We tested 15 hot dog brands – here’s the best

Beloved by kids and adults alike, the humble hot dog is almost impossible to mess up, whether you pile on the toppings or keep things simple. Americans ate nearly 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2025, according to estimates from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. But with so many brands in grocery stores, choosing a package can take more thought than cooking it.

To help narrow down the options, Food & Wine food stylist Julian Hensarling teamed up with Lee Pantazis, owner of Gus’s Hot Dogs in Birmingham, Alabama, to sample 15 store-bought all-beef hot dogs in a recent Food Flight video.

Their first choice? Nathan’s Natural Casing Beef Franks, followed by Kirkland Signature. Two brands tied for third, giving shoppers four options at the top of the rankings.

How we tasted the hot dogs

During the blind tasting, Hensarling and Pantazis rated each hot dog before its brand was revealed. All were cooked the same way on the grill and tasters tried them plain and in a roll. Leaving out the condiments, let them assess the flavor and texture without toppings masking the differences.

They were looking for balanced seasoning, beefy flavor and a firm but not stiff texture with a satisfying crunch. Appearance also mattered, including the color and the way each hot dog filled the bun.

Pantazis brought the perspective of a hot dog shop owner, looking for garlic and other seasonings to complement the beef. Hensarling evaluated presentation as well as flavor and texture, noting which franks tasted as good as they tasted.

“I want a little salt, a little sweet, a little fatty, a little spicy,” Pantazis says.

The best-selling hot dogs in stores

1. Nathan’s natural casing beef franks

Nathan’s Natural Casing Beef Franks earned the highest marks, with both tasters giving them an 8. The casing provided a satisfactory result, while the flavor, texture and proportions made it the most complete package of the tasting.

“The flavor, the consistency, the mouthfeel, the size, the shape. Everything about it screams perfect hot dog,” Hensarling says.

The appearance was not impeccable: both noted that the franc looked a little grayer than some of the others. But its texture and flavor more than made up for it.

“The natural casing was definitely part of what made it superior,” Pantazis says.

2. Kirkland signing

Kirkland Signature Beef Hot Dogs at Costco impressed both tasters with their juiciness and balanced seasoning. They noted pleasant sweetness, sufficient salt and no bitterness, with Hensarling giving a 7.5 and Pantazis a 7.

“If someone hands me this at a barbecue, I’ll go back for a second,” Pantazis says.

The Costco brand stood up to all the judging criteria. “Flavor, consistency, color, texture,” Pantazis says in the final ranking. “It’s a high-quality product that we both enjoy.”

3. Marketplace Skinless Angus Beef Franks and Sabrett Beef Sausages

Walmart’s Marketside Angus Beef Franks stood out for their juicy texture, balanced flavor and crispy exterior. The texture even made tasters wonder if the franks had a casing before checking the packaging and confirming they were skinless. Both gave them a 7.

“The flavor was there. It wasn’t too much,” Pantazis says.

Sabrett Skinless Beef Frankfurters matched that score, earning praise for their bold flavor and springy texture. Both tasters initially guessed it was Nathan before the brand reveal, while Pantazis enjoyed their slightly sweeter smoke flavor.

“It’s coming back,” explains Pantazis during the tasting. “It’s a good texture. It’s a good hot dog.”