Most Popular Food to Grill by State

To determine the most popular food to grill in each state, Holiday Calendar conducted an online survey of 3,000 Americans between May 1st and May 15th, 2024, timed ahead of Memorial Day weekend to capture grilling preferences at the start of peak outdoor cooking season. Respondents were recruited through a nationally representative online panel and screened to include adults aged 18 and older who reported grilling at least once during the previous summer season. The sample was distributed across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with demographic quotas for age, gender, and region. Respondents were presented with a list of 20 common grilling items—including various cuts of beef, poultry, pork, seafood, and vegetables—and asked to select their single favorite food to cook on the grill. An open-ended write-in option was also available. State-level winners were determined by plurality vote. The survey has an overall margin of error of ±1.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.