These Are The Only Hot Dogs Worth Buying For Your Summer BBQ

text — These Are The Only Hot Dogs Worth BuyingAlison Dominguez

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Being served a straight-from-the-grill hot dog is the harbinger of summer. With that first bite, we’re promised tank tops, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Hot days and cool nights. Barbecues and pool parties. In short, hot dogs are glorious. But for something so sacred, chances are that when browsing your grocery store’s frankfurter section, you’re not thinking too hard. You might go with a familiar brand, or a variety that’s a few cents cheaper. A hot dog is a hot dog, right? Wrong!

Turns out, when you eat a bunch of hot dogs (24 to be exact!), you learn a thing or two. Not all franks are created equal, so we decided to do the heavy lifting to determine the top dog. To level the playing field, all hot dogs were boiled. There was no grilling allowed, as we felt smokiness could mask any funky or subtle flavors. Buns, ketchup, mustard, relish, and other condiments were also off the table. This tasting was all about the dogs! (That said, if you need some ideas on how to top your dogs, here are some brilliant ones.)

Delish editors looked at flavor, texture, snap, and density when considering which hot dogs were best. So! As you make your most important summer plans, please keep this meticulous ranking in mind. If you need something to eat along side all these hot dogs, check out these side dishes for hot dogs.

More Summer Shopping Recommendations

Applegate Farms Uncured Beef Hot Dog

The Applegate beef hot dog took our top spot for one reason: It’s the dog every one of our tasters wanted at a cookout. The texture is spot on, light but not to light. As for flavor, it’s “a touch sweet and a little bit smoky,” said former Senior Social Media Manager Zoe Becker. “I’d eat that at a barbecue!”

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Sabrett Frankfurters, Beef

If you live in New York City, you know Sabrett. It’s the hot dog hawked in carts across the five boroughs, all beneath an iconic blue-and-yellow Sabrett-branded umbrella. Delish HQ is located in the Big Apple, so this brand is near and dear to many of our tasters. But nostalgia aside, it delivers. I thought it had a nice snap, and the meat was perfectly seasoned.

Hebrew National Beef Franks

Hebrew National wins the best classic hot dog because “it tastes like a hot dog should taste,” Becker said. There are no surprises, the snap isn’t over the top, and the texture is dense, but not too thick. It’s the hot dog you feed someone who has never had a hot dog—an introductory dog, if you will.

Niman Ranch Fearless Uncured Beef & Pork Franks

Niman Ranch sells a few different beef-based hot dogs, but we like this beef-and-pork dog the best. It mixes heritage pork with Angus beef to create a very smooth texture and mild taste.

Ball Park Hot Dogs Angus Beef Bun Size

What makes this Angus beef hot dog pop is, of course, the Angus beef, which famously has extra fat compared to other types of beef. The result? A hot dog that’s “a little smoky, a little buttery,” Associate SEO Editor Allison Arnold said.

Bell & Evans Organic Chicken Hot Dogs

Bell & Evans is best known for its chicken products, so it makes sense that they have the best chicken hot dog. Multiple tasters said this dog smelled like chicken—but in a good way!

“It’s the chicken breast of chicken hot dogs,” Director of Video Julia Smith said. “It’ll go with any flavor.”

Oscar Mayer Turkey Franks

You might be surprised to know that Oscar Mayer makes a great turkey dog. The color is not suspicious, unlike a few other gray-hued turkey dogs we encountered. After being cooked, it takes on the deep red color of a beef dog, and its flavor is strikingly similar as well. It’s a great option for someone who doesn’t eat beef, but still wants that classic hot dog flavor.

“It’s a perfect bite,” Carlos Dominguez, our art director said.

Hillshire Farm Beef Hot Links

We knew immediately that these Hillshire Farms Beef hot links would make our top picks. Before using words to describe the taste, we were greeted by a symphony of oohs and ahhs.

“I really like that,” Becker said.

“[It has] a really good kick,” Saltz added. “Definitely something I would serve as a surprise to a crowd.”

Feltman’s Natural Casing Uncured Beef Hot Dogs

You can probably tell by the name, but Feltman’s of Coney Island started in a hot dog cart in 1867 on Coney Island. It claims to make the first modern American frankfurter, and while that may or may not be true, it certainly offers the hot dog with the best snap.

The dogs’ smoked natural casing locks in flavors, while its firm, snappy texture delivers delightful bite upon bite.

Fork in the Road Honest Dogs

What makes these dogs so honest? Well, the ingredients are pretty simple: Pasture-raised beef, water, onion, garlic, mustard, paprika, celery powder, vinegar, salt, sugar, extractives of paprika, natural flavors.

I guess that’s what makes them the most flavorful in our book. Both Dominguez and Saltz described the flavor as sweet, while Becker applauded them for tasting well-balanced.

Wellshire Premium Uncured Beef Franks

When a hot dog is described as “plump,” as Dominguez said, and “fluffy,” as I said, it automatically wins best texture. This Wellshire beef frank may look like any other hot dog on the market, but the meat inside the casing is soft (but not spongy), firm (but not dense), and juicy (but not wet). Wins all around!

Boar’s Head Uncured Beef Frankfurters

Sometimes you want to splurge on a hot dog. You want it to taste like a hot dog, but better. For those instances, we recommend Boar’s Head uncured beef frankfurters. They’re pricey at $9 for about eight links, but so worth it. Dogs boast a delightfully smoky flavor, thick casing, and a paprika-forward aftertaste.

Oscar Mayer Classic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs

If you’re balling on a budget, these Oscar Mayer originals are the best cheap dogs around. You can find them in just about any grocery store for about $0.40 each and although the texture is a little mushy, the flavor is really beefy.

Oscar Mayer Classic Uncured Wieners

While this Oscar Mayer weiner didn’t exactly stand out from the pack for its flavor, snap, or texture—in fact, it tasted pretty much identical to our Best Budget pick, Oscar Mayer’s Classic Beef dogs—we can’t argue with its reasonable price and what we’ll call the nostalgia factor. “[It] reminds me of childhood,” Smith said. Think of it like the classic cafeteria-style hot dog you used to top with too much Heinz ketchup and sweet relish.

365 Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs

You might be wondering: What makes us think these 365 beef hot dogs are good for grilling if our taste test only consisted of boiled franks? Well, both Arnold and myself picked out a distinctive floral flavor in these dogs, which we think would pair nicely with a grill’s smokiness. Who new a hot dog could be that nuanced?

Nathan’s Famous Skinless Beef Franks

You might associate this brand with Coney Island, which is home to Nathan’s original location, but it’s also the official hot dog of MLB. So when Arnold said these classic franks “taste like a hot dog I would get at a baseball game,” she isn’t wrong. You can find them at the stadiums of the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, and the New York Yankees, to name a few!

Nathan’s Famous Angus Beef Franks

For times when firing up the grill feels like too much, make these Nathan’s Angus beef franks. Their flavor is buttery, creamy, and almost luxurious—even when steamed.

“I didn’t think I would like this one as much as I did,” Saltz said. Serve it up Chicago-style and you’ve got a gourmet meal.

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