How To Keep Grilled Hot Dogs Warm: 3 Ways

Most people love a grilled hot dog, but nobody loves a cold one.

So, whether you’re throwing a HUGE family backyard BBQ this weekend, or you’re just having a few friends over for dinner, it’s always good to know how to keep grilled hot dogs warm safely.

When keeping something warm, you want it to help maintain the product’s internal temperature without cooking it further and burning it, so it sounds a little complicated.

In this article, we will explain how to keep your grilled hot dogs warm, no matter the occasion, and we guarantee there won’t be any charred hot dogs by the time we’ve finished either!

How To Keep Grilled Hot Dogs Warm In A Roaster

Keeping hot dogs warm using a roaster might not be everyone’s first thought, but if you need to keep your hot dogs warm for 2-3 hours, then this is the perfect way.

We’re just going to jump right in and explain the process for using your roaster to keep the hot dogs warm first, and then we’ll explain why we’ve taken the steps we’ve taken.

Here are the steps:

1. Add around 1 and a half cups of water to the roaster insert at the bottom.
2. Preheat your roaster to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place the rack inside the roaster once the water is creating steam.
4. Make sure the rack isn’t submerged.
5. If it is, carefully remove some water.
6. Place the hot dogs on the rack immediately after you’ve grilled them.
7. Close the lid, and shut off the roaster.

Now, even with the roaster off, you should be able to keep the hot dogs warm for 2-3 hours without a problem, all because of the steam that’s been created.

You might think there are easier ways to keep your grilled hot dogs warm, but this way is perfect because of the steam.

Not only does it work to keep the temperature up inside the roaster (and therefore your hot dogs stay warm), but it also keeps your hot dogs from drying out.

If there’s one thing people hate as much as a cold hot dog, it’s a dry one. The steam will keep your hot dogs nice and moist and warm too – what’s not to love about this method?

How To Keep Grilled Hot Dogs Warm In A Crockpot

Your second option is a crockpot. These usually have a keep warm setting, but even if they don’t and you have a slightly different model of crockpot, then the lowest temperature ought to keep your hot dogs warm without a problem.

Here’s what to do:

1. Set crockpot to the lowest temperature and allow to warm up.
2. Place your freshly grilled hot dogs into the crockpot.
3. Close the lid.

That’s it. The crockpot method is probably the simplest one, and if you consume them within 2-3 hours, then they ought to be delicious and warm.

Some people say hot dogs can dry out a little using this method – but not so much that a little ketchup and mustard can’t hide it.

This option is especially great if you’ve grilled some hot dogs ahead of time and your guests are running late.

It’s a no fuss, quick way to keep your grilled hot dogs warm without needing to do any extra steps besides turning your crockpot on and throwing your hot dogs in. It couldn’t be simpler.

How To Keep Grilled Hot Dogs Warm In A Cooler Or Thermos

This last suggestion is a bit of a cheat because technically it’s two separate ideas, but they’re based on the same principle, so we’ve put them together as one.

So we cut a few corners, sue us. Besides two ideas for the price of one? You don’t get that offer around here regularly!

So, let’s start first with the thermos trick:

1. Pour boiling water into a thermos.
2. Close the lid and leave for 10 minutes to allow the thermos to react to the heat.
3. Pour out the water.
4. Place grilled hot dogs inside immediately.
5. Close lid again.
6. Only open when ready to eat.

Because a thermos is designed to keep hot things hot, you can activate the thermos in response to the initial boiling water that’s inside and then place your hot dogs inside before the temperature dips.

The thermos doesn’t know what’s inside, and because you were quick, it still thinks there’s boiling water inside that needs to be kept warm.

Using this method, your grilled hot dogs ought to stay warm for around 2 hours.

A great alternative to this method is to use your cooler box, especially if you’re planning on taking things out on a picnic. Here’s what to do:

1. Place grilled hot dogs into an airtight container.
2. Place the container inside a cooler box or bag.
3. Close the bag/box thoroughly.

That’s it. Cooler bags and boxes are so good at keeping things warm now that they’ll stay warm for around 12 hours. That’s right – 12!

Obviously, for quality, you might not want to leave it that long, but in a pinch you can certainly eat it within 12 hours and still have an enjoyable and warm hot dog.

We’re not sure why you’d need to keep your hot dogs warm for 12 hours, but it’s nice to know that you can.

How To Keep Hot Dogs Warm For A Party

Alright, so the cooler and thermos option might be overkill at a party, but there’s no reason why a roaster or crockpot won’t work for you.

If you’re throwing a big party, though, then a buffet server is probably best. These are designed to keep food hot whilst your guests get their food.

It’ll only stay warm for around 2 hours, after which you’ll need to throw the hot dogs out because keeping them at room temperature isn’t great for potential bacteria growth, but 2 hours ought to be plenty of time for your guests to demolish those delicious hot dogs!

So if you’re planning on throwing a party, then we’d recommend a buffet server because it’s what it’s specifically designed for keeping food warm.

But for any other reason – if you’re trying to keep your hot dogs warm for yourself, your family, or a small group – then any of the 3 simple ways to keep grilled hot dogs warm we’ve covered today will do the job perfectly.

Follow our advice, and you’ll never have to face a cold hot dog again!