How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes

Smoking is a new way to cook this classic dish and add an outstanding flavor to it. We picked six best recipes that even a newbie can follow.
By
Jeremy Bivens
Jeremy Bivens
Research Writer
Jeremy Bivens is a passionate writer and grilling enthusiast. He's been working as a freelance journalist for over 15 years now and has a particular interest in food writing read more
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Reviewed By
Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
Expert Consultant
Claims that grilling is the art that he has been learning all his life long and is not planning to stop. Has been grilling for as long as he can remember. Author of numerous read more
Last updated: September 05, 2023
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The smoked hot dog is a classic dish imported from Germany, becoming a mainstay in the American food culture. Regardless of its origin and the controversy behind it, it’s a snack food that has seeped into cultures in different regions of the world. And each culture has made an adaptation to the dish.

In Germany, either a brewed Wiener sausage or a Frankfurter sausage is used for a hot dog. Here, hot dogs are increasingly being prepared with poultry sausages or soy sausages. Denmark’s hot dogs are known for their bright red-colored sausages, which are either scalded or fried. In America, people also like to have a grilled sausage with a hot dog. This gives the hot dog a particularly spicy taste.

In this article, we’ll tell you how to make sausages and give you the recipes for this very popular snack food.

Why smoke sausages for hot dogs?

How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes

The primary reason for smoking sausage is so you can add some flavor to it. You can either hot smoke or cold smoke sausage in the smoker or a smoker grill combination device as well as in best smoker for sausage.

Weber remains the most famous name in the outdoor grill industry. Their 14-inch Smokey Mountain Charcoal Smoker is perhaps the most popular for smoking hot dogs with all the flavor steeping in.

Note: Hot dogs are generally not considered healthy foods. This is because they are high in fat and sodium. Also, they are often served with other less-than-healthy foods. When preserved with nitrate or nitrite (which you should do without), some research claims excessive consumption may be carcinogenic. But for occasional consumption, a dish of hot dog never hurts.

How to smoke sausages?

Preheat the smoker to around 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can place the sausages on the indirect side of your grill. Add some woods to the heat side. Smoke the meat while it’s cold.

You should know that cold surfaces will attract smoke. It should not be necessary to turn your meat over. Check the internal temperature with a good digital meat thermometer and make sure it reaches at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It shouldn’t take more than an hour.

Smoked hot dogs cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit are pasteurized and will keep longer in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen. Do not try cold-smoking hot dogs at temperatures below 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smoked hot dog recipes

In the following, we have a few delicious hot dog recipes for you. In addition, you will get a recipe for hot dog rolls so that you don’t have to resort to rolls from the supermarket.

Hot dog buns

  • How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes400 g of wheat flour
  • 200 ml of milk
  • 40 g butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cube of yeast
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

Step 1 – Start with the dough. To do this, let the milk reach room temperature first. With lukewarm milk, you will achieve the best result with your hot dog buns.

The same applies to your butter, which you leave at room temperature for a bit. Then put the milk in a bowl and dissolve the yeast while stirring.

Step 2 – Now add the sugar, salt, butter, and egg and stir everything with a hand mixer or in your food processor. Then gradually add the flour until you get a smooth dough.

Knead this well for 10 minutes so that it becomes nice and smooth and elastic. Put it in a bowl, cover it and let it be for one hour.

Step 3 – When the hour is up, take the batter out of the bowl and divide it into six pieces, each making a hot dog bun. Use your rolling pin to roll out the pieces into roughly flat rectangles.

You can then roll it up again with your hands and turn inward. Then roll them a little further so that they take on an excellent shape and close any gaps.

Step 4 – Lay the rolls next to each other on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Then leave them covered for another 30 minutes.

You can put the rolls very close together because if they touch when they rise, they get excellent breaking points when baking.

Step 5 – Heat your oven to 180 degrees and bake the rolls for 13 minutes. You can also coat them with a bit of water or egg white beforehand. This results in a nice golden brown crust.

Then take them out of the oven and take your hot dog buns while they are still warm.

Danish hot dog

  • How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes6 sausages ( rød pølse Trusted Source Rød pølse - Wikipedia Rød pølse (Red sausage) is a type of brightly red, boiled pork sausage very common in Denmark. Since hot dog stands are ubiquitous in Denmark, some people regard røde pølser as one of the national dishes. en.wikipedia.org or hot dog sausages from the glass)
  • 6 homemade hot dog rolls from our recipe
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • roasted onions
  • Sliced pickles

Preparation

Step 1 – First, you should make your hot dog buns according to our recipe above because it takes a moment.

When they’re done, you can easily prepare your Danish hot dogs. Put your sausages in a pot with enough water and let it cook. This takes about 6 minutes.

Step 2 – Take the sausages out of the water with tongs and pat them dry. Then put them in your buns. Pour the mustard and ketchup over it and garnish the hot dogs with the fried onions and stick the pickles on the sides.

You can also try supermarket toppings such as onions made into sauce. The ultimate hot dog fans’ choice is the Sabrett Onions in Sauce 16 Oz. It’s a 2-pack topping product made for hamburgers and hot dogs.

Put the ingredients in small bowls and place them on the table. Quite simply and so there is something for every taste.

Chili dog: Hot and juicy

  • How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes6 frankfurters
  • 6 homemade hot dog buns
  • 250 g minced meat
  • One red onion
  • 1 can of corn
  • 200 ml chunky tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • One teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt
  • pepper
  • Some cinnamon
  • 100 grams of cheddar

Preparation

Step 1 – First, bake your hot dog buns as we described in the recipe above. You can easily prepare your chili while they are going on the baking sheet.

To do this, you take a coated pot and heat some oil in it. Peel your onion, chop it into fine cubes and sauté it in your pot.

Then add your minced meat and fry it until crumbly. Season everything with salt and pepper.

Step 2 – When the liquid from your ground beef has evaporated, add the chunky tomatoes. Let it boil briefly, and then add your corn in.

Season the chili with salt, pepper, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. Then let everything simmer until your hot dog buns are ready.

Step 3 – Just before the rolls are baked, you can prepare your sausages. To do this, heat enough water in a saucepan, add a little salt, and add the sausages for 10 minutes.

Then take them out with tongs and stick them straight into your hot dog buns.

Put the chili on top with a ladle. Now rub the cheddar over it and serve your chili dogs while they are still warm.

Fish dog: fresh from the fishing trawler

  • How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes6 pollock fillets
  • ¼ bunch of parsley
  • Cress for garnish
  • 2 shallots
  • oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 6 homemade hot dog buns
  • Ketchup
  • remoulade
  • ½ lemon

Preparation

Step 1 – First, you prepare your hot dog buns. Then you can prepare your remaining ingredients. To do this, peel the two shallots and cut them into fine rings.

Wash the parsley briefly under cold water and shake it dry. Then chop them into pieces.

Step 2 – Get your pollock fillets on hand. Heat oil in a pan. (You can also put the fillets on the grill, but then you should brush the fish with a little olive oil before putting it on the grill).

Season the fillets with salt and a little pepper. Then fry them on one side over high heat for 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat, turn it, and put the lid on a pan. Then cook them for 8 minutes.

Step 3 – Meanwhile, coat your hot dog buns with the tartar sauce on one side and the ketchup on the other.

Spread the shallots on the hot dogs and sprinkle some parsley on one side of the bun.

When your fillets are done, sprinkle them with the juice of half a lemon and then pack them in your rolls. Garnish the fish dogs with the cress and enjoy!

The classic: New York hot dog

  • How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes6 hot dog buns
  • 6 frankfurters
  • 250 g sauerkraut
  • 2 onions
  • 50 ml of ketchup
  • 125 ml of water
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes
  • Some cayenne pepper
  • olive oil

Preparation

Step 1 – For the classic, like with the other hot dogs, first, prepare the rolls. As they go, peel your onions and cut them into coarse rings.

Step 2 – Put the oil in a coated saucepan and add your onions into it. Steam them for 6 minutes.

Then add the water, ketchup, as well as chili flakes, and cayenne pepper.

Boil everything together briefly, turn the heat down a little, and let everything simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 3 – Put your Frankfurters in a pot with enough water and cook them for 10 minutes. When both the rolls and the onions are ready, you can top your hot dogs.

To do this, cut into the rolls, put in the Frankfurt sausages, and put the onions on one side and the sauerkraut on the other. Serve them while they’re still hot!

The New York Style Hot Dog has a delicious onion sauce. So, enjoy it.

Greetings from Mexico: The Guacamole dog

  • How to Smoke Hot Dogs: Six Best Recipes6 hot dog buns
  • 6 hot dog sausages
  • 2 avocados
  • 8 cherry tomatoes
  • Mayonnaise
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 shallots
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes
  • Juice of half a lime

Preparation

Step 1 – As always, you bake your hot dog buns first. Meanwhile, you prepare the guacamole. To do this, you first wash off your tomatoes and then cut them into small pieces.

Add half of it to the bowl in which you want to prepare the guacamole.

Peel your shallot and cut it into fine rings. Again, put half of it in the bowl and keep the other half for later.

Remove the peel from the garlic, dice it as finely as possible and add it into the bowl. You can also add it later with a garlic press.

Step 2 – Halve the avocados and remove the pit. Then take out the pulp with a spoon and cut it into pieces.

Add the pieces to the tomatoes and shallots in the bowl. Here you can either use a fork to mash and mix or, if you like it creamier, you can use a hand blender. In any case, you should season the guacamole for your hot dog with salt, pepper, and chili flakes while you are mashing everything.

Finally, add the lime juice, stir again thoroughly and let everything stay for 5 minutes.

Step 3 – Cook your hot dog sausages in enough water for about 10 minutes. When the rolls are ready, cut them open as always and put your hot dog sausages in.

Scatter the remaining tomatoes and shallots on top and top with your guacamole.

Garnish the whole thing with mayonnaise as a topping, and then grab it properly. Bon appétit!

Final thoughts

The smoked hot dog is a very popular snack food consisting of a wiener, or a frankfurter, in a bread roll. It’s usually served with mustard, ketchup, relish, etc.

First off, you need the most basic of all ingredients for smoked hot dogs: the sausage. This is either brewed or grilled and wrapped in an elongated, sliced wheat roll while it is still hot. The bun can be either cold or warm. A wide variety of toppings are then placed on top of the sausage, such as cucumbers, fried onions, and, above all, ketchup and mustard. In some cases, there is even mayo on top.

Asides from the ingredients, it helps to have a smoker grill, meat grinder, and stuffer, best smoker accessories, among other items.

References

1.
Rød pølse - Wikipedia
Rød pølse (Red sausage) is a type of brightly red, boiled pork sausage very common in Denmark. Since hot dog stands are ubiquitous in Denmark, some people regard røde pølser as one of the national dishes.

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