I made hot dogs on the grill and in my air fryer, and one appliance took less than half the time

2024-06-27T15:34:01Z

Hot dogs are the perfect summer food, so I compared making them with an air fryer and a grill.
I couldn't believe how quickly my air fryer produced perfect results.
The grilled hot dogs took significantly longer, and the texture still wasn't perfect.

School's out for the summer, the sun is shining, and according to the USDA, grocery prices are starting to stabilize just in time for grilling season.

Hot dogs are a quintessential part of the American summer experience for me. Their easy prep makes them perfect for on-the-go lunches, family dinners, picnics, and social gatherings.

But I wanted to know, once and for all, the best method for making hot dogs, so I cooked some franks on the grill and in my air fryer.

Here's how the appliances stacked up.

My go-to ingredients are easy and cheap.

I bought hot dogs, buns, and extra bread at the store. Meredith Schneider

Luckily for me, perfecting my hot-dog recipe is a relatively inexpensive one.

It only cost me about $9 to buy an eight-pack of uncured franks, a pack of six brioche buns, and a loaf of honey-wheat bread at Aldi. I bought the bread because I use it at home anyway, and I could use a few slices to make up for the discrepancy between the meat and the buns.

Toasted buns are an at-home perk.

Sometimes, I like to season the outside of my hot-dog buns. Meredith Schneider

Brioche buns are phenomenal on their own — soft and delicious for the perfect picnic. But when I'm in my own kitchen, I like to doctor them up a bit by adding herbs, spices, or cheese.

My go-to is spraying the tops with olive oil before sprinkling them with everything-bagel seasoning.

I toasted these (along with a couple of plain buns) in the air fryer at 300 degrees for two minutes.

I gave the dogs the same slices before cooking.

Serrating the franks is an important prep step. Meredith Schneider

Cutting slices into hot dogs with a serrated knife before cooking helps with ventilation, leading to a faster, more even cooking experience. Just make sure not to cut all the way through.

While the buns were toasting, I made the same slashes across all eight uncooked hot dogs.

Once everything was prepped for an even comparison, I fired up the air fryer.

I didn't have to do much to make the dogs in the air fryer. Meredith Schneider

After consulting the internet, I set my air fryer to 400 degrees.

Most sources said to cook the dogs for three to six minutes, depending on how you like the outside cooked. I went with four, hoping for a crisp, juicy exterior.

Getting the grill going took a little more patience.

I had to do two rounds of grilled hot dogs because the first batch didn't turn out right. Meredith Schneider

The weather in the Midwest has been inconsistent and dreary recently, so I used a countertop grill. The indoor option has the added benefit of avoiding any smoky flavor, which makes for a fairer comparison.

I was impatient with my first batch of hot dogs on the grill, spending about seven minutes rotating and cooking them. But the soft texture of the skin was unappealing to me.

On my second try, I let them cook for almost 11 minutes (a little under three minutes per side) to try to achieve my desired texture.

When I need a hot dog stat, I'm reaching for my air fryer.

The air-fried hot dog (back) had a better texture than the grilled one (front). Meredith Schneider

I learned I could cook a hot dog in record time in my air fryer while still letting the beef frank expand enough to get that quintessential ballpark "pop" when you bite into it.

Using a grill (indoor or outdoor) can give me a little more control over the taste and texture of a hot dog, and I love a satisfying grill mark. But that method takes much longer for equal (if not worse) results.

For quicker cooking time with perfect results, the air fryer comes out on top.

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