The Best Way to Store Open Hot Dogs, According to an Expert

Grilling burgers, brats, and hot dogs is a summer rite of passage. And whether you’re hosting your own backyard barbecue, meeting up with friends to grill in the park, or cooking over a fire on a camping trip, you’ll likely enjoy a hot dog or two at some point over the dog days of summer. If that’s the case, you might wind up with some leftover hot dogs. How should you store them? And how long will they keep safely?

To find out everything you need to know about storing an open package of hot dogs, we tapped Jamie Baham, M.S., R.D.N., L.D., owner of Ladybug Nutrition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Here are her tips for safely storing and cooking hot dogs.

How to Store an Open Package of Hot Dogs 

An opened package of hot dogs should be stored in the refrigerator—Baham says below 40°F is the sweet spot—as soon as possible. You can keep hot dogs in their original packaging as long as it’s sealed up tight with a rubber band, clip, or fold, but Baham says it’s a better idea to transfer them into a resealable bag or airtight container. This will help keep them fresher and juicier for longer.

Once a package of hot dogs has been opened, Baham says you should plan to use them within a week of opening. It’s important to store hot dogs correctly not just to preserve their flavor, but also from a safety perspective, as hot dogs can pose a risk of foodborne illness. “Even though hot dogs are generally fully cooked, they can still contain Listeria, which is a bacteria that is found in ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli slices,” Baham says. “It’s especially risky for those who are pregnant, infants, the elderly, or anyone with a weakened immune system.”

How Long Can Hot Dogs Sit at Room Temperature?

If you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or a picnic in the park, you might not be able to throw those leftover hot dogs in the fridge right away. How long can they be left out safely before they should be thrown away? Baham says hot dogs will be okay at room temperature for a little while, depending on how hot it is outside. “Even if pre-cooked, after they are in unsafe temperatures outside of the given times, the bacteria Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus can start to grow to unsafe levels,” Baham says. On especially hot summer days, err on the side of caution.

• Room temperature: Hot dogs are safe for up to 2 hours
• Above 90°F: Hot dogs are only safe for 1 hour

To be on the safe side, save some space in your cooler and keep hot dogs on ice until you’re ready to grill. Once they’ve been cooked, Baham says it’s important to make sure that you don’t leave hot dogs sitting out—keep them warm (above 140°F) or chilled (below 40°F).

Signs of Spoilage in Hot Dogs

When it comes to opened packages of hot dogs, Baham says to adhere to the old adage: “When in doubt, throw it out.” If your hot dogs show any of these common signs of spoilage, you should toss them:

• Appearance: “Fresh hot dogs shouldn’t look off or discolored,” Baham says. “If they appear greyish, greenish, brownish or overall darker/faded than usual, then that is a red flag that it is time to discard them.”
• Smell: “Hot dogs have a natural meaty scent, not pungent or sour,” Baham says. “If they smell off, trust your nose and throw them out.”
• Texture: “If they are slimy or tacky-feeling, that texture can also signal spoilage,” Baham says.

Storage Mistakes to Avoid with Hot Dogs

It’s easy to keep hot dogs fresh and avoid the risk of foodborne illness, as long as you keep a few key things in mind. Baham says to follow these simple do’s and don’ts when storing hot dogs:

• Don’t leave hot dogs at room temperature too long, as bacteria can grow quickly outside of safe temperature ranges.
• Don’t trust the best-by date after opening, as those dates only apply to unopened hot dogs.
• Don’t store hot dogs in warmer fridge zones (above 40°F), which can allow spoilage.
• Do seal opened packages of hot dogs; not doing so increases exposure to air, moisture, and odors.

Can You Freeze Hot Dogs?

Not planning on using the rest of those hot dogs within a week? Good news: Hot dogs can be frozen to extend their shelf life—the USDA says they’ll keep for up to 1 to 2 months.

Once you’re ready to cook them, Baham says the best and safest method is to thaw in the refrigerator (at or below 40°F). If you’re short on time, you can thaw hot dogs in a sealed bag in cold water, as long as you change the water every 30 minutes and cook immediately after thawing. The fastest way is to defrost in the microwave, but Baham cautions that hot dogs thawed this way should be cooked immediately after. Unless thawed in the fridge, hot dogs should not be frozen again.