Nana's BBQ Hot Dogs

This is what to do when plain hot dogs need a glow-up and you don’t want to fire up the grill. Slicing the dogs in half lengthwise gives the sauce more surface to cling to and lets the cut sides caramelize.

The sauce is a from-scratch quick BBQ you build right in the skillet: soften some onion, then stir in ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard for a sweet-tangy glaze that beats anything from a bottle.

A short stint in the oven thickens the sauce and lets it coat the dogs in a sticky lacquer. Stir every few minutes so the sugary sauce doesn’t catch and burn, and use cast iron if you’ve got it, since it holds steady heat for even caramelizing. Pile them on buns or eat straight from the skillet. Kids go wild for these.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir every few minutes as directed. The brown sugar in the sauce scorches quickly if it sits undisturbed.
• Use a cast iron skillet if you have one. Its even, retained heat caramelizes the sauce better than a thin pan.
• Slice the dogs lengthwise or score them so the sauce works into every cut and the edges crisp.

Variations

• Add a splash of Worcestershire, a dash of hot sauce, or smoked paprika for a deeper, smokier BBQ.
• Slice them into coins for a quick party appetizer served with toothpicks.
• Swap regular hot dogs for smoked sausage or kielbasa for a heartier bite.