The Most Popular Foods in America for July 4th Cookouts

Our handwritten grocery lists may reflect our aspirations, but it’s our Instacart transactions that reveal our truest selves. This third-party app-based grocery delivery service has been meticulously tracking our summer spending habits, and it’s just released a report that unveils everything we love to indulge in at Fourth of July cookouts. The data also drops a bombshell: the definitive answer to whether hot dogs or hamburgers reign supreme on America’s birthday. 

Instacart’s Flavors of the Fourth report is a timely examination of data from the seven days leading up to July 4, 2023, compared against the same period in 2022. This not only gives us a snapshot of what’s trending at summer cookouts but also hints at emerging trends in both the food and beverage categories more broadly — as well as which trends are on their way out.

The 10 items showing the most notable surge (or “increase in item share”) during the week leading up to July 4 are as follows:

1. Yellow Corn (+380%)
2. Charcoal (+222%)
3. Potato Salad (+177%)
4. Baby Back Ribs (+170%)
5. Hot Dog Buns (+163%)
6. Canned Baked Beans (+163%)
7. Bratwurst (+152%)
8. Frozen Beef Burgers (+140%)
9. Watermelons (+139%)
10. Beef Patties (+126%)

If you’re taken aback by the surge in popularity of something as simple as corn, it’s important to remember that this isn’t a list of the most popular items overall, but rather the items that experience a significant spike in popularity around July 4. For instance, hot dogs might not be on the list because Americans purchase them at a reliably steady clip — holiday or no holiday.

Speaking of hot dogs, Instacart says they win out over hamburgers on Americans’ picnic tables. This was determined by tracking bun sales, not sales of the meats themselves — likely because while many of us keep frozen links or patties stashed in our freezers throughout the year, a bun purchase indicates the window of time when you actually plan to cook and eat them. And in 32 U.S. states, hot dog bun purchases via Instacart outnumbered hamburger bun purchases, with the latter only winning out in a smattering of Northwest, Northeast, and Southeastern states. 

“For Fourth of July celebrations, hot dogs and hamburgers dominate American grills, likely due to their simplicity and ease of cooking,” said Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart’s trends expert. “When hosting backyard parties, people often prioritize quick preparation, easy serving, and broad appeal. Hot dogs, in particular, are favored across more states because they’re convenient and don’t even require a plate!”

As for how those dogs, burgers, and the rest of the spread get dressed, Instacart has some interesting data on condiment purchases, too. While all the typical contenders are accounted for — mustard, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, relish — no condiment dominates quite like ranch dressing, which maintains a vise grip on the Midwest and Central Plains states, as well as Idaho and Utah, to take 19 states overall. 

Mayonnaise also puts in a decent showing, although that doesn’t necessarily mean people are squirting it onto their burgers and dogs with abandon; it’s a central ingredient in any number of popular side salads on the Fourth of July. (Consider this your annual reminder to keep those mayo-based dishes cool and out of the sun.)

Of course, there’s a whole world of innovation beyond the staples accounted for in Instacart’s data. If you want to try making something a little more unique for your July 4 cookouts, you could always wow your guests with one of these dishes.