How to Cook Hot Dogs: 8 Non-Grill Methods Compared

This is the method to pick if you're feeding more than four people. Slice each hot dog into three pieces, wrap each piece in a triangle of refrigerated crescent dough, and lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dust the dough with everything-bagel seasoning if you want a little something extra. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the dogs are piping hot. The oven cooks the dogs evenly and lends a light smokiness, the dough comes out flaky-soft, and a package of eight dogs gives you 24 bite-sized pigs in a blanket. Both kids and adults grab these without complaint, which is why they win the test.

Heat two cups of neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-high until it shimmers, around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower the dogs in with tongs. The oil does all the work, no flipping needed, and the dogs are done in two to three minutes once the skin browns and crisps. Pull them out, drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, and let them rest for 30 seconds before tucking into a bun. This produces the best texture and color of any method, the skin gets a real crunch the grill can't match, and the interior stays juicy. The catch is the cleanup and the small risk of getting popped by hot oil.

Place two or three dogs in a covered microwave-safe dish with half a cup of water. Cover with the lid or a microwave-safe plate. Heat on high for 90 seconds for two dogs, 2 minutes for three. The water turns to steam and cooks the dogs from all sides at once, which gives them better texture than boiling and a nicer reddish-brown color than you'd expect. Pull the lid off carefully (steam burns), lift the dogs out with tongs, and dry them on a paper towel. The skin holds up well and the meat keeps its chew. Eat them right away because microwaved dogs cool fast.

Line the toaster oven rack with a sheet of tin foil to catch any drips. Lay four dogs on the foil. Set the toaster to shade four (about four minutes) and start it. Check at the four-minute mark. If the dogs are reddened but not yet browned, give them another two minutes. Total time runs around six minutes for beef dogs, less for thinner turkey dogs. You'll get a real grill-like smokiness and clean browning without firing up an oven or a stovetop, which is the appeal for apartments and dorm rooms. Beef dogs come out best here, turkey dogs can dry out at six minutes so check them at four.

Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the dogs by an inch. Bring to a medium simmer over medium heat, drop the dogs in, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. You'll get an edible, consistently warmed-through hot dog every time. That's the only thing boiling has going for it. The dogs come out lumpy and shiny, the casing turns to a non-factor, and the skin you'd want to bite through on any other method just goes soft and wet. If this is the only method you've got, dry the dogs on a paper towel for a full minute before they hit the bun and pile on the toppings.

Lay the dogs on the mesh basket of the air fryer, spaced apart so the hot air can circulate. Set it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and run it for six minutes. They come out looking the part with nicely colored casings, but the texture lands closer to boiled than fried. The skin separates from the meat in a loose-casing way that doesn't crunch, the outside dries out, and the inside ends up a little mushy. Worth trying once if you already use the air fryer for everything, but the oven method beats it for the same effort and the microwave beats it for speed.

Heat a flat griddle pan or electric griddle to medium-high until a drop of water dances and evaporates. Lay the dogs down, leaving space between them. Roll them with tongs every 90 seconds so each side gets contact with the hot surface. Total time runs four to five minutes. You'll get heavy, full-bodied char marks across the casing, the kind you see at street-cart stands and diners. The visual sells well but the flavor underdelivers, the meat tastes underdeveloped and the casing can bubble up under direct heat. The one upside is cleanup, a flat griddle wipes clean with a paper towel and a splash of water.