Once I Started Cooking Hot Dogs Like This, I’ve Never Grilled Them Again (It’s So Easy!)

Stephanie Ganz
Stephanie Ganz
Once a professional chef (in the lifetime before kids), Stephanie Ganz has written for Bon Appetit, Eater, BUST, and Virginia Living and is a regular contributor to Richmond Magazine. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two girls, and one excellent cat. Follow her…read more
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published Aug 15, 2024
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Hot dogs. Close-up raw Bavarian sausages.
Credit: SoNelly/Shutterstock

I’ve never met a hot dog I didn’t like. There are so many ways to enjoy them, whether they’re slathered in creamy coleslaw, loaded with beef chili, or accented with mustards (plain and fancy). Hot dogs are always a welcome sight as far as I’m concerned. I have plenty of warm, fuzzy childhood memories of snagging a hot dog from a little spot in Roanoke, Virginia, called The Orange Dog with my dad, and whenever I happen to go to a baseball game (approximately once yearly), you can bet I’m going to have a hot dog in one hand and a plastic baseball cap full of Dippin’ Dots in the other. As far as I’m concerned, it’s hard to mess up a hot dog — that’s one of the things that makes them so lovable. 

But for some chefs, like Executive Chef Fred Maurer at NoMad Diner, the best way to serve a dog is griddled with butter. Before joining the team at NoMad, Maurer worked at Dickson’s Farmstand Meats in New York, where he earned the moniker “Hot Dog Boyfriend” for his work as chef charcutier. According to Maurer, grilling is a quick way to dry out a dog. “My preference for a hot dog is more about the dog than the fillings,” Maurer. “But whatever the dog, [it should be] boiled or griddled with butter. Never grilled.”

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani / Food Stylist: Jesse Szewczyk

How to Griddle Hot Dogs with Butter

Here are the steps for how to griddle a hot dog with butter, according to Chef Maurer.

  1. Split a hot dog down the center lengthwise and set aside. 
  2. Preheat a pan over medium-high heat until it’s warm enough to melt butter.
  3. Add a dollop of butter (about a tablespoon) and let it bubble.
  4. Place the split dog, split side down, in the pan, and press into the butter until it’s nicely browned, about three minutes.
  5. Flip the hot dog and sear the outside for another minute or two, adding another dollop of butter to the pan.

Tips for Cooking Hot Dogs in Butter

  • Use another pan to weigh down the hot dog while it’s cooking to ensure an even sear all over the surface of the cut side.
  • Spread a little butter on the inside of the hot dog bun, and toast it in the still-warm pan.
  • Stick with simple toppings that allow the dog to shine, says Chef Maurer, who opts for Kewpie and crispy shallots at NoMad Diner.
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Grilling