The Fuss-Free Way To Rotate Grilled Hot Dogs

Grilled hot dogs are one of the simple joys of the summer, but if you are a true hot dog lover you want to get every step right. With memories of perfectly charred and juicy hot dogs with plenty of snap in your head, you'll try every cooking method to squeeze the maximum amount of flavor into them, and you'll taste test every brand you can get your hands on. But one way or another, whether you are hosting a barbecue or follow the popular 2-step method for juicy hot dogs, they are going to end up back on the grill, because nothing beats that charred flavor. If you want to make grilling as easy as possible, you'll want to follow one of our favorite hot dog hacks and grab some skewers.

Hot dogs are slippery little guys that can sometimes be tough to flip with tongs. Skewers make turning them a lot easier, providing a corn-on-the-cob like handle for flipping over your hot dogs without losing your grip. All you have to do is slide a thin skewer through them lengthwise and place them perpendicular to the grill grates and you're good to go. Skewers can also help with bulk jobs too. Just poke two skewers through each end of a hot dog and then skewer more above it, forming a sort of hot dog ladder, so you can rotate whole groups at once without fear of dropping them.

One of the best parts about using this skewer hack is that it lets you use one of the best tricks for a flavorful hot dog: spiralizing. A spiral cut hot dog provides way more surface area to be charred and crisped up over the flames, giving you a better texture and taste. All you have to do is skewer a hot dog, then use a knife to slice into the dog in one long motion as you spin the skewer around. The skewer then continues to hold the corkscrew hot dog in place as you grill it. Those cuts form tons of charred edges, and they also provide nooks and crannies that hold onto condiments and toppings better than a slick whole hot dog. If you've never tried this master-level hack before you'll find it's hard to beat.

Just make sure you don't overcook your hot dogs, because with a skewer running through them you do risk losing more of those precious juices if they pop. Hot dogs are best grilled over a medium-low heat for five to seven minutes, which is just enough time to char them and add some nice smoky flavor before they start drying out. Hot dogs may be pretty easy to make, but the perfection a real hot dog lover is looking for still takes some technique and precision.