First and foremost, I'm not saying this style of hot dog doesn't taste good or that the great people of Iowa never eat this style of hot dog. I just can't recall a single time I've seen this. That might be changing in 2024.

This type of hot dog is supposedly fantastic, especially if butter, brown sugar, and your favorite BBQ sauce are part of this hotdog concoction. Even with the Google trends evidence in front of my face, I have a hard time believing that this will be the most popular hot dog type for July 4th barbeques in Iowa.

What Hot Dogs Are You Making?

In my 33 years of life, the hot dogs being made at the July 4th BBQ are almost always straight from the grill to the hot dog bun. There's never been much more to it than that. Once you have your hot dog, you can choose from whatever condiments are available, and off you go.

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If I'm being honest, I don't think I realized how many different hot dog styles or types of hot dogs there were until I saw these results. You've probably heard of Chicago-style hot dogs, chili dogs, and coney dogs but have you heard of "dirty water hot dogs?" Apparently, they're pretty popular in Hawaii.

What style of hot dog are you making for July 4th?

Iowa's Most Searched Hot Dog for July 4

The most searched-for hot dog recipe in Iowa, ahead of July 4th, is the "Burnt Ends Hot Dog."

You've heard of burnt ends, which are normally the trimmings from a brisket but have you ever heard of or made burnt-end hot dogs? I've never made these before and that might have to change on Thursday.

If you're like me and have never tried these, they look pretty simple to make. You can either smoke or grill the hot dogs like you normally would, you cut them up into smaller pieces, and then cover them in the sauce of your choosing. Almost every recipe I've seen online uses butter, brown sugar, and some kind of BBQ sauce.

If you're planning on firing up the grill for July 4th and want to try and zest up your hot dog game this year, there are tons of different styles you can choose from, rather than your straightforward beef hot dog.

I might have to try the "White Hot Dog" this year, which is the most popular search in New York. It's a hotdog combined with pork, beef, and veal!