The most sought-after grills, cocktails and salads

deleciousfood | July 4, 2024 | BBQ | No Comments

Fourth of July celebrations are changing, with some cities opting for drones instead of fireworks and holiday grill masters getting excited about grilling… corn and asparagus?

More Americans said they plan to barbecue or grill on July 4 this year (56%) than last year (49%), according to more than 1,000 people surveyed by research firm Numerator in April 2024.

Grilling comes in second only to gathering with family and friends (58% said it was their plan for the Fourth of July) and tops attending a public celebration (31%), cooking or baking at home (26%) and hosting others at home (18%), according to the Numerator survey.

What’s open on July 4th?View store hours and details for Target, Walmart, Home Depot and more.

What’s Cooking on the 4th of July? Most Searched Foods in ‘How to Grill’

You might expect that most grilling plans would focus on cooking meat as the main dish. Meats like chicken, salmon, and steaks were the top “how to grill” searches on Google last year, in the lead-up to the Fourth of July holiday.

But this year, among the most searched topics in the “how to barbecue” category, according to Google search data, corn on the cob got the most searches. Here are the top five:

How to Grill Corn on the Cob
How to Grill Salmon
How to Grill a Chicken Breast
How to Grill Asparagus
How to Grill Hamburgers

Most home cooks may be proficient at cooking meat, but remember to cook meat thoroughly and follow proper food safety guidelines when barbecuing.

Best Grills to Buy:Check out the 7 best barbecues recommended by Reviewed.com

Most Searched Types of Barbecue Sauces by State

Tastes also seem to be changing when it comes to barbecue sauces.

It could be a case of familiarity of traditional barbecue sauce styles leading to a slowdown in search traffic, but the most searched type of barbecue sauce before July 4, according to Google search data, was overwhelmingly “Japanese barbecue sauce,” followed by Hawaiian barbecue sauce, Korean barbecue sauce, white barbecue sauce, and Carolina barbecue sauce.

Top Types of Hot Dogs Searched for by State

Beef hot dogs and kosher hot dogs got the most attention in Google searches for unique hot dog types ahead of July 4. But others like the Korean hot dog, Chicago hot dog, Coney Island hot dog and Sonoran hot dog got more traffic, according to Google search data.

Surprises? The Reindeer Hot Dog, sought after in Alaska, the Dirty Water Hot Dog, sought after in Hawaii, and the Red Snapper Hot Dog (Maine).

The Best 4th of July Salads

Pasta salad was the most searched-for salad in most states ahead of July 4, followed by cucumber salad, chicken salad, fruit salad and others, according to Google search data.

The hottest cocktails for the 4th of July

According to Google search data, searches for the Bomb Pop cocktail increased in the United States in the week leading up to July 4. (Google defines “top trending” searches as: search terms that saw the largest increase in traffic over a given period compared to the previous equivalent period.)

Bomb Cocktail
Sangria
Aeronautical cocktail
Margarita
Aperol Spritz

The Most Trending Things to Do on July 4th

What are Americans planning to do during the week and weekend of July 4? The dangerous heat in the United States leading up to July 4 may have contributed to a surge in Google searches, giving “water park” a higher-than-usual spike in traffic compared to “fireworks” and “camping.” (Note: searches for branded venues were excluded from the results.)