This is how to cook Instant Pot hot dogs. Cheap and easy dinner you can make during the summertime, for a potluck, picnic or year round. This favorite food for kids only takes a few minutes to become plump and juicy, ready for all the fixings. Use fresh wieners or it’s the same when how to cook frozen hot dogs. Follow this hot dog pressure cooker recipe.

Instant Pot Hot Dogs 3
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In just ONE minute in most cases, this is how to cook Instant Pot hot dogs so they are plump and ready to be smothered with your favorite toppings! One of the easiest Instant Pot recipes kids love here on The Typical Mom. (affiliate links present)

Pressure Cooker Hot Dogs

Hot dogs and kids just kinda’ go together. They are an easy meal for lunch or dinner and perfect during the summer when you’re outside and have friends over. There are several methods of heating them up and now there is another using your pressure cooker.

We started by making these Instant Pot brats and sauerkraut. My husband loved those, but the kids just wanted some good old fashioned hot dogs so we kept experimenting until they were perfectly plump and juicy.

If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with let’s start with a few basic tips:

For reference, this is the model I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.

A white Instant Pot with a Star Wars theme sits on the kitchen counter, ready to tackle your favorite beef arm roast recipe. The digital display glows "On." Next to it lie a patterned cloth and some green onions, all against the backdrop of blue kitchen cabinets and a stovetop.
Instant Pot Hot Dogs

The sausages we used for that were uncooked so they took a bit longer. They tasted amazing using beer, we used water to cook/steam these. If you want to know how to cook frozen hot dogs it isn’t much different other than separating them first, then follow this timing.

Since our Instant Pot hot dogs are precooked I knew it wouldn’t take long at all.

I first started with these traditional wieners we found at the store for $.99, you know the kind. They were fatter than regular cheapo hot dogs but that didn’t matter as far as the timing was concerned, they just plumped up more.

  • Regular hot dogs you buy in the store traditionally don’t have a casing around them, meaning the outer “skin” you would see on a traditional sausage, so they don’t take much more than a minute.

I personally prefer sausage and hot dogs with a casing, but a tough one, because I think they taste better, typically are made with more quality meats, and have that sort of snap to them when bitten into.

I’ll tell you how to cook both, hot dogs in the Instant Pot with casings and those without (aka cheapo hot dogs ;)) Both are just a few favorite Instant Pot kids recipes for sure.

Instant Pot Hot Dogs 2

What you need to make some easy Instant Pot hot dogs

Really you can cook a bunch of them using this pressure cooker hot dog method, just throw them in and set the timer. WAY easier than waiting for water to boil on the stovetop like I used to do!

  1. Hot dogs
    1. Type of hot dogs with casings
    2. Traditional hot dogs at the store
  2. Liquid
    1. water
    2. 1 beer
    3. 1/2 beer 1/2 water

What is a dirty hot dog?

That means you add seasonings into the liquid. That makes it look cloudy but adds a ton of flavor. A great way to make them spicy if you like or an added punch with cumin or garlic.

  1. Add into liquid if desired for flavor
    1. garlic powder
    2. cayenne pepper
    3. cumin

We have a recipe for air fryer hot dogs, frozen hot dogs in air fryer you can try, and pressure cooker corn dog bites too!

air fryer hot dogs

How do you bulk cook hot dogs?

Remember, you are really just warming them up so it doesn’t take long whether they have a casing or not. If you cook just 1 package of traditional store bought skinny hot dogs you just cover them with just enough liquid to cover them and 1 minute is sufficient.

  • If you are cooking Instant Pot hot dogs in bulk you may increase pressure cook time to 2 minutes.
  • Use enough water to go about halfway up the pile of hot dogs.
  • Do not fill past 3/4 mark inside pot.
  • Cook on low pressure for 2 minutes, or 1 minute on high pressure followed by a quick release

You are really just steaming them so they don’t all need to be submerged. If you’re adding some flavor to the water then add the water, sprinkle in your garlic powder or whatever, stir, and then add your hot dogs.

Can you boil hot dogs in an Instant Pot?

Yes and it is so fast! You don’t even need a ton of water as the hot steam essentially makes it as though you are steaming hot dogs in a pressure cooker in a few minutes until plump and juicy. The best way to cook hotdogs in bulk ever.

How can you steam hot dogs fast?

Use a pressure cooker with some water! In just a few minutes your weiners will be perfectly steamed and ready to be enjoyed inside buns with all the toppings.

Want some crisp to them? Try our fun air fryer pigs in a blanket recipe too. You can see them here and are a kid favorite.

best pigs in a blanket recipe
A hand holds a bitten hot dog with mustard and ketchup, the vibrant red nails adding a pop of color. Perfectly cooked using an Instant Pot, this hot dog promises both convenience and flavor in every bite.
5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Hot Dogs

By The Typical Mom
This is how easy it is to make Instant Pot hot dogs. Cheap and easy dinner you can make during the summertime, for a potluck, picnic or year round really. This favorite food for kids only takes a few minutes to become plump and juicy, ready for all the fixings. Use cased or traditional hot dogs and follow these times.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 minutes
Total: 8 minutes
Servings: 8
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Equipment

  • 1 pressure cooker

Ingredients 

  • 8 hot dogs, with casings will take a bit longer, can use packaged without casings too
  • 3 c water, or can use beer, or half and half
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt, optional
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne , optional

Instructions 

  • Put hot dogs into Instant Pot or pressure cooker with water (I used enough to cover them barely, if you’re cooking multiple packages just cover about half way up, 3 c. is usually sufficient).
  • If using hot dogs with casings set to low pressure for 3 minutes, if using packaged hot dogs without casings set for just 1 minute (2 minutes if cooking a bulk of hot dogs at once.
  • Quick release and put into buns with all the fixings.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 3oz, Calories: 111kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 312mg, Potassium: 65mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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6 Comments

  1. Can’t wait to fix for our Trunk or Treat hotdogs for our church come Halloween. We always serve the Trick or Treaters a hotdog to go along with all their treats. We will now be ready for the “rush”! Thinking it would be easy to just toss them on a hot BBQ to give them a few grill marks. THANKS, THANKS, THANKS!!!

  2. I never thought to make hot dogs in the Instant Pot. This is so super easy. I’m booking marking this.