Hot dogs are a crowd-pleaser for any occasion, whether it’s a barbecue or a baseball game. According to a report by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Association, Americans spent more than $8 billion on hot dogs and sausages in 2023.
Hot dogs are also a summer staple: About 150 million hot dogs are eaten on the Fourth of July alone.
Hot dogs are relatively easy to prepare, and if you prefer boiled hot dogs over grilled ones, we’ve got a cooking time guide and some information about the famous frankfurter.
Time to boil hot dogs
Boil hot dogs for 4-6 minutes. If hot dogs are frozen, cook them for longer, about 9-10 minutes.
You can choose to boil your hot dogs in water or beer, with the latter giving them a milder flavor and softer texture.
The boiling time remains the same regardless of the type of liquid. Once boiling, remove the hot dogs from the pot and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Are hot dogs bad for you?Here’s how to choose the best one for your barbecue.
How do you know if your boiled hot dogs are done?
You can tell when a hot dog is done by its internal temperature: According to Coleman Natural Foods, hot dogs should reach at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit before eating.
Check the texture: a fully cooked hot dog will have a crinkly skin and a darker color.
What’s in a hot dog?
According to the USDA, hot dogs are made with meats such as beef, pork, or poultry (such as turkey or chicken).
In most cases, the meat also includes offal, which are “little pieces that are collected from meat trimmings,” Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Service professor and meat expert Davey Griffin previously told USA TODAY. “It’s the same thing you would use for ground beef or ground pork, just chopped into smaller pieces,” he explained.
The USDA states that hot dogs may contain at least 15% “one or more types of raw skeletal muscle, including raw meat by-products.” Hot dogs do not include bone fragments resulting from the separation process. Bones cannot be mechanically crushed or ground, but must be removed essentially intact, the USDA reports.
According to the USDA, hot dogs cannot contain more than 30 percent fat, 10 percent water, or a combined fat and water content of 40 percent.
What are hot dogs actually made of?Beef, pork, chicken, and more.
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