Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Name: Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 all-beef hot dogs; 8 slices thin-cut bacon; 8 hot dog buns; Yellow mustard, ketchup, dill relish, diced onion, or pickled jalapeños, optional, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Wrap each hot dog tightly with one strip of thin bacon, secure it, grill over medium two-zone heat until the bacon renders and crisps, then toast the buns and add your favorite toppings.

Jump to Recipe

A hot dog page needs more reason to exist than “heat hot dog, put in bun.” Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs earn the separate recipe because the bacon changes the cooking method. The grill has to be moderate enough to render the bacon before the outside burns, and the dogs need to be turned often so the spiral cooks evenly.

Thin-cut bacon is the right move here. Thick bacon sounds generous until the hot dog is blistered and the bacon is still chewy. One strip per dog gives you crisp edges, smoke, and enough rendered fat to brown the hot dog underneath without turning the whole thing into a grease fire.

Build the rest of the plate from the Labor Day Recipes collection—potato salad, baked beans, corn, slaw, and blackberry crisp are all there.

Prep10 minutes

Cook18 minutes

Total28 minutes

Serves8 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

8 all-beef hot dogs
8 slices thin-cut bacon
8 hot dog buns
Yellow mustard, ketchup, dill relish, diced onion, or pickled jalapeños, optional, for serving

Instructions

1Heat a grill to medium, about 350°F to 375°F, with a cooler area available for indirect cooking. Clean the grates well.
2Starting at one end, wrap one bacon slice around each hot dog in a tight spiral with a little overlap. Secure the ends with toothpicks if needed.
3Set the wrapped dogs over the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the bacon has begun to render and tighten around the hot dogs.
4Move the hot dogs over direct medium heat and continue grilling 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until the bacon is browned and crisp on all sides and the hot dogs are heated through. Watch closely for flare-ups.
5During the final minute, place the buns cut-side down over the cooler side of the grill until lightly toasted.
6Remove any toothpicks before serving. Put the bacon-wrapped hot dogs in the toasted buns and add toppings as desired.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 8 servings.

210Calories

9 gProtein

2 gCarbohydrates

18 gTotal Fat

6 gSaturated Fat

0 gFiber

1 gTotal Sugars

750 mgSodium

40 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Use thin-cut bacon. Thick bacon takes too long to render and usually leaves either chewy bacon or overcooked hot dogs.
Start on the cooler side of the grill so the bacon fat renders gradually instead of dripping straight into high flames.
Turn the dogs with tongs every few minutes. Bacon spirals crisp more evenly when no side sits against the grate for too long.

Substitutions

all-beef hot dogs → pork-and-beef hot dogs Use the same method; choose dogs with sturdy casings that hold up on the grill.

hot dog buns → potato rolls or split-top buns Toast them briefly so they hold the bacon-wrapped dogs without getting soggy.

pickled jalapeños → pickle relish or sport peppers Any acidic topping works well against the bacon.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate leftover cooked hot dogs separately from the buns for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet, air fryer, or covered grill so the bacon can crisp again.

Make Ahead

Wrap the hot dogs with bacon up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate covered. Grill them straight from the refrigerator, allowing an extra minute or two over indirect heat if needed.