Smoked Hot Dogs

This Is Your New GO TO Way to Make Hot Dogs

Bold statement, right?! Well I am not kidding and let me tell you why:

• THE BEST SMOKE FLAVOR- We don’t just smoke the hot dogs here, we also use the smoker to slightly warm up our buns.
• MADE FOR SUMMER- Everyone will love to see these Smoked Hot Dogs at your next backyard BBQ, Memorial Day party, game day, Labor Day celebration, or pool party.
• EASY TO MAKE- This recipe is not only minimal prep time, but you can throw these in the smoker and party on for an hour. What I mean is they do not requiring babysitting like grilling does.
• SO MANY FLAVOR VARIATIONS- Make these into Coney dogs or top with classic mustard and ketchup. I have a ton of other suggestions below.

If you love smoking proteins like I do, try my Smoked Pork Butt or this Smoked Turkey Breast by my friend over at Hilda’s Kitchen.

Smoked Hot Dogs Ingredients

• Hot Dogs: I recommend Koegel’s skinless Frankfurters which are 100% beef and pork. You can use your favorite brand, just make sure they are 100% meat without fillers and preservatives.
• Hot Dog Buns: Feel free to use your favorite brand. I used brioche buns from Aldi’s.

Equipment Needed

• Pellet Smoker: I use both a vertical pellet smoker by Pit Boss and the smoker grill. But any wood pellet smoker or pellet grill will work. You can also use your gas grill or charcoal grill with a smoker box and wood chips for the same result.
• Wood Pellets: I used Competition Blend pellets by Pit Boss, it is a combination of maple, hickory, and cherry wood. Other great options include oak and pecan wood. I do not recommend using mesquite or hickory because they are a tad too strong for hot dogs.
• Cast Iron Grill Topper: I love using this one from Lodge because it means I don’t have to worry about dirty grill grates or transferring hot dogs one by one.
• Instant Read Meat Thermometer: I use a ThermoPro and absolutely love it. You can even plug the probe right into your smoker and monitor the temperature of food as it smokes.
• BBQ Tongs: These make it easier to place your hot dogs on the grates and remove them without burning yourself.

How to Make Smoked Hot Dogs

This is a short summary of the steps, the recipe card below will have more details.

1. PRE SMOKING TASKS: Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F, add water to the water pan, and fill the hopper with wood pellets.

2. SCORE THE HOT DOGS with a sharp knife lengthwise and without cutting through them (I like to score mine a quarter of the way into the dog). Doing this creates more opportunity for smoke to make it into the hot dogs.

3. SMOKE THE HOT DOGS on the smoker’s rack from 60 to 90 minutes. The hot dogs should be warmed through and the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F with an instant read meat thermometer.

4. WARM THE HOT DOG BUNS on the smoker’s rack facing downward for the last 5 to 10 minutes of smoking time.

5. REMOVE smoked hot dogs and buns from the smoker using BBQ tongs.

6. SERVE with your favorite condiments and side dishes (recommendations below).

Serving Suggestions

With hot dogs the possibilities are endless. Here are a few suggestions to get the ideas flowing!

Fun Condiments and Toppings:

• Keep it simple with basic condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, onion, Quick Pickled Jalapenos, and cheese slices.
• Coney Dogs topped with chili and liquid cheese/ queso.
• Porky Dogs with smoked pulled pork, your favorite BBQ sauce, and crunchy red onion. I love using my Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce or Apple Butter BBQ Sauce.
• Kraut Dogs with spicy mustard and sauerkraut.
• Italian style dog with caramelized onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms.

Side Dishes:

• Fries, tater tots, Smashed Fingerling Potatoes, or potato chips.
• Baked beans
• Mac and cheese
• Cold salads like coleslaw or English Pea Salad.
• Pasta salads like Lemon Orzo Salad or Italian Pasta Salad.
• I love this Mexican Street Corn salad.
• If you are looking for some sweet sides, I love this No Bake Turtle Pie, Grape Salad, or my super yummy Cake Batter Dip!

Storing Information

Store any leftover hot dogs in an airtight container or airtight reusable gallon bag. In the refrigerator they will last up to 7 days and in the freezer up to 3 months.

Reheat smoked hot dogs in the microwave or on the stove top until warmed through. They are also great eaten cold and right out of the refrigerator.

3 Tips For The BEST Smoked Hot Dogs

1. USE ROOM TEMPERATURE HOT DOGS. This ensures they will not only cook evenly but smoke evenly. It will also cut down on the smoking time.

2. PREHEAT YOUR SMOKER 20 to 30 minutes before smoking the hot dogs. This ensures the entire smoker is at the optimal temperature, and it will give you best results.

3. DON’T FORGET TO FILL THE WATER PAN. Because we are smoking the hot dogs and buns right on the smoker grates, juices will fall to the bottom of the smoker. If there is no filled water pan the juices could start a fire within your smoker.