They remind us of childhood summers, campfires, and baseball games, but, let’s face it, hot dogs alone aren’t really all that special. Add some toppings, and you have a worthwhile bite. Add some bacon, though, and you will feast like a king. Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs cooked on the grill — seems like these two meats were meant to be. Enjoy this delicacy and you will feel a little bit naughty as you enjoy every last bite.
Sometimes called a “Danger Dog”, this powerhouse duo became a super popular street food in Mexico. Turn an ordinary hot dog into something extraordinary with the addition of bacon.
No more floppy steamed dogs making your bun soggy. Grilling them will add the best flavor, of course.
However, we included instructions for the oven, stovetop, and air fryer so you can enjoy them regardless of the appliance you have on hand.
Bacon wrapped hot dogs are the official hot dog of Los Angeles, California, and are popular all over the world. There is a good reason for that!
🍽️ Why This Works
Two Ingredient Recipe. The bacon in this combo brings so much flavor to the dog you don’t even need spices.
So fast. If you want something quick, this simple meat combo has a short prep time and takes a total of fifteen to twenty minutes on the grill. Also, it pairs perfectly with air fryer waffle fries. Chop up a few toppings while everything cooks and you are golden.
Fun for a party. Guests will be delighted with this interesting and unique take on the BBQ grill. Bacon wrapped hot dogs are perfect with chips and beer! Add bowl of Smoked Trail Mix, a pan of brownies and some fruit and your party is complete.
🥓 Ingredients
📝 Ingredient Notes
Hot Dogs – Any hot dogs will work (beef, pork, turkey – you chose!). We like the Smokehouse version because these are grilled, not smoked, but we still get that smokey flavor. I am also partial to the longer dogs that fill the bun.
Bacon – We recommend using thin-sliced bacon so that it cooks evenly and quickly. The thin strips of bacon also wrap more easily. Avoid using thick cut bacon if possible, as it will make your job more difficult.
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
Grill | Any grill will work, you just need one.
Food Safe Gloves | This makes the process of wrapping bacon around hot dogs so much more pleasant.
Toothpicks | These are optional but may help if you have trouble with the bacon staying wrapped at first.
🔥 Grilling Instructions
Step One: Preparation: Preheat your grill to 400ºF. Remove the bacon and hot dogs from the packaging. Put gloves on.
Step Two: Wrap each hot dog in a single slice of bacon from top to bottom. Thin-sliced works best because it seems to grip the hotdog and itself as you mold it in place.
Step Three: Place the hot dogs straight on the grill grates and grill for ten minutes.
Step Four: Turn the hot dogs and continue cooking for five to ten more minutes. Turn a few times to make sure all sides are fully cooked.
Step Five: Serve with your favorite toppings and simple sides!
❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks
Letting the hot dogs sit for five minutes or so after they come off the grill will give the bacon time to crisp up even more.
If you use toothpicks, make sure to remove them before serving the dogs.
We recommend wrapping the bacon at an angle to the hot dog before starting your spiral formation. You can see in the first image how we created a kind of “tuck” at the start. Try not to overlap the edges too much since it will not cook as evenly.
Thin-sliced bacon is key. Thick-sliced bacon is harder to wrap and doesn’t stay on very well. It also takes longer to cook and is more likely to result in burned hot dogs. Finally, thick-sliced bacon takes longer to crisp up after it is removed from the heat.
These are grilled best at medium-high heat or at least medium heat. 400 degrees F works really well for this recipe. Hot dogs cook fast and so does bacon. Using lower temps means a longer cook time during which the hot dogs and the bacon can dry out.
Make these for a tailgate party, picnic, or event. Grill, wrap in aluminum foil, and off you go.
Place the loose ends of the bacon wrap down on the grill so that the bacon seals to itself right away as it cooks and the hot dogs don’t become unrolled as you turn them.
Some hot dogs might cook faster than others. Remove those even if there are others that need to sit a bit longer on the grill.
Since you have the grill already fired up, you can give the buns a quick toast. This also works for oven, air fryer, and stovetop methods.
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs In The Oven
If you don’t have a grill, use the oven to enjoy this treat.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Wrap the hot dogs with bacon slices as described above in the Grilling Instructions.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the bacon is cooked. Check halfway through and flip the hot dogs if they seem to cook unevenly.
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs On The Stovetop
There are plenty of ways to cook bacon wrapped hot dogs, and the stove is certainly a common kitchen appliance. Work with what you have!
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and place the wrapped hot dogs with the loose ends tucked in and facing down.
- Turn every few minutes until the bacon is crisp on all sides and the hot dogs are heated through. This shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes.
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs In The Air Fryer
Air frying hot dogs wrapped in bacon is great if you’re looking for the perfect crisp and even doneness. On a side note, air fryer bacon is amazing even by itself!
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF.
- Place the bacon wrapped hot dogs in the air fryer basket with the bacon ends folder under the sausages.
- Flip after 5 minutes. The key here is to use thinly sliced bacon. It will crisp up fast and hold its shape.
- Cook for 5 more minutes.
🧑🍳 Storage and Reheating
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container. These tasty meat sticks can also be frozen and used within 2 months for the best taste and texture. Read our guide on how long do hot dogs last in the fridge for more information.
If you want, you can even slice them up and freeze them to use later on salads, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, or other dishes.
Reheat your leftovers quickly in the microwave for about thirty seconds and then check. Add more time as needed. A hot skillet will also work.
🌶️Additions and Substitutions
You can go in so many directions with this simple combo.
Cut them into bite sized pieces and dip in BBQ sauce, ranch, honey mustard, thousand island dressing, yum yum sauce, or Kinders Chicken sauce.
Looking for some homemade BBQ sauce options? Try our whiskey BBQ sauce, smoked pumpkin bourbon BBQ sauce, sweet and spicy BBQ sauce, or the cherry bourbon BBQ sauce. These are all finger lickin’ good and come together fast!
Add a sweet dry rub like this all purpose dry rub to bring out the bacon flavor and change things up from one time to the next. The best dry rub for ribs also tastes amazing on hot dogs. It works on pretty much anything.
We also love the lovely blend of Mexican flavors in this Yucatan dry rub. Once you try it, you’ll always make a double batch!
Experiment with your favorite condiments for new rub recipes. You could also add just a touch of brown sugar to the bacon instead.
Try different flavors of bacon or hot dogs for different variations on the same theme.
Add traditional hot dog toppings like raw onions, relish, mustard, ketchup, or even chili! Bacon goes with everything.
Try pico de Gallo, avocado, sauteed onions, jalapeños, and other spicy peppers on your bacon wrapped hot dog.
Guacamole, fresh herbs like cilantro, chopped tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese are also great options, especially if you want to make a toppings bar.
Slice up your bacon wrapped hot dog and add the slices to smoked baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream.
Try the same approach with smoked sausages, Polish sausages, cheese-filled hot dogs, or even chorizo. If it looks like a hot dog and you can wrap it, you can grill it. The possibilities are exciting!
If you are committed to healthy eating, you can use turkey bacon and turkey hot dogs or even vegan options to make a similar dish.
Toast your hot dog buns with a bit of butter for a nice flavor addition.
🍴Serving Suggestions
You have plenty of BBQ sides to pair with this simple protein.
Serve up classic side dishes like pasta salad, grilled baked beans, grilled sweet Potatoes in foil, grilled mac and cheese, and smoked potato salad. Or just keep it simple with potato chips and dip and watermelon slices. Perfect grilling out fare.
Most of these sides for burgers are also fantastic next to bacon wrapped hot dogs. During summer, it’s worth fully enjoying seasonal dishes like grilled corn on the cob in the husk, and grilled patty pan squash.
Check out even more sides for hot dogs and keep your BBQ cookouts fun and exciting!
🌭More Hot Dog Recipes
Smoked hot dogs are one of those quick smoker recipes that will please everyone. If you’re craving that amazing smoke flavor but you don’t feel like waiting half a day to eat, go for this easy recipe.
Another fun way to enjoy these versatile sausages are as hot dog burnt ends. These are an even faster and cheaper version of poorman’s burnt ends but the taste is out of this world!
❓ Recipe FAQ
15-20 minutes at 400º. The bacon should be nice and crispy.
Yes. You can wrap the hot dogs in bacon up to twenty-four hours in advance, which is pretty handy if you have a large party you want to grill for. Store the wrapped hot dogs in an airtight container in the refrigerator until the grill is hot.
Yes. We find that the thin-sliced bacon doesn’t need toothpicks and is easier to wrap around the hot dogs and keep in place.
Use thin sliced bacon since it bends easily and clings to itself. Wrap hotdogs with the bacon slices in a spiral formation. Cook the side with the bacon ends down first. Make sure it’s well tucked under the hot dogs. It will seal itself as it cooks.
Use the same approach as for plain smoked hot dogs. Wrap them in bacon as you would for grilling and smoke at 250°F for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 155°F.
Related Recipes
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Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 8 Hot Dogs
- 8 Bacon thin slices
Instructions
- Heat up the grill to 400°F.
- While the grill is heating up, take one piece of bacon and wrap each hot dog with bacon. Using thin bacon, it will hold onto the hot dog but if you find it comes off, use a toothpick to hold it together. Continue until you do all 8 hot dogs.
- Place the hot dogs on the grill and grill for 10 minutes. Check the hot dogs and turn over. At this point, cook the hot dogs for 5-10 more minutes, turning again to get all sides the last 10 minutes. The bacon should be nice and crispy.
- Remove from the grill and add to the hot dog buns. Top with your favorite toppings and serve.
Nutrition
