5 Best Summer Hot Dogs
With a warm breeze as their ultimate side dish, franks are a simple summer staple everyone can enjoy. Fire up the grill for these best-in-show dogs.
Oscar Mayer Selects Beef Franks
Tasters' Pick: Taste and texture came together perfectly in Oscar Mayer's Selects Beef Franks ($5.69 for 16 oz.) with their "smoky," "meaty" flavor and "crisp" casing that couldn't be beat. This "hearty," "flavorful" hot dog "tastes like sausage" and boasts a lack of any added artificial preservatives, like nitrites or nitrates.
Ball Park Deli Style Beef Franks
Taste testers looking for more than just a salty hot dog ranked Ball Park Deli Style beef franks ($4.41 for 15 oz.) highly for its "classic" taste mixed with a "hint of sweetness." Described as "rich" and "beefy," this "satisfying" hot dog hit the spot and had tasters reaching for seconds.
Related: Our Summer Grilling Cookbook
Boar's Head Pork and Beef Frankfurters
Editors' Pick: "The crispy skin is terrific!" pretty much sums up testers' reactions to the natural casing of this pork and beef frank from Boar's Head ($5.99 for 14 oz.). The "super crackly" exterior was a delight to those looking for a contrast to the chewier interior. The pronounced pork flavor also added delicious depth to the meaty richness of this frank.
Ball Park Premium Beef Franks
Described as "garlicky" with "a nice salty/sweet balance," Ball Park Premium Beef Franks ($4.11 for 16 oz.) were an overall hit with tasters who appreciated their "milder," "slightly less salty" flavor. Most preferred their "crispy" exteriors to its "pasty," "bologna"-like interiors, which were just a bit "too smooth."
Related: How to Grill Vegetables
Oscar Mayer Selects Angus Beef Franks
Tasters were divided on the "smoky" flavor of these Angus beef hot dogs ($5.69 for 15 oz.); some enjoyed the assertiveness of it, while others thought them slightly artificial tasting. Most tasters loved the "satisfying snap" of this hot dog when they bit into it and compared its "garlicky" flavor to those you would find at a classic New York hot dog cart.
For all 11 reviews, be sure to check out the results of our hot dog taste test . Be sure to check out our top picks for mustard, ketchup, and relish to dress your dog up right!
- by The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen
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