Making a Stovetop Steamer
Fill a pot with 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) of water and bring it to a boil. Place the pot of water over a burner and turn the heat on high. Boiling water creates the steam that’s going to cook your hot dogs. You can make the water boil faster by covering the pot with a lid. Fans of the steamed hot dog fondly call them “steamers” or “steamies.”
Place a steaming basket over the boiling water and add 2-3 hot dogs. Position the steaming basket (or similar object) over the boiling water so it’s resting on the pot’s edges and won’t fall in. Make sure the water is low enough that it doesn’t reach the bottom of the basket. Put the hot dogs in the bottom of steamer evenly spaced out so they’re not touching. Trying to cook too many hot dogs at once will make them cook unevenly because the steam won’t be able to get around the sides. If you don’t have a steaming basket, you could use a colander instead. Just make sure that whatever you use is wide enough to rest over the water without falling into the pot.
Cover the hot dogs to trap the steam inside. If you have a lid that will fit, use that. If you don’t have a lid, put a piece of aluminum foil over the pot. Trapping the steam will ensure that the tops of your dogs cook just as evenly as the bottoms. Be careful not to touch the sides of the pot while getting the lid in place. You could burn yourself!
Let the hot dogs cook in the steam for about 2-3 minutes. The great thing about hot dogs is that they’re already cooked, so steaming them is more about getting them to a perfect temperature so that they’re as juicy as possible. If you want to do a temperature check, aim to get your hot dogs between 140–165 °F (60–74 °C) for the best consistency. Use a meat thermometer stuck in the middle of a dog to check the temp.
Remove the freshly steamed dogs from the colander with a pair of tongs. Carefully remove the lid from the pot and step back for a few seconds as steam comes out. Then, remove the hot dogs and set them on a plate or straight into buns. If you want that classic hot-dog browning on the sides, pop the dogs under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. You’ll enjoy a steamed dog’s juiciness with a little char from the broiler’s high heat. Remember to turn off the burner! Don’t grab the hot dogs with your bare hands. They’ll be extremely hot and will burn you.
Store leftover steamed hot dogs in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you happen to have any leftovers, though that’s a rare occurrence with hot dogs, you can put them in a resealable plastic bag and pop them in the fridge. Reheat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds on a plate covered with a paper towel. If the hot dogs smell off, have discolored spots, or get slimy, it’s best to throw them out.
Using the Microwave
Place 1-4 hot dogs on a microwave-safe plate. Put about 1 in (2.5 cm) of space between each dog so the heat can get around them evenly. If you want to make more than 4 hot dogs, work in batches—otherwise, you risk the dogs on the outside getting overcooked and the ones on the inside turning out undercooked. You could also place the hot dogs directly into the microwave. Just remember to wipe down the interior afterward to clean it up.
Cover the plate with a paper towel to keep the hot dogs juicy. The paper towel will capture moisture as it’s released from the hot dogs and will make sure they don’t get dried out. If you need to, tuck the ends of the paper towel under the edges of the plate so that it doesn’t fall off in the microwave. If you want to make a single hot dog, wrap it in a paper towel and save the plate.
Cook the hot dogs on high for about 45 seconds. Each microwave is different, so you may need to adjust the cook time as you go. In general, though, 45 seconds should be enough to get the dogs hot. If you’re only making 1-2 hot dogs, the 45 seconds may be all you need! The hot dogs are already cooked through and safe to heat. Using the microwave to steam them is more about making them juicer and more enjoyable to eat.
Add an extra 30 seconds at a time until the dogs are at the right temperature. To test the temp, carefully move the paper towel and lightly touch the hot dog's center. If it’s cool or warm to the touch, cook them for 30 more seconds. Once the dogs are hot to the touch, they should be thoroughly heated all the way through. Be careful when testing the hot dogs! The plate may be scorching, as well as the dogs themselves. If you're cooking multiple hot dogs, the outside ones may get hot all the way through before the ones in the center. Remove the ones on the edges once they’re hot and continue cooking the other ones until they’re done.
Remove the dogs from the microwave and carefully take off the paper towel. There may be a release of steam when you move the paper towel, so take a step back so it doesn’t hit your face. Use a fork or pair of tongs to transfer the dogs from the plate to a bun. You may want to give the hot dogs 1-2 minutes to rest before biting into them. They can be very hot coming out of the microwave; you don’t want to burn your mouth.
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