Slow Cooker Hot Dogs (on High)

You know me and how much I love easy Crock pot recipes right? I don’t know why it took me this long to explain how to cook these babies this way. Left whole or cut into bite size pieces to be served as an appetizer, we will share all the choices.

Best Way to Cook Hot Dogs for a Crowd

Years ago we shared our hack for cooking a lot of wieners for a party with our Instant Pot hot dogs. I still say that is a game changer but isn’t quite as big as this pot. That doesn’t keep them warm when done as well either if you ask me.

If you are hosting a party for the holidays or just having another family over for dinner and want to enjoy yourself instead of standing by a grill for hours, this is a great way to cook beef franks. Ready to get started? Here are our tips and tricks on how to cook links low and slow.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, perfect for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

A black slow cooker with several slow cooker hot dogs inside, viewed from the top. The glass lid partially obscures the hot dogs. The slow cooker rests on a light-colored surface.

How Long to Cook Hot Dogs in a Slow Cooker on High

Ok so this isn’t nearly as fast as how long to cook Air Fryer Chili Dogs, at about 2 hours, but you get a totally different outcome. This way will yield plump very tender outsides while the other will give you a bit of a crisp on the casing. If you wanted both you could stick them into your air fryer basket when done in your pot for 1 minute.

How long to cook hot dogs on low

Cooking hot dogs on low in slow cooker will take 2-3 hours, a bit longer than on the high setting. Once plumped and hot enough, just switch to the warm setting. Leave the lid on and they can sit there for a few hours beyond that. Serve inside buns with Ketchup and hot dog mustard etc… and enjoy

How Long to Cook Frozen Hot Dogs in Slow Cooker

If all you have are dogs right out of the freezer that is okay too!! You will want to separate them from one another, not adding them in as one big chunk. To do this you can run cool water over the top and use your hands to break them apart. Just set inside, overlapping as little as possible and cook on high 2.5-3 hours or as hot as you’d like.

Crockpot Hot Dogs in Beer

Whether you use lager or water these will come out a bit more like Boiled Hot Dogs, super plump and a bit wet when you lift them out. Not a huge difference but just to note. I will say that this is a great way to add flavor though. Just add 1/4 cup or so of beef broth or Pabst with them for this method.

Can you cook hot dogs in BBQ sauce?

If you want to set it and forget it this is your best bet. They can sit in this thick sauce for quite some time even if they continue getting softer that is kinda’ part of the yum. You can choose to add the links whole or if serving as an appetizer. If you cut them into bite size pieces like our Hot Dog Burnt Ends and serve with toothpicks it is always a hit.

A black slow cooker filled with neatly arranged Slow Cooker Hot Dogs. The hot dogs are light brown and have a glossy appearance, indicating they have been recently cooked.

Do you need water to cook hot dogs in a slow cooker?

You don’t. Using this method or our Hot Dogs in the Oven, the wieners will release some moisture as they heat up so you are good to go. There is actually a bit of water inside each package so just slice open and dump everything in there. When done you will see a bit of water in the bottom which will continue steaming them, even a bit on the keep warm setting.

FAQ

This is a great method if you want to feed a crowd over a long period of time. Whether you grilled your links initially, cooked in the slow cooker itself or in the oven you can keep wieners warm for hours. Just lay inside, press “keep warm” button and keep the lid on.

Absolutely. If you want them to stay a bit crispy on the outside just put a few paper towels under the lid. Then set it on top to absorb the moisture that will accumulate over time on warm.