Independence Day celebrations are shifting, with some cities opting for drones instead of fireworks and holiday grillmasters getting busy grilling corn and asparagus.
More Americans plan to grill or barbecue on the Fourth of July this year (56%) than last year (49%), according to a survey of more than 1,000 people conducted in April 2024 by research firm Numerator.
Barbecues were second only to gathering with family and friends, with 58% listing a barbecue as one of their Fourth of July plans, ahead of attending a public celebration (31%), cooking or baking at home (26%) and having an invitation to a home (18%), the Numerator survey found.
What’s open on the 4th of July? View store hours and details for Target, Walmart, Home Depot and more.
What to cook on the 4th of July? Most searched “how to grill” foods
You might think that most grilling planning would focus on cooking a meat dish as the main course: Last year, meat dishes like chicken, salmon and steaks ranked highly in Google searches for “how to grill” ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
But this year, based on Google search data, corn was the most searched for topic on “how to grill.” Here are the top five:
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How to grill corn
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How to Grill Salmon
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How to Grill Chicken Breasts
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How to Grill Asparagus
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How to grill a hamburger
Most home cooks have probably mastered cooking meat, but when barbecuing, it’s important to remember to cook the meat thoroughly and follow proper food safety rules.
Best Grills to Buy: Check out Reviewed.com’s top 7 recommended grills
Barbecue Sauce Types Browsed by State
When it comes to barbecue sauce, tastes also appear to be changing.
While this could be a case of familiarity of traditional barbecue sauce styles resulting in lower search traffic, Google search data shows that the most searched-for type of barbecue sauce ahead of the Fourth of July 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 by state
Leading up to the Fourth of July, beef hot dogs and kosher dogs garnered attention in Google searches about unique hot dog varieties, but other hot dogs, including Korean hot dogs, Chicago hot dogs, Coney Island dogs and Sonoran hot dogs, received more visits, according to Google search data.
The surprise? Reindeer hot dogs from Alaska, Dirty Water hot dogs from Hawaii, and Red Snapper hot dogs from Maine.
Best Fourth of July Salad
According to Google search data, pasta salad was the most searched-for salad in most states by the Fourth of July, followed by cucumber salad, chicken salad, and fruit salad.
Popular 4th of July Cocktails
According to Google search data, searches for bomb pop cocktails spiked in the U.S. the week before the Fourth of July. (Google defines “top trending” searches as search terms that saw the biggest jump in traffic in a given time period compared to the same period the previous time.)
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Bomb Pop Cocktail
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sangria
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Aviation Cocktail
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Margarita
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Aperol Spritz
Recommended Activities for the 4th of July
What are Americans planning to do this Fourth of July week and weekend? Dangerously hot weather across the US leading up to the Fourth of July may have caused a spike in Google searches, with “water parks” seeing a bigger surge in traffic than “fireworks” or “camping” as usual. (Note: branded location searches were excluded from the results.)
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Waterfront Park
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firework
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camp
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movie
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Zoo
What should I wear on the 4th of July?
According to Google search data, “skort” was the fastest-growing category among all “red, white and blue” apparel items over the past week.
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Skort
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T-Shirts
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hat
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Heel
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Summer Dresses
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fourth of July food: Most searched for grilled dishes, cocktails, salads
