Steam Your Hot Dog Buns Instantly With This Brilliant (And Effortless) Hack

When you've put the effort into making your most impressive batch of hot dogs, loading them up with your perfect combination of tried-and-tested toppings, the last thing you want to do is pile them into some crusty cold buns. But what if we told you there was a way to steam your buns and keep them perfectly soft, without any steamer required?

Here's how to do it: Once you've made your hot dogs and topped them with everything your heart desires — onions, mustard, ketchup, the list goes on — pop them back into the plastic bag that the buns first came in. Close the bag and leave it to steam on the counter until you're ready to serve. We promise that once you take them back out, the buns will be soft and pillowy. It's all thanks to the heat from the hotdogs that gets trapped inside the plastic bag, creating a little homemade hotdog sauna for your buns and rehydrating the bread.

It's a perfect hack if you're feeding a crowd and you don't want things to dry out or go soggy in the time between assembling and serving. Plus it's just really clever, way easier and more effective than putting the buns in the microwave (which often times makes the bread rubbery anyway). This hack works whether you're making classic all-American hot dogs or you're getting experimental with something like our banh mi spiral cut hot dog recipe.

This isn't just a good hack for big gathering, even a quick weeknight dinner could benefit from the steam bag trick. Or why not attempt it to revive your takeout, if your hotdogs arrive at home feeling a bit cardboard-y then close them into a plastic bag or Ziploc and let them sit and steam in there for a good five minutes. The key is just to trap the moisture before the hot dog is too cold to create it. Whether you're eating a meaty hot dog or you're more of a veggie dog lover, it'll work either way. And if you are more partial to a crispy bun, you could even toast them before assembling and then pop them into the steam bag to keep them warm until serving.

If you've followed the rules of the right way to cook a hot dog and you want to keep that perfect texture intact and not ruin all your hard work, then this is the hack for you. Get experimental with your toppings with Chowhound's complete guide to American hot dog styles and pair it with this clever little bun-steaming trick to make sure that, no matter what style of hot dog you like best, it's enjoyed it's most perfect form.