepper – 2 grams
- Ground cumin – 1 gram
- Crushed ice – 230 grams
- Sheep casing
- Ficelle – 2
Directions:
- Grind the meat and fat and add the dry seasonings. Mix them well and keep the meat in the freezer.
- In a food processor, prepare puree of the mixture in two rounds for 3 minutes. Add half of the ice to the mix and puree for 5 minutes. Stuff this mix into sheep casings and tie the ends properly.
- Poach the casing in simmering water for 6 minutes and then place them in an ice bath.
- Grill the hot dogs. Place them on the sliced open pieces of ficelle and serve.
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Conclusion
How To Make Hot Dogs at home has never been this easy. Try out some of our homemade hot dog recipes and serve your family the best snacks in no time. You can also keep the stuffing in refrigerator for future use.
You can look for a hot dog seasoning recipe if you want to add a particular flavor to the recipe.
Please share your valuable comments if you liked these recipes.
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