Whether you love nothing more than tucking into some delicious hotdogs on treat days, or you’re simply on the search for convenient and quick meals to prepare at the end of a busy work day – many hotdog enthusiasts often find themselves wondering whether or not it is safe to cook their hotdogs in the microwave instead of the lengthy process of boiling them on the stove.

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If you’re pinched for time and don’t have enough time to read through the entire article – not to worry!

Keep reading for a quick rundown of whether or not it is appropriate (and safe) to cook hotdogs in the microwave as a more convenient alternative to boiling:

To cut a long story short, the good news is that it is possible and safe to prepare your hot dogs in the microwave instead of cooking them in the traditional way of preparing them on the stove in boiling water.

In fact, many people find that using the microwave to cook hotdogs not only allows them to enjoy their meal faster, but also has the ability to make the hotdogs taste even better than if they were cooked by boiling them in water.

Still, even though it is safe for you to cook your hotdogs in the microwave, if you are planning to do so, you are going to need to make sure that you are following the relevant instructions (especially those provided to you by the manufacturer) in order to ensure that you are cooking them correctly so that they will be safe for you (and whoever else you are making the hotdogs for) to consume.

Who doesn’t love hot dogs? A crowd pleaser and favorite across the world – hot dogs are tasty, delicious and convenient, which leads many people to wonder if it’s possible to make them even more convenient by preparing them in the microwave instead of on the stove!

If you’re currently asking yourself this question, then rest assured that you have come to the right place.

In this article, we are going to be taking a closer look at whether or not it is safe to cook hot dogs in the microwave as a more convenient and streamlined alternative to preparing them on the stove in boiling water.

Just read on!

Can Hotdogs Be Microwaved? Is It Safe?

When it comes to cooking hot dogs, the good news is that it is safe for you to prepare them in the microwave!

If you weren’t already aware, unlike a conventional oven, a microwave oven uses electromagnetic radiation as the main heating source – which then allows food to be forced to absorb high amounts of heat in a short amount of time which leads to food being prepared in a far shorter amount of time than it would take to cook using other types of cooking methods.

However, despite the convenience of using a microwave oven, the ability to cook food very quickly also means that there is a risk of overheating if left to cook for too long.

So, with that being said, if you are going to be using a microwave to prepare your hot dogs, it is imperative to make sure that you are following the instructions for preparing them in order to ensure that they are not overcooked.

The last thing that you want to do is to place your hot dogs in the microwave, only to come back and find that they have overcooked from being left too long1

Which Cooking Method Is Better: Microwaving Or Boiling?

So, now that you know that it’s possible to cook your hot dogs both on the stove as well as in the microwave – you might now be wondering which option is the best.

Generally speaking, there’s no right or wrong answer to this question, as everyone is going to have their own opinion based on their individual preferences.

However, if you’re on the fence and can’t decide which cooking method to follow, keep reading for a breakdown of both methods to help you decide which might be right for you:

Boiling

Boiling hot dogs is considered to be the traditional way of preparing hot dogs – but is it the superior option? This will ultimately come down to your own preferences.

However, opting to boil your hot dogs on the stove will allow you to ensure that they have been cooked all the way through (as they will be submerged in boiling water) while also providing you with the ability to control the temperature to prevent them getting burned or overcooked.

Still, despite all of the benefits that the boiling method offers, if you are planning to prepare your hot dogs on the stove – keep in mind that the boiling water can actually alter the flavor of the hot dogs which many people do not like.

Microwave

On the other hand, you also have the option of preparing your hot dogs by microwaving them!

If you are interested in trying this method out, we think that you’ll be pleased to hear that microwaving is not only a far more efficient method to prepare your hot dogs, but many people actually find that this method is able to create better tasting hot dogs, too!

Nevertheless, as microwaves use electromagnetic radiation to heat food, it means that there is a higher chance of your hot dogs becoming overcooked or even burning while being warmed inside the microwave.

So, if you are interested in trying out this cooking method in place of boiling hot dogs, it is very important that you make sure to follow the instructions provided to you by the manufacturer/brand of the hot dogs you have purchased from.

This will help you to guarantee that the hot dogs will be correctly cooked so that they will be safe for you to eat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Better To Boil Or Microwave Hot Dogs?

Even though you might think that boiling hot dogs is the way to go when cooking them, you might actually be interested to learn that the majority of people believe that opting to prepare hot dogs in the microwave has the ability to ensure that the taste is enhanced while also making sure that the hot dogs are at the optimal temperature for consumption.

However, in order to make sure that you are able to enjoy your microwaved hot dogs safely, you are going to need to make sure that you are following all of the instructions provided to you by the brand that you have purchased the hot dogs from.

Typically, cooking instructions (including for both the microwave and the boiling option) will usually be located on the packaging.

How Long Do You Microwave Hot Dogs?

The answer to this question will ultimately depend on what type of hot dog brand you are using, as well as what type of hot dogs you have.

However, as a general rule of thumb, in order to ensure that your hot dogs are correctly prepared – you are going to need to make sure that you are cooking your hot dogs for at least 30 seconds, and then stop to check if the hot dogs are ready.

If they are not ready, you can then go ahead and turn the microwave on for an additional 30 seconds, continuing until the hot dogs have been prepared to a standard that you are satisfied with.

Is It Safe To Microwave Hot Dogs?

Yes! It is safe to microwave hot dogs. In fact, most hot dogs on the market are actually designed to be safe for microwave cooking in order to guarantee convenience.

Needless to say, if you would like to microwave your own hot dogs – you are going to need to make sure that you are preparing them correctly by following the instructions provided to you on the packaging of the hot dogs that you are using.

If you don’t have any instructions to follow or you have made your very own hotdogs at home, then you should be sure to microwave your hotdogs until they reach a temperature of at least 74 degrees (otherwise known as 165 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to ensure that they are at a safe temperature to eat.

How To Make Hotdogs In The Microwave

Prep Time: 1 minute

Active Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Heating your hotdogs in the microwave is the fastest way of preparing this amazing savory treat. Just put your fresh hotdogs on a microwave-safe plate, put everything into the microwave and heat the hotdogs until piping hot.

Materials

Fresh hotdogs

Tools

Microwave
Microwave-safe dish

Instructions

Prepare your hotdogs: Your hotdog sausages should be fresh and not frozen. Place the sausages on a microwave-safe plate or dish.
Set the microwave to the right settings: Check the packaging of your hotdogs to make sure that you set the microwave to the correct settings.
Heat your hotdogs: Put your hotdogs into the microwave and heat them. Check the sausages after 30 seconds. If they are not done yet, then heat them for another 30 seconds until they are done.
Serve: Once the hotdogs are piping hot, you can remove them from the microwave and serve them.

Author
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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!