Summer is hot-dog season, so I tested out making franks in my air fryer and on my grill to see which appliance produces the best results.
Meredith Schneider
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
