Hot Dogs are the most favorite food for travelers. They are easy to prepare and available at all grocery stores but the hot dogs are often in frozen condition. So, you must know how to defrost hot dogs safely to thaw them and get them ready to eat.
Many people buy frozen hot dogs and keep them in the freezer to use them in future. The hot dogs don’t last longer if not frozen, so you don’t have a choice to keep them out of freezer. The frozen hot dogs need to be defrosted and cooked properly before you take them for eating.
Why Do People Freeze Hot Dogs?
People freeze hot dogs to keep them in good condition for a long period of time. The experts recommend to keep the hot dogs frozen for up to 2 months as a maximum period. So, keeping hot dogs in the freezer is the only way to keep them eatable for long.
The makers of hot dogs and similar stuff need to take care of food quality. They make plenty of food items everyday and supply them to supermarkets and other retailers time to time. The hot dogs may take time to get sold and used but they won’t stay hygienic at normal temperature.
The best way to keep hot dogs hygienic for longer is to freeze them. Therefore the makers, retailers and end users freeze the hot dogs to keep them safe and eatable.
Are Frozen Hot Dogs Safe to Eat?
Yes, frozen hot dogs are safe to eat but you must not keep them frozen longer than 2 months. After two months, the surface, texture and taste of the hot dogs start degrading even if they are in the freezer.
The frozen hot dogs are safe to eat but you have to defrost them first and cook them before eating. There is no need to say that you cannot eat a frozen hot dog before defrosting and cooking it.
Keep reading ahead to know how to defrost hot dogs and how to cook them in a way to get the best taste.
Can I Microwave a Frozen Hot Dog?
Yes, you can microwave a frozen hot dog but you must defrost it before microwaving it. The frozen hot dog contains small ice particles that should melt properly without causing any harm to the hot dog.
To get a frozen hot dog ready to eat, you need to perform two different procedures. Firstly, you should thaw the hot dog in the microwave or in cool water or in the refrigerator, whichever method you prefer. Thereafter you should microwave it at 165℉ temperature to cook it properly.
3 Safest Ways to Defrost Hot Dogs
You should understand that frozen hot dogs are free from bacteria. But the hot dogs can get affected by bacteria if you don’t defrost them correctly. Therefore you should follow one of the 3 safest methods to defrost hot dogs to prevent bacteria buildup during defrosting process.
- Defrost Hot Dogs in the Microwave
- Defrost Hot Dogs in the Refrigerator
- Defrost Hot Dogs in Cool Water
Now, let me explain all 3 methods for thawing frozen hot dogs safely and properly to help you understand how you can do it.
#1. Defrost Hot Dogs in the Microwave
A microwave can perform 3 important procedures on the food. It can cook the raw food, reheat leftovers and defrost the frozen food. It means that you can defrost hot dogs in the microwave but be careful when doing it.
I have already reviewed best mini microwaves for small spaces that you can view here.
In case you do the hot dogs defrosting incorrectly, it can cause bacteria buildup and ruin the taste of hot dogs. In order to defrost hot dogs in the microwave without an error, you should follow the step-by-step procedure that I have explained below.
- Get the frozen hot dogs out of the freezer, don’t put the hot dogs out in normal temperature for longer. So, It’s good to get them out at the time of defrosting.
- Wrap each hot dog in a paper towel so that it can soak up the fluid.
- Put the hot dogs in a microwave-safe plate, keep each hot dog a bit away from the other hot dog in the plate.
- You can defrost one hot dog at a time or multiple as per your need.
- Put the plate with hot dogs in the microwave and select defrost for 30 seconds. If your microwave doesn’t have defrost feature, set it at 30% power level.
- Check the hot dogs after 30 seconds, defrost them for more 30 seconds if needed.
- Rotate the plate by hands if the microwave turntable is not rotating automatically.
- Repeat the 30-second defrost process until the hot dogs are completely defrosted.
With help of the microwave, you can defrost hot dogs very quickly. It takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes to defrost one hot dog in the microwave. If the hot dog is thick, it may take up to 1 minute more than the regular hot dog.
If you want to defrost multiple hot dogs in the microwave, you need to perform the defrost process multiple times.
Most microwaves come with a turntable that automatically rotates in 360-degree to cook/heat up the food evenly. The rotating turntable allows the heat to reach each part of frozen hot dogs to defrost them properly. If your microwave doesn’t have rotating feature, you should turn the plate of hot dogs by hands.
#2. Defrost Hot Dogs in the Refrigerator
Defrosting hot dogs in the microwave is the quickest way to defrost them. But you have to cook them immediately after defrosting. So, the microwave method is useful when you are ready to eat hot dogs otherwise choose to defrost hot dogs in the refrigerator.
The refrigerator is known for cooling down and freezing the food but it can also defrost it. The refrigerator (fridge) takes around 24 hours to defrost the hot dogs. So, you can put them in refrigerator a day before you want to cook them for eating with your family or friends.
Using the refrigerator to defrost hot dogs is the safest way to do it. If you are not in the hurry of eating hot dogs then you should definitely choose this method. Kindly follow the simple steps shared here to thaw hot dogs in the refrigerator at home.
- Get the hot dogs out of the freezer.
- Cover each hot dog with a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wrap, no need to cover if the hot dogs are in their original packaging.
- Get a spacious tray or bowl, put the frozen hot dogs in it and cover it with a lid.
- Place the tray/bowl of hot dogs in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so that the fluid of hot dogs can’t affect other food/veggies inside.
- Wait for 24 hours to let the refrigerator defrost the frozen hot dogs slowly.
- Check the hot dogs after 24 hours and throw the fluid, if any, in the tray/bowl.
Defrosting the hot dogs in the refrigerator takes 24 hours, so you can cook them only after 24 hours. Moreover, you don’t need to worry about it if you can’t get them out of fridge after 24 hours. Actually, you can keep them in the fridge for 3-5 days.
#3. Defrost Hot Dogs in Cool Water
Defrosting hot dogs in the microwave is simple but not for everyone. On the other hand, refrigerator takes 24 hours to defrost hot dogs. So, I have found one easiest way to defrost hot dogs i.e. in cool water. The cool water is that comes from the water tap and not the water from the refrigerator or cooler.
In order to defrost hot dogs in cool water, you need an airtight plastic bag to put the frozen hot dogs inside it. Make sure that you have a clean plastic bag before you begin the procedure. There are two techniques to thaw hot dogs in cool water. you can choose one of the two methods that I am sharing here.
[A] Submerge in a Water Bowl/Container:
- Get the frozen hot dogs out of the freezer.
- Put them in an air tight plastic bag and close the bag.
- Get a bowl and fill it up with cool water from the water tap.
- Submerge the hot dogs into the water bowl.
- Leave the hot dogs in cool water for 10-15 minutes. If there are multiple hot dogs, it may take up to 30 minutes to defrost.
- After a few minutes, get the hot dogs bag out of water to check if they are ready.
- If the hot dogs are not defrosted completely, leave them in water for 5-10 more minutes.
- Get the hot dogs out of water and the plastic bag, then cook them.
[B] Keep Under Running Water:
- Get the hot dogs out of the freezer and place them inside an air tight plastic bag.
- Close then bag properly and put it under the water tap.
- Turn on the water tap and let the hot dogs get defrosted under running water.
- Turn off the water tap after 10 minutes to check the condition of hot dogs.
- If needed, keep the hot dogs under running water for more 10 minutes.
- Get the hot dogs out of plastic bag when done and cook them.
So, this is how you can defrost hot dogs in cool water without the fear of burning it.
All 3 methods of defrosting hot dogs are safe and easy to perform. You should choose the method as per your needs and availability of time. The next process after defrosting hot dogs is to cook them, let me clarify how and when you should cook hot dogs after defrosting them.
How Long Are Hot Dogs Safe after Defrosted?
The hot dogs are safe for 3 to 5 days after defrosted in the refrigerator. It means that you can cook the hot dogs within 5 days after defrosting in your fridge. However, you have to cook the hot dogs immediately if you have defrosted them in the microwave or cool water.
The refrigerator slowly defrosts hot dogs and keep them in good condition for 3 to 5 days. On the other hand, the microwave defrosts hot dogs fast in 2 minutes and the cool water does the defrosting job in 10-30 minutes.
So, the hot dogs need to be cooked immediately otherwise the bacteria will buildup in hot dogs. In case you want to cook the hot dogs the next day or the day after tomorrow, I recommend you to defrost them in the refrigerator.
How to Cook Defrosted Hot Dogs
Cooking hot dogs is a regular task for most people but it’s not the same with defrosted hot dogs. The defrosted hot dogs cannot be cooked at a high temperature, so you should take care of the microwave power level while cooking them.
First of all, make sure that the hot dogs are defrosted properly. Then throw away the excess fluid in the plate after defrosting is done. Remove the wet paper towels from the hot dogs and place them in a clean microwave-safe plate. Go through the steps given below to cook defrosted hot dogs.
- Place the defrosted hot dogs in a clean microwave-safe plate.
- Put the plate in the microwave and shut the door.
- Set the microwave temperature at 165℉ or 74°C.
- Let the hot dogs get cooked with microwaves of heat inside.
- After a few minutes, get the hot dogs out of the microwave and check their temperature.
- Use a candy thermometer to know if hot dogs temperature reached 165℉.
- If the hot dogs temperature is below 165℉, put them back in the microwave to heat up for a few more minutes.
When the hot dogs temperature hits 165℉, they are cooked, warm and bacteria-free i.e. safe to eat. So, you need to take care of temperature when cooking hot dogs after defrosting them.
Never Try These Unsafe Ways to Defrost Hot Dogs
I have explained 3 safest ways to defrost hot dogs that are easy and hygienic. During the research, I came across some unsafe methods for defrosting hot dogs and I was shocked to read them as they are quite dangerous.
Now, I am going to explain 3 unsafe ways to defrost hot dogs that you should never try because they are good for nothing.
Don’t Submerge Hot Dogs in Hot Water:
You should not submerge frozen hot dogs in hot water. Because the hot water can spoil the surface of hot dogs and also affect their taste.
Don’t Microwave Hot Dogs at High Temperature:
You should not microwave frozen hot dogs at high temperature. During the defrosting process, the microwave temperature must be 40℉ or lower. The higher temperature of microwave can double the bacteria buildup in hot dogs.
After defrosting hot dogs, you can microwave them at 165℉ to cook them and get them ready to eat.
Don’t Place Hot Dogs on the Kitchen Counter:
When you get hot dogs out of the freezer, don’t place them on the kitchen counter for longer. The maximum period to keep them on kitchen counter or any other place at room temperature is 2 hours. So, you should defrost the hot dogs within 2 hours of getting them out of the freezer.
These 3 methods are quite dangerous and harmful, so you should not try any of them on frozen hot dogs.
FAQs about How to Defrost Hot Dogs
There are different methods of defrosting hot dogs and each method takes a different amount of time. Some people want to cook frozen hot dogs quickly so that they can eat them ASAP. Here I provide some FAQs about how to defrost hot dogs and relevant issues.
You should go through all questions and answers carefully to know everything about frozen hot dogs and defrosting techniques.
Q.1 How long does it take to defrost hot dogs?
It takes only 2 minutes to defrost hot dogs in the microwave, 10 minutes in cool water and 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Q.2 Can you cook hot dogs from frozen?
Yes, you can cook hot dogs from frozen but they need more heat/temperature and more time to get ready to eat. I recommend to defrost hot dogs first and then cook them, it is a safe and healthy way.
Q.3 How do you defrost hot dogs in the microwave?
You can defrost hot dogs in the microwave with defrost option or setting 30% power level for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Wrap frozen hot dogs in wet paper towels and place them in a microwave-safe plate.
Q.4 How do you cook frozen hot dogs quickly?
You can cook frozen hot dogs quickly in the air fryer by applying some oil and air frying them at 320℉ for 6 minutes on one side and at 360℉ for 6 minutes on other side.
Summary: Defrost Safely, Eat Healthy
You should follow the instructions properly to get your hot dogs defrosted in time. The microwave takes only 2 minutes to defrost a hot dog, while cool water takes 10 minutes and the refrigerator takes 24 hours. So, it’s your choice how you want to thaw your hot dogs.
My husband and kids love eating hot dogs, so buy hot dogs in bulk and keep them in freezer. Whenever my family demands for hot dogs, I get 3 hot dogs out of freezer and defrost them in our refrigerator. It takes one day but my hubby and kids tell me a day before, so I can manage it.
Among all 3 methods, my favorite method of defrosting hot dogs is in the refrigerator. You may like the microwave as it does defrosting in 2 minutes. I like refrigerator method because I can keep hot dogs for 3-5 days without cooking after defrosting is done.
At the end, I recommend you to follow the instructions for defrosting and cooking hot dogs. This is how you can cook hot dogs without changing their texture, taste or original shape. My suggested methods prevent bacteria buildup in hot dogs to keep your and your family healthy.
