Meat and poultry

Hot dog nutrition, before and after the heat.

On USDA figures, 1 frankfurter works out at 155 calories and carries 5.6 g of protein. Those numbers describe “Frankfurter, beef, heated” in USDA FoodData Central. Cook it differently and that moves: the spread across the forms below is 315 to 322 calories per 100 g. Pick a portion in the panel and it recalculates on the spot; the nutrient table further down moves with it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

USDA FoodData Central records 173862, 174614 supply every value here. The calculation happens in this page.

How many calories does hot dog have?

1 frankfurter is 155 calories. Per 100 g it is 322. USDA publishes the serving weights below, so these are measured portions rather than rounded guesses.

What hot dog offers in protein

Expect 5.6 g of protein from 1 frankfurter, roughly 11 percent of a 50 g day. Protein is a minor part of hot dog, at 15 percent of its calories. The case for eating it lies elsewhere.

Its energy is 82 percent fat, 3 percent carbohydrate and 15 percent protein, meaning it behaves as mostly a fat in a meal.

Hot dog calories by preparation

The cheapest way to eat hot dog, in calorie terms, is as sold at 315 per 100 g. Cooked costs 322, which is 2 percent more, because of evaporation, which packs more of the food into each gram.

To keep it fair, all figures are for 48 g.

What to know before you cook hot dog

A hot dog is a cured, parboiled sausage. You can buy them made from beef, pork, poultry, or a mixture. They come skinless or in natural casings. Look for firm sausages with a dry surface. Natural casings provide a distinct snap when bitten, which many cooks prefer over skinless varieties.

Hot dogs are already cooked, so you only need to heat them through. High heat splits the skins and dries the meat. Gentle simmering or moderate grilling keeps the sausage plump. The common mistake is boiling them aggressively, which washes out the salty flavour and ruins the texture of the casing.

Serve hot dogs in split buns with mustard, ketchup, and pickled relish. In American cooking, they are topped with chilli or sauerkraut. In Denmark, they are eaten with fried onions and pickled cucumber. You can also slice them into noodle dishes or stir-fries for a quick savoury addition.

Hot dog: the full nutrient profile

Top of the list for 1 frankfurter: vitamin B12 at 29 percent of a day. The remaining nutrients are tabulated underneath and update live.

Watch the sodium: 852 mg in 100 g, or 37 percent of the recommended maximum for a day.

Hot dog and your daily targets

1 frankfurter: 8 percent of 2,000 calories, 11 percent of the protein Daily Value. Those are reference numbers; the TDEE calculator finds yours, and the macro calculator converts them to grams.

Recipes that start with hot dog

Three recipes from the Calorie Counter Team, each costed ingredient by ingredient against USDA records, so the per-serving figures are sums, not guesses.

Breakfast · British

Frankfurter and Egg Scramble

A quick breakfast of sliced frankfurters scrambled with eggs and butter.

10 min · serves 2

400kcal

22gprotein

33gfat

1.3gcarbs

Ingredients

• Frankfurters 150 g
• Large eggs 200 g
• Unsalted butter 15 g
• Table salt 2 g
• Ground black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Slice the frankfurters into 1-centimetre rounds.
2. Whisk the eggs, salt, and black pepper in a bowl.
3. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
4. Fry the frankfurter slices for 3 minutes until browned.
5. Pour in the eggs and stir gently until set.

Per serving, from 5 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Dinner · British

Frankfurter and Potato Traybake

A simple oven bake combining chopped frankfurters, diced potatoes, and onions.

45 min · serves 2

679kcal

24gprotein

46gfat

43gcarbs

Ingredients

• Frankfurters 300 g
• Potatoes, peeled and diced 400 g
• Onion, diced 150 g
• Olive oil 20 g
• Table salt 3 g
• Dried thyme 2 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Cut the frankfurters into 2-centimetre chunks.
3. Toss the potatoes, onions, oil, salt, and thyme on a baking tray.
4. Roast the vegetable mixture for 20 minutes.
5. Add the frankfurter chunks to the tray and stir.
6. Bake for another 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Summed from 6 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Lunch · Asian

Frankfurter and Noodle Stir-Fry

A fast stir-fry of noodles, cabbage, and sliced frankfurters with soy sauce.

15 min · serves 2

454kcal

18gprotein

25gfat

39gcarbs

Ingredients

• Frankfurters 150 g
• Dry egg noodles 100 g
• White cabbage, shredded 100 g
• Soy sauce 15 g
• Vegetable oil 10 g

Method

1. Boil the noodles in water for 3 minutes, then drain.
2. Slice the frankfurters diagonally into 1-centimetre pieces.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan.
4. Add the frankfurters and shredded cabbage, frying for 3 minutes.
5. Add the drained noodles and soy sauce to the pan.
6. Toss the mixture over high heat for 2 minutes.

5 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

One meal, costed: hot dog

One way to build a meal around hot dog, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

How hot dog compares with similar foods

All figures are for 100 g. Check the form column before comparing a raw food with a cooked one.

What people ask about hot dog

How many calories are in 1 frankfurter?

1 frankfurter is 155 calories. That comes from the USDA record “Frankfurter, beef, heated” (FDC 174614), which is 322 calories per 100 g.

How much protein does hot dog have?

5.6 g in 1 frankfurter, or 12 g per 100 g. That is 11 percent of the 50 g Daily Value.

Is hot dog higher in calories once it is prepared?

Yes, by a measurable amount: 48 g goes from 151 calories (as sold) to 155 (cooked), depending on preparation.

Is hot dog good for weight loss?

Weight change comes from the whole week’s intake. 1 frankfurter contributes 155 calories and 5.6 g of protein (15 percent of its energy), useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

Should you boil or grill a hot dog?

Grilling is better than boiling. Grilling browns the exterior and caramelises the juices, adding smoky flavour. Boiling tends to dilute the cure and make the meat soggy. If you do use water, keep it at a bare simmer.

Why do some hot dogs curl when cooked?

Hot dogs in natural casings curl because the casing shrinks faster than the meat filling. Skinless sausages stay straight. To prevent curving, score the casing with shallow, diagonal cuts before cooking. This also helps heat penetrate the centre.

Sources

• Frankfurter, beef, unheated — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173862
• Frankfurter, beef, heated — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174614
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9