Poll: Americans Prefer Grilled Hot Dogs

There are many ways to cook a hot dog, but new research commissioned by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) suggests that Americans prefer their dogs straight off the grill. Of the 90 percent of Americans who say they prepare hot dogs, 63 percent say grilling is their favorite way to cook a hot dog, far outpacing other cooking methods such as steaming (12 percent), microwaving (nine percent) or frying in a pan (eight percent).

Plenty of people will take advantage of their grills this summer as the NHDSC estimates that Americans will consume more than seven billion hot dogs between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.

“Hot dogs are the staple of an American summer,” says  Eric Mittenthal, NHDSC president. “The smell of a hot dog cooking on the grill awakens us from the soggy spring doldrums and arouses joyful memories, as well as a growling stomach.”

The research was conducted online in May 2016 among more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older by Harris Poll for the NHDSC.

While Americans are most likely to grill a hot dog, the research also finds that many people prefer to enjoy it inside their home with 34 percent of hot dog eaters saying that’s their favorite place to eat a hot dog, 22 percent prefer eating hot dogs in their backyard, while 19 percent most enjoy their hot dogs while tailgating or inside a sporting event. Thirteen percent of hot dog eaters say they are best enjoyed at a picnic.

“Home is where the heart is, so it’s no surprise that Americans are primarily enjoying hot dogs at home,” says Mittenthal. “No matter where they eat one, we know it is with a smile on their face.”