Smoked Hot Dogs
On January 25, 2023 (Updated September 26, 2023)
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You haven’t lived until you’ve tried these smoked hot dogs. They add a little something extra to the traditional hot dog (cough, cough killer smoke flavor!) that takes these dogs all the way up to a 10/10!
Can You Smoke Hot Dogs?
Listen up, BBQ friends. I’m here to report that you can indeed smoke hot dogs, and they turn out completely delicious. In fact, I’ve found that they add a little somethin’ somethin’ to that ol’ hot dog that you just can’t get on the grill alone.
The process is fairly simple. All you need to do to make smoked hot dogs is to score them, add some seasoning, and stick them in the smoke. I can’t wait for you to try these dogs.
Smoked Hot Dogs
Listen, it may seem silly to have a recipe for smoked hot dogs. I mean, you just throw them on the grill, right? Well, you can. Or you can make them the Hey Grill Hey way and never eat boring hot dogs again.
These dogs are slathered, seasoned, and smoked before being loaded high with toppings and then served to your guests for a hot dog experience they’ve never had before. You’ll be hot dog royalty in the family archives.
How to Smoke Hot Dogs
While it’s perfectly fine to pull some hot dogs out of their wrappers and toss them on the smoker, I’ve got a tried and true method that will help infuse the hot dog with more smoke to result in a tastier meal. Here’s how to smoke hot dogs (the Hey Grill Hey way!)
- Preheat. Fire up the smoker and allow it to preheat to 225 degrees F. Feel free to use any hardwood for this recipe.
- Prep. Snag a sharp knife and cut diagonal slits in each hot dog going both ways to make diamond-shaped cuts on the top of the hot dogs. Repeat on the other side. If you want to save time, snag a Slotdog and cut your scoring time in half!
- Season. Next, slather the hot dogs in Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce or yellow mustard and season with Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub (recipe available on my post for Best Sweet Rub).
- Smoke. Place the cut and seasoned hot dogs on the grill grates of the preheated smoker. Close the lid, and smoke for 45 minutes, flipping them after 20 minutes.
- Assemble and dig in! Remove the hot dogs from the grill and place them in a hot dog bun. Top with your favorite toppings. For these dogs, I highly suggest sauerkraut, pickled jalapenos, and celery salt. Enjoy!
How Long to Smoke Hot Dogs
It takes around 45 minutes to smoke hot dogs.
You can adjust this time a bit as needed for your own particular dogs, but 45 minutes is a good frame of reference that will cook the hot dogs all the way through and will add a good amount of smoke flavor to the dogs.
Tips for Smoking Hot Dogs
Hold up there, my friend. I’ve got just a few more nuggets of knowledge to drop on you before to dive into making your own smoked hot dogs. Check out these important tips for making the best hot dogs in a smoker.
- Buy high-quality hot dogs. You can totally just bust out the old classic dollar pack of budget dogs and they will be awesome. Or you can make these hot dogs a memorable meal experience and spring for the good wieners. Bun length, all beef, extra thick. These aren’t just hot dogs, these are Smoked Hawt Dawgs.
- Don’t forget the slather! Slather for flavor, but also to help your seasoning stick. I use mustard because it is the perfect acidic offset to the rich sausages, but if you absolutely hate it you can use BBQ sauce.
- Have fun with your seasonings. I use the Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub because it is the best and the color is fantastic, but you can switch it up and use your favorite BBQ seasoning.
- The score is crucial. Slicing your hot dogs into a crosshatch pattern really changes how the smoke is absorbed into the hotdogs. You can use a knife to make shallow cuts across the surface of your dogs, or you can use a fun tool called a SlotDog to make those cuts for you.
More Hot Dog Recipes
Looking for more hot dog recipes cooked on your grill or smoker? Look no further than these tasty recipes from Hey Grill Hey!
Smoked Hot Dog Recipe
Hey Grill Hey is here to ensure you master a BBQ recipe like a total pro. In fact, we hope each recipe and tutorial makes you feel like a backyard BBQ hero so you can feed the people you love.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to rate it 5 stars and leave us a comment below! You can also access this amazing smoked lamb shoulder recipe and over 500 other recipes on the Hey Grill Hey App.
Smoked Hot Dogs
Ingredients
- 8 jumbo bun-length hot dogs
- 8 hot dog buns
- 4 Tablespoons Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce or yellow mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub recipe link in notes section
- assorted toppings as desired
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. Basically, any wood flavor profile works with hot dogs.
- Score the hot dogs. Using a knife, cut 4 shallow, diagonal slots into the top of each hot dog. Turn the hot dog 180 degrees and cut an additional 4 slits creating a diamond pattern on top of the hot dogs. Flip the dogs over and repeat on the opposite side until you’ve got all of the hot dogs prepared.
- Season. (This is an optional step for those who want an extra punch of flavor. Drizzle the hot dogs with Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce (or yellow mustard) and spread it lightly across the hot dogs. Sprinkle each with a dusting of Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub or your favorite BBQ rub.
- Smoke. Set the hot dogs on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for 45 minutes, flipping the dogs after 20 minutes. As they cook, the slits will open up and the hot dogs will start taking on more smoke.
- Enjoy. After 45 minutes, the hot dogs will be cooked through and have taken on plenty of smoke. Serve on buns with your favorite hot dog toppings. My go-to combo is bbq sauce, jalapeños, sauerkraut, and a sprinkle of celery salt.
Notes
- Purchase it from the store HERE: Sweet Rub
- Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Best Sweet Rub Recipe
Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce
- Purchase it from the store HERE: Zesty Gold BBQ Sauce
- Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love smoked hot dogs but do you really eat them with ketchup and mustard all over the bun?