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Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to the “perfect” hot dog, and they’re one of the most popular sights at football games, backyard gatherings, and Fourth of July celebrations.
If you’re getting to know your new Blackstone, you might find it helpful to learn how to cook hot dogs on a Blackstone griddle. The griddle offers an ideal cooking surface for a hot dog loaded with deliciousness.
Cooking a hot dog incorrectly may lead to a burned, shriveled mess if you leave it on the griddle too long, or to an undercooked nightmare that no one wants to eat if you don’t cook it enough.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to learn the proper method for cooking a hot dog on a Blackstone griddle. It’s easy, and you can probably get it right the first time you try.
What Do You Need to Cook Hot Dogs on a Blackstone Griddle?
The most common items you’ll need to cook a hot dog on a Blackstone griddle are a knife and some fat, oil, or butter.
Indeed, all you need to cook hot dogs on a Blackstone griddle is the hot dog, but using butter or fat on the griddle can help you keep things extra juicy.
A sharp knife will allow you to make scoring marks in the hot dog before placing it on the griddle.
Hot dog fans actually have more than one method for scoring a hot dog, including the classic perpendicular hash marks, angled horizontal cuts down the length of the hot dog, and a single extended cut down the center.
You may want to experiment with different cutting methods to find your preferred method.
Other items you’ll want to have on hand include buns and all the toppings.
You can cook your onions on the griddle and dress your dogs with mustard, ketchup, chili, or cheese when they’re fully cooked and ready to come off the griddle. All of your toppings are options and should be chosen according to your tastes.
How Long to Cook Hot Dogs on a Blackstone Griddle?
Since hot dogs are made of meat, the most essential part of cooking a hot dog correctly on a Blackstone griddle is getting the dog to the proper temperature.
Generally, you’ll want the inside of the hot dog to reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which you can measure with a thermometer. It shouldn’t take much longer than about six minutes to thoroughly cook a hot dog.
Some hot dog lovers like to cook their dogs up to a temperature of 150 to 160, and that’s fine, too, though you don’t want the meat to dry out terribly while you’re getting a few minutes of extra cooking time.
You can avoid drying out your hot dogs while getting them to the correct internal temperature by making sure your Blackstone griddle is fully preheated and hot before you start cooking.
Another way to keep your hot dogs from getting dry while they cook is to shut the cover of your griddle after each time that you rotate the dogs. Cooking them evenly requires making sure each side is pressed against the grill for a few minutes, so that means you should open the cover every few minutes to rotate.
Note that if your hot dog is particularly thick that you might need to add a little cooking time to the process.
A large hot dog like a German sausage style dog might take up to eight minutes to reach an appropriate internal temperature.
When Should You Consider Cooking Hot Dogs on a Blackstone Griddle?
Cooking hot dogs on a Blackstone griddle is an activity you can consider at absolutely any time.
One of the conveniences of cooking hot dogs on a Blackstone griddle is that you can cook an entire pack of dogs at one time. If you’re hosting friends and neighbors for a backyard party, the griddle is an ideal place to cook your dogs.
Further, you can also put the pan on the griddle to cook your chili and cook beautiful, caramelized onions on the griddle at the same time you cook the hot dogs. A griddle is helpful when you cook hot dogs because it can cook other toppings simultaneously with the hot dogs.
Why Should You Cook Hot Dogs on a Blackstone Griddle?
It may come down to personal preference as to whether you’ll want to use your Blackstone griddle or a traditional grill to make your hot dogs.
However, one of the benefits of using a griddle is that they heat up to a consistent temperature across the entire griddle.You don’t need to find the “hot spot” on your griddle as you might with your grill.
A griddle is convenient, too, because you can cook just about anything on the griddle without having to resort to a different cooking surface.
If half your guests like hot dogs and the other half like hamburgers, your griddle will work for every appetite. You can also cook toppings like onions and peppers directly on the griddle without having to resort to wrapping them in foil as you might with a regular grill.
Final Thoughts
Cooking hot dogs is a process that some try to elevate to culinary perfection, but the process is actually relatively easy and straightforward.
If you’ve been boiling your hot dogs for years, maybe it’s time to take your cooking game outside to cook your next batch of hot dogs on a Blackstone griddle. You’ll have fun experimenting with the griddle and figuring out how to make a perfect hot dog.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.