Can You Microwave HotDogs? An American Tradition

Hot dogs are one of America’s favorite foods. They’re easy to make, easy to eat, and portable, making them the perfect food for busy people on the go. And they are an excellent choice at cookouts!

But what about when you don’t have time to cook your hot dogs on the stove or grill? Can you microwave hotdogs? 

Yes, you can microwave hotdogs! It’s quite the easy process. You can microwave hot dogs to initially cook them or reheat them the next day! One thing to watch out for is microwaving a hotdog with condiments, already on a bun. If not correctly, the bun could get soggy.

In this blog post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about microwaving hot dogs, from cooking them fresh to reheating leftovers. So, let’s get started!

Is it Safe to Microwave Hot Dogs?

It is just as safe to microwave hot dogs as it is to boil them on the stove. Even though wieners do come precooked, it’s important that the internal temperature reaches between 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If it gets too hot, you risk losing the juicy flavor of the hot dog! If the temperature doesn’t get hot enough however, the wiener will be too soft and possibly mushy.

Cooking Fresh Hot Dogs in the Microwave

Cooking hot dogs fresh in the microwave is my favorite way. Maybe that’s just because I’m super picky about leftovers though. Microwaving fresh hotdogs involves cooking both the wieners and buns separately.

First, choose how to microwave the wieners

You have a couple of options. Below, I will present both options and you can choose which one suits your needs!

Option 1: Microwaving hotdogs on a plate or parchment paper.

Step 1: Grab a microwave-safe plate or a sheet of parchment paper.

You can place 1 to 10 wieners on the plate or paper. Leave a little room between each wiener.

Step 2: Take a fork and pierce a line of holes of the top of the wieners. This helps the juice escape instead of building up and possibly exploding!

Step 3: Put a damp paper towel over the wieners. This helps keep them moist.

Step 4: Cook on high using the below chart based on how many wieners you are heating up.  

Number of Wieners/Wattage	600	800	1000	1200
1-2	1:30	1:15	1	30
3-4	3	2:30	2	1
5-6	4:30	3:45	3	1:30
7-8	6	5	4	2
9-10	7:30	6:15	5	2:30

Step 5: Microwave for an additional 10 seconds if needed per wiener. Be careful not to overcook your hot dogs, or they’ll end up dry and rubbery. 

Step 6: Take out of microwave!

In order to keep the wieners warm, you can put a bowl of hot water to the side. Transfer your microwave wieners to the bowl of water and cover until ready to make your hotdog.

Option 2: Microwaving hotdogs in a deep dish

This is our preferred method for microwaving multiple wieners!

Step 1: Grab a microwave-safe small casserole dish. Glass or Pyrex works best! Pour a half inch layer of water in the bottom of the dish.

Step 2: Take a fork and pierce a line of holes of the top of the wieners. This helps the juice escape instead of building up and possibly exploding!

Step 3: Place the wieners in a single layer in the dish in the water. This is a similar way of boiling them on the stove.

Step 4: Cook on high using the below chart based on how many wieners you are heating up.  

Number of Wieners/Wattage	600	800	1000	1200
1-2	1:30	1:15	1	30
3-4	3	2:30	2	1
5-6	4:30	3:45	3	1:30
7-8	6	5	4	2
9-10	7:30	6:15	5	2:30

Step 5: Microwave for an additional 10 seconds if needed per wiener. Be careful not to overcook your hot dogs, or they’ll end up dry and rubbery. 

Step 6: Take out of microwave!

In order to keep the wieners warm, you can put a bowl of hot water to the side. Transfer your microwave wieners to the bowl of water and cover until ready to make your hotdog.

Second, microwave the hotdog buns!

Place 2 hotdog buns on a paper towel. Start off microwaving the hotdog buns for 10 seconds. Check temperature of buns and microwave in 5 second intervals to heat further if needed.

Heating Leftover Hotdogs in the Microwave

Personally, I don’t like reheating a premade hotdog on a bun with condiments on it. I find that the bun gets to soggy. And it doesn’t taste fresh or as good as the day before!

So, we have a couple of options for heating leaftover hotdogs in the microwave.

Option 1: Separate the wiener and bun when storing leftovers

Only put together the hotdog when you are ready to eat it! This is the simplest and tastiest option. If you have leftovers, store the wieners in a container and put in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep the buns in the bag and only reheat as you need it!

To reheat leftover wieners, place on a microwave-safe dish with a damp paper towel covering them. Heat up initially for 15 seconds, then in 10 second intervals until heated. Follow the instructions above to heat up the hot dog bun. Make your hot dog as you wish!

Option 2: Microwave the premade hot dog

Sometimes you may make a hot dog with the intention of eating it, but then don’t! First you want to make sure you have stored the hot dog properly. Wrap it in parchment paper and keep in fridge.

Step 1: Place hot dog and parchment paper in microwave on a microwave-safe dish. If you didn’t initially store your hot dog in parchment paper, that’s ok. Wrap it in parchment paper now and place in microwave! This will help the hot dog heat more even and retain moisture.

Step 2: Use a medium-high setting. We want to use a higher setting to keep the hot dog in the microwave as little as possible.

Step 3: Microwave in 10 second intervals. You don’t want the hot dog to overheat.

Step 4: Check ever 10 seconds to make sure it hasn’t gotten too mushy.

Step 5: Take out and enjoy!

Be careful to not overheat. Depending on the condiments and chili, they can easily soak into the bun and cause a mushy mess. Microwaving hot dogs takes some watching!