Did you know that you don’t actually need to literally “boil” hot dogs? To cook your hot dogs, you only need to put them in hot water, turn off the heat and let them warm up. And there is a very simple reason for that, which most people are actually not aware of.
Hot dogs are pre-cooked products. They are not raw. You could even eat them cold, right from the fridge, e.g. in a hot dog salad. So you don’t need to cook your franks as you would do with any raw products, you just actually need to warm them up.
Boiling hot dogs – in a literal sense – can even be a bad idea. If you leave your frankfurters in boiling water, sometimes they can crack or even explode and take a very unpleasant shape.
How Long To Cook Hot Dogs
The process is simple. The only equipment you’ll need is a saucepan or cooking pot large enough for your franks.
Bring up the water to a boil, place your hot dogs in the saucepan and turn off the stove. Then leave your franks in the hot water for 5 minutes, covered.
It’s that easy, your boiled hot dogs are now ready to serve.

How To Serve Hot Dogs
Of course the most traditional way of serving hot dogs is in a bun, with your favorite sauces and toppings. Use any of the following condiments and toppings, or experiment with whatever you see fit for your dogs:
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Hot dog sauce
- Fried onion
- Pickle or relish

But this is of course the American way of serving franks. You can also eat them more like they do it in Germany or in many other parts of the world. Serving your franks “naked” on a plate with your favorite condiment and fresh crusty bread. In Germany, for example, they serve their hot dog with only one condiment, which is mustard.


Boiling Hot Dogs
Equipment
- saucepan
- cooking pot
Ingredients
- 4 hot dogs
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in a saucepan or pot.
- Once it's boiling. put the hot dogs in the hot water and turn off the heat.
- Leave hot dogs in the hot water for 5 minutes, covered.
- Serve your franks in a bun with your favorite condiment or souce.