Give Pan-Fried Hot Dogs Off-The-Grill Flavor With A Store-Bought Secret

Despite summer being the peak time to grill your hot dogs, not everyone has reliable access to a grill. When you're craving that fresh-from-the-grill taste but there's nary one in sight, what can you do? Pan frying isn't as friendly to batch cooking, but it's the method that will give you the best browning and nicest snap. So, how can you recapture the smoky flavor that's imparted to hot dogs via an outdoor grill when all you can do is roll your hot dogs across a skillet? Simple: Reach for the liquid smoke.

This stuff is concentrated as heck, so you don't need to douse your dogs to get that fresh-off-the-grill taste. In fact, you just need a few drops. Simply add two or three drops to the pan and then mix in some water or stock. Cover it with a lid to create a little steam bath, which is how the flavors of the liquid smoke will penetrate your hot dogs and give them that delicious, grilled taste. Once the liquid evaporates, you can just pan fry your hot dogs as normal until they have that perfect char on the outside. All that's left by then is to dig in and enjoy.

If you're wondering if liquid smoke is safe to cook with – good news — it totally is. Despite having some ingredients that may potentially cause health issues in large doses (like pyrogallol-like polyphenols, which you can also find in tea and coffee), you can't get those doses in a reasonable person's portion of liquid smoke. Should you be eating the stuff hand over fist day in and day out? Nope, but that could be said for just about any food or ingredient.

Shaking the stigma of liquid smoke means that you can enjoy a hot dog that tastes like it was cooked over mesquite or fresh coals without actually having to ask desperately to borrow your neighbor's grill for the fifth time. Be sure to use the hot dog hack that will take your buns to the next level, or try adding accoutrements like pickled red onions, relish, Dijon mustard, or homemade ketchup. Or, if you feel more like a down-to-earth dog, just slather that bad boy with some chili and cheese. However you choose to eat it, you'll definitely taste the little hint of smokiness that just a couple little drops of liquid smoke can impart, and it'll be worth it.