It takes about 1 minute 15 seconds to microwave 2 hot dogs. However, you may take a little less time if the microwave is of high wattage.
The time taken to microwave hot dogs as per their number is mentioned below:
| Number of Hot Dogs | Time taken to microwave Hot Dogs |
| 1 Hot Dog | About 40 seconds |
| 2 Hot Dog | 1 – 1:15 Minutes |
| 3-4 Hot Dog | 1:30 – 2:30 Minutes |
| 5-6 Hot Dog | 3 – 3:30 Minutes |
| 7-8 Hot Dog | 4 – 5 Minutes |
| 9-10 Hot Dog | 6 Minutes |
Even though hot dogs are pre-cooked, still bacteria like listeria can develop in them so they should be eaten only after heating them.
How to microwave a hot dog in water?
To microwave a hot dog in water, you will need-
- Microwave safe bowl
- Hot dog
- Water
- Paper towels
Please follow step by step process to microwave hot dog in water:
- Take a microwave-safe bowl and fill it with water till half. Put the hot dog in it and you must ensure that the water is enough to submerge the entire hot dog.
- Ensure that some space is left at the top of the bowl so that boiling water does not get spilled and scald when the bowl is removed from the microwave.
- Place the bowl in the microwave and heat it at a high temperature for 1 minute. It will take a longer time if there are more hot dogs.
- Now, check the hot dogs. If they are hot, you can take them out.
- Drain the water from the bowl carefully and lay the hot dogs on a paper towel to drain them.
- Hot dogs are ready to eat.
Best way to microwave hot dogs
The best way to microwave hot dogs is –
- Take a plate that goes well in a microwave and place paper towels on it.
- Put hot dogs on the paper towel. If there are multiple hot dogs, line them in a row but be careful to put a little space in between. This will ensure all of them are cooked evenly.
- Prick the hot dogs with a fork or knife a few times so that steam inside them escapes and hot dogs do not explode. But sometimes it is not recommended as it may cause the juices to escape too. The choice is up to you to poke or not.
- Cover the hot dogs with another paper towel. This will hold the moisture in the hot dogs as they are cooked.
- Run the microwave at high for 40 seconds for each hot dog.
- Check the hot dogs if they are hot. If they are still cold or lukewarm, heat them again for some more time.
- Once warm or hot, take them out of the microwave. Remove the paper towel and they are ready to be placed in between the buns to eat.
Do hot dogs explode in the microwave?
Yes, hot dogs do explode in the microwave mainly due to the steam that accumulates when a hot dog is microwaved. The steam pockets that are formed in the hot dogs explode.
The reason for hot dogs getting exploded in the microwave is not the cooking time or the power of the microwave. It is basically due to the steam produced during the process and to prevent this, hot dogs should be covered with a paper towel when heated in a microwave.
Steam gets trapped in this paper towel, so hot dogs do not explode.
Some say to poke the hot dogs with a fork so that steam escapes. This helps in escaping steam but at the same time juices also seep out of the hot dog which makes them dry and tasteless.
Is microwaving hot dogs safe?
Yes, microwaving hot dogs is safe. Even though the hot dogs are pre-cooked, it is not good to eat them right away. You must heat them either in a microwave or boil before eating.
It is also essential to microwave them in the right way, Hot dogs are often infected with bacteria called listeria which can be dangerous as you can fall ill.
To prevent getting sick from Listeria, the hot dog must be microwaved for a long time so that it becomes hot enough and the bacteria gets killed.
The hot dog must be heated in a microwave at 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Another way to microwave hot dogs safely is by heating them in a bowl of water. The detailed procedure is mentioned above in this post.
Should we boil or microwave hot dogs?
Hot dogs can be heated by either boiling or microwaving. Both the methods are equally good as bacteria like listeria which may be present in a hot dog when packed, can be killed by these methods.
You can boil hot dogs in the microwave itself and the procedure has already been mentioned above in this article.
If you don’t prefer this then you can heat hot dogs directly in the microwave using a microwave-safe dish and paper towels.
Both the methods are easy and safe but based on the taste, hot dogs when microwaved tastes better than when boiled in water. Boiled hot dogs are tasteless as compared to microwaved hot dogs as they are blanched in water while boiling.
Can you microwave frozen hot dogs?
Yes, you can microwave frozen hot dogs. To get the best results, you must thaw the frozen hot dogs first and then reheat them in a microwave.
There must be a defrost function in the microwave which you can use to thaw the hot dogs.
For this, place a hot dog on a microwave-safe plate and then cover it with wet paper. This will ensure the moisture is preserved so that the hot dog does not get dried out during the thawing process.
At the interval of 30 seconds, defrost the hot dog and rotate in between so that the hot dog defrosts thoroughly.
Once the hot dog is defrosted, change the setting of the microwave to reheat and heat it up. This will make the hot dog ready and safe to eat.
Conclusion
The time taken to microwave hot dogs depends on the number of hot dogs and the power of the microwave.
Generally, to microwave 2 hot dogs, you will need approximately 1 minute. However, you need to check if they are perfectly hot or not. In case hot dogs are not heated properly, you may run the microwave for an additional 15 seconds to get them perfectly done.
Hot dog heated in a microwave is safe to eat as it kills the bacteria like listeria which may be present in the package of the hot dog.
Since it is very easy to heat hot dogs in a microwave and takes very little time, you know what to prepare when you want to make a quick dinner for the entire family.
A delicious dinner represents a happy family!