Why Are There 10 Hot Dogs but Only 8 Buns in Each Package?

If you’ve ever hosted a tailgate party or cookout, you’ve dealt with this frustrating mismatch: hot dogs are usually sold in a package of 10, while bags of hot dog buns are sold in 8-packs. 

Now if you whip up homemade vegan carrot dogs instead, this is no big deal since you can customize your number of marinated and grilled carrots to match the amount of buns and the amount of diners. Or you could slice up the extra hot dogs to use in pigs in a blanket. But otherwise, every time you make a platter of these beloved baseball stadium snacks and street-cart treats, you have a couple dogs without a bun to call home. 

A dog without a bun is certainly edible, true, but not nearly as amazing. So we couldn’t resist turning to the experts to inquire about why these packages don’t pair up. While we were at it, we asked Eric Mittenthal, the Washington, D.C.-based president of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council to dish about his favorite fun facts about this family-friendly food. (Don’t worry, we saved the “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” debate for another day.)

Why Don’t Hot Dogs and Buns Match in Package Size?

Until about 1940, hot dogs weren’t prepackaged for sale, according to the NHDSC. Shoppers would simply ask at the butcher shop for the quantity they desired, which would then be wrapped up like how you might score your steak or seafood today. Once manufacturers started offering hot dogs in pre-portioned packs, they typically bundled hot dogs by the pound (16 ounces).

“The most common size hot dogs are 10 hot dogs in a pound,” Mittenthal explains, which means that the classic hot dog is 1.6 ounces. Less frequently, he says, “There are also sometimes 8 per pound, and even some packages with 6 or 4 hot dogs.”

As far as their carb counterparts, “Hot dog buns most often come 8 per pack because the buns are baked in clusters of 4 in pans designed to hold 8 rolls,”  Mittenthal adds, hence the stack of two rows of 4 buns you’ll spy next to the loaves of bread at the supermarket. “While baking pans now come in configurations that allow baking 10 and even 12 at a time, the 8-roll pan remains the most popular.”

Most brands that sell hot dogs don’t also sell buns, and vice versa, except for a few outliers like Ballpark (which sells both buns and dogs). So each company sticks to what is most efficient for their manufacturing process, regardless of what their pairing pals across the country are doing.

There’s hope on the horizon, Mittenthal reveals: “It’s possible that we might see equal-sized portions in the future, as there have been some efforts in recent years from hot dog companies to match the number of dogs to the number of buns.”

Related: 6 Best Healthy Hot Dogs

Try This Savvy Solution to Match Hot Dogs and Buns

Until then, to balance the equation, Mittenthal says it’s especially easy if you’re hosting a crowd.

“Just use math! Buy four packs of 10 hot dogs and five packs of 8 buns and throw a party. It’s a perfect solution,” he suggests.

If you’re cooking for a smaller crew, you can put the two extra hot dogs to good use by slicing them into ¼-inch to ½-inch pieces to fold into scrambled eggs, stir into chili (like a chili dog remix!), toss into baked beans, mix into mac and cheese or sauté into a sweet potato hash. Or simply use a couple of tortillas or slices of bread instead of the two MIA buns.

Fun Facts About Hot Dogs

While we had Mittenthal on the line, we asked him to share some of his favorite sausage stats and facts from the NHDSC.

• Location matters. Residents of the Southern states tend to eat more hot dogs per year than individuals who reside in other parts of the country.
• Dress it up. The most popular hot dog toppings vary by region. According to a 2021 survey by the NHDSC, the most requested condiments include mustard (preferred by 68% of the 1,000 people they polled), ketchup (61%), diced onions (61%), relish (41%), chili (30%) and cheese (29%). Bacon, mayo, sauerkraut and coleslaw also made strong showings.
• Eating on the fly. Travelers who fly through O’Hare International Airport in Chicago eat more than those who jet through other popular airports such as Los Angeles International Airport or New York City’s LaGuardia.
• Dogs are pretty popular. Americans buy about 9 billion hot dogs at supermarkets, which equals 350 million pounds (packages) of hot dogs. The NHDSC estimates that we actually eat about 20 billion once you factor in the quantity consumed at sports events, fairs, festivals, street carts and other public venues. This nets out to about 70 hot dogs per person each year, or one dog every 5 days.

Bottom Line

Hot dogs and their companion buns are sold in different-sized quantities due to the fact that most prepackaged meats are offered by the pound, while bread and buns are sold in sizes that are defined by the pans they’re baked in. If you’re hosting a larger gathering, purchase five packs of buns and four packs of hot dogs, and you’ll have 40 each. Sausage problem solved.