How many calories are in a hot dog?
One hot dog on a white bun weighs 102 g and carries 302 calories. Per 100 g the whole sandwich runs 296 calories, which is less than the frankfurter on its own at 310 — the bread dilutes the meat rather than adding to it. The sodium is the number that should stop you: 695 mg in one.
You'd need to walk about 60 minutes to burn the 302 calories in one hot dog (102 g).
How long does it take to burn off a hot dog?
One hot dog (102 g) is 302 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 302 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 1 hr |
| Cycling, moderate | 38 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 43 min |
| Jogging | 36 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 1 hr 7 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (102 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Hot dog quick facts
- US servings, from one ounce to three dogs
- Wheat bun, turkey and vegetarian versions
- Sodium and saturated fat outrank the calories
- How does a hot dog compare?
- Most popular hot dog brands
- Hot dog FAQs
Hot dog quick facts
The record behind this page is FNDDS 2707056, "Hot dog sandwich, NFS, on white bun". It was picked for one reason: that is what people actually hold. A ballpark hot dog, a backyard hot dog and a gas-station hot dog all arrive as a link inside a soft white roll, and USDA gives that combination a household serving of one sandwich at 102 g. Logging the bare frankfurter and forgetting the bun is the single most common way this food gets undercounted.
USDA also publishes a separate "beef" hot dog sandwich entry, but its numbers repeat the NFS row line for line, so the figures below are the beef figures too. Added sugars and trans fat have no rows in the table because this FNDDS release does not publish either value for the record — no number, no row.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 hot dog (102 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 296 | 302 | — |
| Total fat | 17.37 g | 17.7 g | 23% |
| Saturated fat | 6.74 g | 6.9 g | 34% |
| Carbohydrate | 23.73 g | 24.2 g | 9% |
| Dietary fiber | 0.8 g | 0.8 g | 3% |
| Total sugars | 3.92 g | 4.0 g | — |
| Protein | 10.85 g | 11.1 g | 22% |
| Sodium | 681 mg | 695 mg | 30% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Two more rows worth knowing: one hot dog carries 33 mg of cholesterol, 11% of the Daily Value, and 241 mg of potassium, only 5%. The 4.0 g of total sugars comes almost entirely from the roll, and total sugars have no Daily Value of their own, which is why that cell stays empty.
US servings, from one ounce to three dogs
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28.4 g | 84 kcal |
| Half a hot dog | 51 g | 151 kcal |
| One hot dog, standard bun | 102 g | 302 kcal |
| Two hot dogs | 204 g | 604 kcal |
| Three hot dogs | 306 g | 906 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 296 kcal |
Only one line there is a USDA household measure: the 102 g sandwich. The half, the two-dog plate, the three-dog plate and the ounce are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, not USDA servings. They are honest scalings, and they are the portions people actually eat — nobody stops at 0.7 of a hot dog.
The three-dog line is the one to sit with. At 906 calories, a cookout plate of three is most of a day's lunch and dinner combined, and it lands before you count the chips, the potato salad or the soda. If you want the total under 400, one dog plus a side is the shape that works; two dogs is a 604-calorie meal on its own and needs the rest of the plate to be vegetables.
Condiments are not in any of these numbers. Ketchup, mustard, relish and diced onion each add on top of the 302, and USDA carries them as separate records rather than inside the sandwich entry, so nothing here quantifies them.
Wheat bun, turkey and vegetarian versions
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot dog on a white bun (main record) | 296 kcal | 1 sandwich, 102 g | 302 kcal |
| Hot dog on a wheat bun | 290 kcal | 1 sandwich, 102 g | 296 kcal |
| Hot dog on white bread | 295 kcal | 1 sandwich, 1 slice, 87 g | 257 kcal |
| Turkey hot dog on a white bun | 248 kcal | per 100 g | 248 kcal |
| Reduced-fat hot dog on a white bun | 244 kcal | per 100 g | 244 kcal |
| Vegetarian hot dog on a bun | 251 kcal | 1 sandwich, 115 g | 289 kcal |
| Frankfurter only, no bun | 310 kcal | per 100 g | 310 kcal |
The wheat bun barely moves the calories — 296 against 302 for the same 102 g sandwich — but it triples the fiber, 2.4 g per 100 g against 0.8 g. That is the swap with the smallest calorie payoff and the biggest payoff everywhere else.
The white-bread version looks like the lightest sandwich at 257 calories, and it is, but only because the whole thing weighs 87 g instead of 102 g. Per 100 g it is 295, essentially the same food. Less bread, not less density.
Turkey and reduced-fat links are the two real reductions: 248 and 244 calories per 100 g, roughly 16% and 18% below the standard sandwich. The vegetarian version on a bun comes in at 251 per 100 g and 289 for its 115 g sandwich, and it is the protein leader of the whole table at 15.76 g per 100 g, with 3.1 g of fiber and no cholesterol.
The frankfurter with no bun is the line that surprises people. It is the densest row here, 310 calories per 100 g, because there is no bread thinning it out. It also carries 828 mg of sodium per 100 g and 11.4 g of saturated fat. Skipping the bun cuts the calories you eat, since you eat far less food, but it raises the concentration of everything you are worried about.
USDA's branded listings are for the links alone, without a roll. An Applegate organic uncured beef hot dog is 100 calories for a 47 g link, 110 for a 56 g link, and Teton Waters Ranch lists 130 for 57 g. Add a white roll to any of those and you are back near the 296 to 302 range of the full sandwich.
Sodium and saturated fat outrank the calories
At 302 calories, one hot dog is about 15% of a 2,000-calorie day — unremarkable for a handheld lunch. The other two rows are not. That same hot dog delivers 695 mg of sodium, 30% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value the FDA sets, and 6.9 g of saturated fat, 34% of the 20 g Daily Value. Two dogs put you at 1,390 mg of sodium and 13.8 g of saturated fat by our arithmetic: 60% and 69% of the day from one plate.
Put another way, one hot dog carries roughly a third of a teaspoon of table salt. That is the cost of a cured, emulsified sausage, and it barely moves with the "lighter" options — the turkey sandwich is 702 mg per 100 g and the reduced-fat one 561 mg, against 681 mg for the standard. Lower in calories does not mean lower in salt.
If sodium is the number you watch, the vegetarian sandwich is the clear pick at 466 mg per 100 g, the lowest of every version here, with 1.34 g of saturated fat. If protein per calorie is what you are after, the same row wins again at 15.76 g per 100 g. MyPlate's protein foods guidance treats processed meats as an occasional choice rather than a staple, and the sodium row is exactly why.
How does a hot dog compare?
| Version | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot dog on a white bun | 296 kcal | 1 sandwich, 102 g | 302 kcal |
| Hot dog on a wheat bun | 290 kcal | 1 sandwich, 102 g | 296 kcal |
| Hot dog on white bread | 295 kcal | 1 sandwich, 1 slice, 87 g | 257 kcal |
| Vegetarian hot dog on a bun | 251 kcal | 1 sandwich, 115 g | 289 kcal |
Our take: these four are closer than the labels suggest, and only 45 calories separate the heaviest sandwich from the lightest. For weight loss, the choice that actually helps is one dog instead of two, not a different dog — 302 versus 604 dwarfs every swap in the table. For sodium and saturated fat, the vegetarian version is the real change, at 466 mg and 1.34 g per 100 g. And for fullness per calorie, the wheat bun plus a plain link is the quiet winner: same 296 calories, three times the fiber, no compromise on the thing you came for.
Most popular hot dog brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Teton Waters Ranch Mini Uncured Beef Hot Dogs | 228 cal |
| Stemple Creek Ranch Uncured Beef Hot Dogs | 263 cal |
| Teton Waters Ranch Uncured Beef Hot Dogs | 228 cal |
| Applegate The Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog | 213 cal |
| Applegate The Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog (56 g link) | 196 cal |
| Applegate The Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog (48 g link) | 188 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Hot dog FAQs
How many calories are in a hot dog with bun?
302 calories for one hot dog on a white bun, 102 g as USDA weighs it, or 296 calories per 100 g. That covers the frankfurter and the plain bun and nothing else: ketchup, mustard, relish and chili all sit on top of that number.
How many calories in a hot dog without the bun?
310 calories per 100 g for the frankfurter alone, higher than the 296 of the full sandwich because no bread is thinning it out. We have no USDA household weight for the bare link, so 100 g is the honest unit here. It also brings 828 mg of sodium.
How much sodium is in a hot dog?
695 mg in one hot dog on a white bun, which is 30% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value and roughly a third of a teaspoon of table salt. Two dogs reach 1,390 mg, 60% of the day, by our own arithmetic — before chips, pickles or condiments.
Are turkey hot dogs healthier than beef hot dogs?
248 calories per 100 g for a turkey hot dog sandwich against 296 for the standard beef one, so turkey saves about 16%. Saturated fat is where it really wins: 2.62 g against 6.74 g per 100 g. Sodium goes the other way, 702 mg against 681 mg.
How many calories in two hot dogs?
604 calories for two hot dogs on white buns, 204 g in total. That is our own arithmetic from the USDA 102 g sandwich, not a USDA serving. Two also means 1,390 mg of sodium, 60% of the Daily Value, and 13.8 g of saturated fat, 69% of it.
How much protein is in a hot dog?
11.1 g of protein in one hot dog, 22% of the 50 g Daily Value, or 10.85 g per 100 g of sandwich. The vegetarian version on a bun is actually the protein leader at 15.76 g per 100 g. Meat is not automatically the higher number in this group.
How many calories in a hot dog bun?
267 calories per 100 g for a plain white hot dog roll, with 49.2 g of carbohydrate, 2.3 g of fiber and 450 mg of sodium. We have no USDA household weight for a single roll, so it is quoted per 100 g rather than guessed at a bun size.
Do hot dogs have carbs?
24.2 g of carbohydrate in one hot dog on a white bun, 9% of the Daily Value, and almost all of it is the roll. The frankfurter by itself carries only 2.89 g per 100 g. Move to a wheat bun and the sandwich drops to 21.65 g per 100 g.
Similar foods
- Hush puppies — 521 cal for 8 hush puppies
- Mozzarella — 334 cal per cup, shredded
- Ribeye Steak — 495 cal per 8 oz steak
- Chuck Roast — 257 cal per 3 oz
- Burger — 418 cal per hamburger
- Sausage — 210 cal per link
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the hot dog for you, bun and all.
