How To Cook Hot Dogs In Foil For Smoky, Juicy Flavor Without The Fuss

Foil-wrapped campfire meals are a classic in outdoor cooking; it's an easy way to cook any food in its own juices and keep it from drying out. When you wrap hot dogs in foil, the concept works flawlessly: The foil locks in moisture and helps evenly distribute the heat while it's cooking. All you have to do is wrap your hot dog in a foil packet by itself, or with a few other ingredients. Then, throw it on the campfire, on the grill, in the oven, in the air fryer, or even the Crock-Pot.

A bland hot dog can bring down a block party pretty fast, especially if it's the rubbery kind you get when you just chuck some franks in boiling water. That's why we turn to many other cooking methods that result in flavorful, tender hot dogs. They're great when they're grilled, oven-baked, and deep-fried, and we dress them up in even more ways. The National Hot Dog Council has its own strict guidelines for the "right way" to do it, but the variations, cooking styles, and condiments are endless. Some of them, such as smoking hot dogs, are more involved. Others are simpler, including cooking up a juicy, smoky, flavor-infused hot dog by wrapping it in tin foil.

Aluminum foil is all you need to boost your hot dog game, so fire up whatever cooking method you choose and pull out the box of foil. The hot dog goes in the center of the packet, of course, but you can add cheese, onions, jalapeños, and any other condiments you want to infuse even more flavor into the hot dog while it cooks. Nestle the hot dog into a bun to cook in the foil together, or toast the hot dog buns separately on the grill (or in the oven) for a little bit of toasty texture.

Season your hot dogs first for even more flavor, and amp up the smoky notes with some liquid smoke in a marinade — or injected straight into the hot dog. Add mayonnaise or butter to the hot dog bun before you close the foil to keep the bread from drying out. While it's cooking, you can line out a spread of classic condiments, such as relish, mustard, and ketchup, and a few unexpected toppings, such as pineapple, sesame seeds, kimchi, or baked beans with bacon.