How Long Do You Have With That Opened Pack Of Hot Dogs?

Hot dogs are delicious any time of the year, but when it's summer, it's likely you'll be buying them more often for outdoor barbecues and summer parties. (Or maybe you just live in West Virginia, the state that eats more hot dogs than any other.) Whatever the case, after cooking a batch of hot dogs, you may find yourself with leftovers in an open package. So, how long do you have to make the rest of those hot dogs in the opened pack?

According to the USDA, an opened pack of hot dogs lasts about one week in the fridge. Of course, it's also important to store them properly. If you're going to keep your leftover wieners in the original package, then it's a good idea to seal it as best as you can, perhaps using something like a rubber band. However, a better idea is transferring the hot dogs to a resealable plastic bag or an airtight reusable container.

But what about an unopened pack of franks? Unopened hot dogs will last about two weeks in the refrigerator — twice as long as an opened pack. Unopened packages will last even longer in the freezer, up to two months. If you do choose to freeze your hot dogs, be sure not to make the one major hot dog defrosting mistake you want to avoid: not letting them fully thaw.

There is also one important detail to keep in mind when you're in the process of preparing the hot dogs: Don't wait too long before transferring leftover hot dogs to the fridge (in a suitable storage container). Although hot dogs are fully cooked, they are still vulnerable to bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses like listeria. You should not leave hot dogs at room temperature for more than two hours. And if you're somewhere where the temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher — like outside, during a barbecue — they should not sit out for more than one hour.

Now, all that's left to do is to decide just how you want to make all those hot dogs you're storing in your fridge or freezer. Before you decide, be sure to check out our ranking of the 12 ways to cook hot dogs. (We suggest broiling them.)