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Upgrade your cookout with BBQ Hot Dogs simmered in sauce before grilling. Sweet, tangy, and juicy—this simple trick packs big flavor!
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There’s nothing better than a summer cookout with burgers and hot dogs sizzling on the grill. The other day a thought came to me — why not simmer hot dogs in BBQ sauce BEFORE grilling them, instead of just slathering it on afterwards? We simmer lil’ smokies (which are basically mini hot dogs) in BBQ sauce, so why not?! We decided to give it a try…and the verdict? Totally delicious! Why didn’t I think of this sooner!? If you’ve ever eaten at J. Dawgs, the barbecue sauce in this recipe tastes like J. Dawgs sauce!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Hot Dogs – As a general rule, I stick with brands that tout “All Beef.” I like Nathan’s or Hebrew National. You can also use turkey dogs, or your favorite type or brand.
- Hot Dog Buns – Toast the buns for extra flavor
- Toppings
- Ketchup
- Barbecue Sauce – I love Sweet Baby Ray’s honey bbq sauce for these hot dogs.
- Brown Sugar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Soy Sauce – Can be substituted with Worcestershire sauce.
- Dijon Mustard
- Onion Powder
Instructions to Make BBQ Hot Dogs
- Make Sauce – Combine sauce ingredients in a large pot. Heat on medium heat, whisking until the sugar is melted and the ingredients are combined. Do not boil.
- Add Hot Dogs – Add hot dogs to the pot, and make sure they are covered in the sauce. Heat on low for around 30 minutes or until the hot dogs are heated through.
- Grill – Remove the hot dogs from the sauce and grill over medium high heat for about 2 minutes per side, or until the hot dogs reach your desired doneness.
- Serve – Remove the hot dogs from the grill, place in buns, and drizzle BBQ sauce from the pot over the hot dogs. Dress them with your toppings of choice. Enjoy!
Topping and Flavor Variations
When it comes to hot dog toppings, we’ve seen it all. Need some inspiration? Try some of these winning combinations to take your hot dogs to the next level!
- Classic Condiments – ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish
- J Dawgs Style – special sauce (our sauce recipe tastes just like it!) onion, sauerkraut, banana peppers, jalapeños and/or pickles
- Sonoran Style – bacon, pinto beans, tomatoes, onion, mustard, mayo, and jalapeños
- New York Style – steamed onions and Dijon mustard
- Chicago Style – mustard, relish, onion, pickle spear, peppers, tomato, and celery salt
- Atlanta Style – coleslaw
- New England Style – mustard, relish, and Boston baked beans
- Texas Style – chili, cheese, and jalapeños
- Seattle style – toasted buns, cream cheese, grilled onions, Sriracha
Recipe Tip
These delicious bbq hot dogs get grilled for just a few minutes after being cooked. For the best char grill marks, place the hot dogs on an angle on the grill grates.
BBQ Hot Dogs Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 beef hot dogs we like Nathan’s or Hebrew National
- 8 hot dog buns
- your favorite hot dog toppings
For the sauce:
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a large pot. Heat on medium heat and whisk until all the ingredients are combined and the sugar is dissolved. Don't bring to a boil.
- Add hot dogs to the pot. Stir to evenly distribute the sauce.
- Cook on low for about 30 minutes, until the hot dogs are heated through. (don't discard the sauce– you may want to pour extra over your hot dogs before eating). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Remove hot dogs from pot and grill on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes or so on each side or until desired doneness (I like mine just to have light grill marks). Place in buns and drizzle bbq sauce from pot over the hot dogs.
- Top with desired toppings.
Notes
- You can also make this in a slow cooker. Heat the sauce on the stove, then add the hot dogs and sauce to a crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours.
- These delicious bbq hot dogs get grilled for just a few minutes after being cooked. For the best char grill marks, place the hot dogs on an angle on the grill grates.
- Our favorite hot dog brands are Nathans and Hebrew National
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, you can boil hot dogs before cooking, but for maximum flavor, try heating them in bbq sauce instead. You won’t regret it!
Since these bbq hot dogs are already cooked, you only need to cook them for about two minutes on each side.
Medium-high heat is best for hot dogs. It allows the inside to warm up without burning the outside.
More Hot Dog and Sausage Recipes
Round Out Your Meal With These BBQ Side Dishes
Compliment your delicious hot dogs with some of these mouthwatering sides:
Crockpot Baked Beans
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Mom’s Best Potato Salad
Cowboy Caviar
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Mexican Street Corn Cups
I hsve msde the barbeque hotdogs before and they are great.
Highly recommend
Thank you for your comment, Betty. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed this hot dog recipe. We love them too!
Some thing new ,great tasting hot dog,cheers
Love that,a new way to cook the common hot dog.YUM
Such a hearty snack! We haven’t made hot dogs for ages, need to try out your recipe this week!
Love BBQ sauce on hot dogs and the spicier the better I say!
Cooking these hot dogs in the sauce first gave them such an amazing flavor!! This would be the perfect recipe for a summertime picnic!
Love this idea must have become so tasty and smoky
Love this DIY sauce! So good on hot dogs but could totally be used or other foods too!
Hot dogs are nearly as receptive to sauces and recipes as chicken wings, most any sauce tastes fine on hot dog, and they’re an immense vessel for condiments like ketchup and enjoy.