Nothing says summer like grilled hot dogs. Take your American classic grilled dogs up a notch with spiral hot dogs and you’ll get a more crispy surface that’s delicious. Bonus, there’s more area to add toppings!
Have you every tried spiral cut hot dogs, let me tell you they’re a game changer. I’ll almost always choose a grilled hot dog over a burger, unless it’s a smash burger, I don’t know what it is about them that I love so much, probably just childhood memories.
It’s hard to beat a basic hot dog on the grill with all your favorite toppings. Want to make it even better, try spiralized hot dogs. It only takes about five seconds and it’s really easy to do.
Not sure how much meat you will need per person, I’ve created a planning guide so that no one goes hungry!
Why you’ll love it
- The first reason to spiral cut a hot dog is it creates more crispy edges.
- The second reason is that it creates crevices for your toppings so you get more toppings with each bite and they don’t squeeze out of the bun. I love sweet pickle slices on my hot dogs and with a spiral cut hot dog, you can get a pickle in each bite!
- Finally, a spiral cut just looks cool!
What you’ll need
- hot dogs – your favorite brand, the fatter the better.
- skewers – if they are wooden, soak them in water 30 min before using
- Grill
- Toppings galore!
How do prepare a grilled spiral hot dog
Step 1
Now for the fun part, cutting the hot dog. I think the easiest way to do this is to run a wooden or metal skewer through each hot dog.
Pro tip: If you don’t have enough skewers, then skewer the hot dog, cut it and remove the skewer. The only problem with removing the skewer is that it’s a little harder to grill.
Step 2
Once you’ve put a skewer down the center of the hot dog, take a small paring knife and start to slice about a half inch down from the top. Slice on the diagonal going around and around the hot dog.
Depending on the thickness of the hot dog, you can make the spirals as close together as you like. I like them about an inch or so apart. Stop cutting before you get to the end of the hot dog.
Step 3
The easiest way to grill a spiral cut hot dog is to leave the skewer in place and put it on a medium to hot grill. However, if you have more hot dogs than skewers, just remove the skewer after cutting them in a spiral and place them directly on the grill.
Recipe tips
- If you leave the skewer in place you can easily turn them and remove from the grill without much effort. If you can’t find wooden skewers, ask at the meat department. They have a large supply that they use for their kabobs or you can get them here.
- Let your wooden skewers rest in water 30 minutes before you use them to keep them from catching on fire if you get a flare up.
If you cut all the way through the hot dog by mistake, no one is going to care, it will still be nice and crispy and if you’ve kept the skewers in the hot dog, it will stay together until you remove it from the skewer into the waiting bun.
How to serve a spiral hot dog
Now you have a crispy surface with crevices. You can add one or more of these delicious hot dog toppings:
- Catsup
- Mustard
- Spicy bourbon sauce
- Cheese
- Pickles
- Diced onions
- Mike puts Chili Crunch on his.
What to serve with spiral hot dogs
- Fresh cut watermelon
- Peach salsa and tortilla chips
- Mixed veggie packs that can added to the grill or cooked in the oven
FAQs and tips
By cutting into the hot dog and then grilling it, you’re getting a crispy caramelization that is just awesome. If you love toppings (and who doesn’t?) then you have more surface area for them.
In my opinion, grilling hot dogs is the best way to cook them. You get that char that you can only get on the grill. If that’s not available you can cook them on a grill pan or skillet on the stove.
It generally takes about 5-10 minutes to cook a hot dog on the grill depending on how hot it is.
I hope you’re enjoying your summer, give these spiral hot dogs a try at your next cookout.
Favorite summertime sides
Fruit you can enjoy at picnics this summer
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Spiral Hot Dog
Ingredients
- 8 beef hot dogs skin on, cheesy or regular
- 8 wooden or metal skewers
Equipment
- 8 wooden skewers soaked in water (if grilling them)
Instructions
- Run a wooden or metal skewer through each hot dog.
- Take a small paring knife and start to slice about a half inch down from the top. Slice on the diagonal going around and around the hot dog. Stop cutting before you get to the end of the hot dog.
- Grill for 5-10 minutes.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- When cutting the hot dogs with a paring knife, don’t put the spirals too close together, try to place them about an inch apart.
- You can cook them with the skewer in place or remove the skewer.
- You can use metal or wooden skewers, wooden ones are generally smaller so are easier to use then metal skewers.
- Let your wooden skewers rest in water 30 minutes before you use them.
Nutrition
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