Grilled Hot Dogs Are 10X Better When You Turn This Topping Into A Marinade

Grilling hot dogs at a cookout is a classic American tradition that continues to thrive, but the franks themselves are a bit one-dimensional (although they do taste better at the ballpark). Leveling up a hot dog generally involves getting creative with toppings, like using a Korean condiment to lend a briny kick or opting for a fancy mustard instead of good old-fashioned yellow. But rather than adding toppings that put an interesting spin on frankfurters, take the most iconic hot dog topping and use it as a base for a tasty marinade that will make them 10x better.

By marinating hot dogs in a ketchup blend before they hit the grill, you'll achieve a welcome sweetness that balances the savory meat and will rival anything you'd get at a baseball game. The first step is to run a skewer through the length of the hot dogs, so you're not fumbling around with a slippery sausage. Once that's done, you'll need to cut cross-hatches into the hot dog's casing so the marinade can permeate the meat. Then park those weenies in your ketchup-based creation. They can sit in the marinade for just 15 minutes, but letting them soak up the sweetness overnight may produce a more flavorful result.

You can remove the skewer before cooking them, but grilling hot dogs with the skewer still attached is perfectly fine. On top of enhancing the flavor, the marinade will create a crisp glaze on the outside of the meat that will augment the hot dog's snap. You can also brush on more marinade while they're on the grill to further upgrade the outer texture.

There are a few ways to go about using ketchup as a base for a flavorful hot dog marinade. One straightforward method would be to add a bit of soy sauce, garlic, and oil. The soy boosts the umami in the profile, while the garlic imparts a different type of nutty sweetness that will create a bit more depth. An added benefit of keeping the marinade simple this way is that you won't go through many ingredients for a basic flavor enhancer.

Still, if you want to get more creative, you can achieve more complexity with additional ingredients. Double down on umami by including Worcestershire sauce and add apple cider vinegar for some extra tanginess. Brown sugar for additional sweetness, onion powder for zesty notes, and mustard for some acidity would all be welcome components in a hot dog marinade. Simple black pepper can spice things up, but if you're looking for a deeper flavor, swapping out ketchup for its spicy cousin, chili sauce, will get you some heat and sharper acidic notes.

However you make your marinade, consider those flavors when choosing complementary toppings for your grilled hot dogs. For example, if your marinade is fairly acidic, onions or jalapeños might be better choices than pickles, which could lead to a tangy overload. Purchasing some upgraded buns would further elevate your franks, like a brioche or a buttery croissant. Marinating hot dogs transforms a fairly ho-hum dish into a meaty treat bursting with flavor, but unfortunately, there's still no fix for the vexing way that hot dogs and buns come in incongruent packaging.