How To Enjoy The Taste Of Costco's Food Court Hot Dogs At Any Time

For many Costco shoppers, one of the best parts of the shopping experience is the stop at the food court at the end, especially for the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo (which happens to score pretty high on our ranking of every Costco food court item). For fans who can't get enough of the taste of that Costco food court hot dog, luckily, you might be able to replicate that experience at home.

The next time you're at Costco, look for a pack of Kirkland Signature Beef Hot Dogs (which are sometimes sold as Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Franks, depending on the store). Availability varies by location so you may have to check your local store. Although Costco used to sell Hebrew National kosher hot dogs in its food court, the chain switched over to its own Kirkland brand hot dogs in 2009. Produced at its own meat factories, these hot dogs are made with 100% beef. And grab a pack of hot dog buns while you're at it — while different Costco stores have been known to use different buns, the bun that you're getting at the food court is usually also available at that store in the bread aisle.

While getting the same ingredients that the Costco food court uses is a start, it's only the first step. Now you need to cook your hot dogs the same way too — given that there are a dozen different ways to cook hot dogs, how do you know which method to use? Luckily, the way that the Costco food court cooks its hot dogs and buns isn't a secret, and it's something that inquiring minds have wondered about online. According to a Costco food court worker on Reddit, Costco food court hot dogs are dropped in 180 degree Fahrenheit water for around 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, while the hot dog buns are steamed.

Costco's food court hot dog cooking method is similar to what you would find at a hot dog cart. When you consider that the very first hot dogs served at Costco were at a hot dog cart outside the warehouse, suddenly, it makes a lot of sense. It's also a good way to cook a lot of hot dogs at the same time. So, whether you're feeding just yourself or a whole warehouse full of people, now you can enjoy the Costco food court hot dog experience at home.