Which is Better? The Burger and the Hot Dog Battle It Out

Our two fast-food, grill-time favorites go head to head. This month, we showed you the ultimate ways to build a homemade burger and dress up a hot dog. Now, the authors of each article, our editors Ruby and Xueci take our challenge to debate which is the real winner! Have your say in the comments!

Team hot dog:

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good burger. But just wandering around Berlin made me realize, burgers have a much stronger presence in the food scene. That’s why I’m choosing to shout out, “Hot dogs deserve better attention!”, today. I’m here to support the true under... dog.

The hot dog is THE underrated cookout food. Why? First and foremost, it’s handy. It’s easy-to-assemble food for multitaskers. Casually having a beer or soda in one hand and taking a satisfying bite of a loaded ‘dog at the same time? No problem. Secondly, it offers different possibilities for texture and flavors. Like a white canvas, the hot dog takes well with many toppings and condiments whether you like it simple and unadorned, with cheddar cheese and pickles; or more gourmet, with kimchi, caviar or truffle (it does exist!). Lastly, it’s a crowd pleaser: Set up a toppings bar in your backyard, or prep them in jars and containers to bring to a picnic so everyone can build their own ‘dog. For a stress-free picnic, you don’t even technically have to cook anything—just warm up a couple of hot dogs. Ta da!

So, are you ready to embrace our love for hot dog this grill season?

40 min

12.3k

Hot dog with three toppings

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Team burger:

Why are burgers winners? Because the people made it so. In my humble opinion, the burger is a truly democratic food. I would even go so far as to say they are almost their own food group—this is a showdown and I’m going superlative. Argument nº 1: A lot can be sandwiched between 2 (large, bigger than hot dog) buns and still be classified as a burger. Think about it: from omnivorous offerings like your classic beef patty to fried chicken; emoji-like Shake Shack burgers to pescetarian battered fish patties with tartar sauce; vegetarian halloumi burgers or vegan pulled jackfruit... all the way over to those who favor the categorically questionable ‘naked’ burger (in the spirit of burger democracy, to each their own)—there is something for everyone, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Let’s commence argument nº 2: Then, there are all the mealtimes you can sneak a burger into: bacon-y breakfast burgers, goodbye-productivity-I-need-a-burger lunches, sloppy dinner burgers, sliders as snack burgers… There are even dessert burgers, if you consider Sicily’s truly glorious brioche filled with gelato. There’s no time for boredom. Sure, a hot dog, depending on what you load it up with, might be the more compact choice—but a burger ticks all the boxes of finger-licking good food, prompting the taste buds to take over, making even the slowest eater shovel it in with pure calorific need. So vote 1 for a more satisfying, although messier, but generally more interesting future. Vote for what has always been there for you through the good times and bad. Vote burger.

30 min

62.5k

The burger

Go to recipe

What’s your take on the big debate? Are you team hot dog or burger? Let us know in the comments!