Octopus hot dogs are a meal that is fun for kids and easy for parents! With a couple quick cuts, you turn an ordinary food into something exciting!
Not only can you make octopus hot dogs, but you can make smaller Spider Dogs. Perfect for a Spider Man birthday party like we had!
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Octopus hot dogs are something our kids have been eating since they were little. They request them because they’re so much fun, and they think it’s something special. I love them because hot dogs are easy to have around and quick to cook, but I often don’t have fresh buns. Good news! No buns needed, and the kids won’t care at all!
The history of our octopus hot dogs
I first made these back in grad school while I was working at the autism center. We had daily group activities and our jobs was to create something fun for the kids and also add in step-by-step instructions to help them meet their therapy goals. Along with our favorite bubble tower activity, this is something I’ve loved using with my own kiddos.
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I can’t for the life of me remember how we did this in our classroom. I know we had a griddle and a hot plate. Maybe we boiled them? That seems likely. Now, at home, I do nearly everything in the toaster oven. We got a new one that even has an air fry setting.
Always a requested favorite!
Our kiddos have been requesting octopus hot dogs since they were tiny. It’s still something they love today. The great thing is that you can make these even when you don’t have fresh buns on hand. Which, for us, is most of the time…
Octopus hot dogs are so easy to make, but they are so impressive to kids!
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Octopus Hot Dogs
1. Cut the legs
Lay your hot dog on a plat and slice through the bottom 2/3. Turn the hot dog over and slice through the bottom 2/3 that way. Do that as many times as you can until you have 8 legs, or until you run out of room because of uneven cuts. This happens to me all the time, I’m not very precise and sometimes our octopus has 5 or 6 legs!
2. Make a face
With the tip of your knife carve two eyes and slice upward on the hot dog to make a mouth. These will look more prominent as the hot dog cooks.
3. Cook
Spread out and separate the legs. If you’re boiling, you can throw it right in the water. If you’re using the grill or oven, spread the legs out evenly to give support and place your hot dog upright.
Cook until the legs start to curl up and get brown.
That’s really all there is to it! The most difficult part is cutting the octopus hot dogs legs evenly.
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It works best to cut the legs one at a time after the first cut in half. However, over the years I have definitely gotten lazy with that and do it quickly to end up with uneven or the wrong number of legs. If you look at the photo closely, I’m pretty sure this hot dog only had seven legs! The kids don’t care! Just make enough legs so they look great when they curl up. You don’t want to get them so small you end up cutting them off. Although, it does make for a nice snack for Mom – just pop it on the pan with the other ones.
The best part about this is how the legs crisp up as they begin to curl. Just like that crispy outside is the best part of a grilled dog, these crispy edges on each leg are the best!
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Spider Dogs
Our Little Guy had a Spider Man birthday party a few years ago. Instead of Octopus hot dogs, we cut them in half and made spider hot dogs. After cutting the hot dog in half, make the legs out of the cut end and create the optional face in the rounded size. Then place them on Hawaiian rolls or slider buns. This size is great for parties!
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Octopus hot dogs are a staple in our house. It’s such an easy way to make the food a little more fun for kids. Plus, I just think the hot dog tastes better when all those edges get cripsy!
Are your kiddos hot dog fans?
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