Grilling Is On the Rise Among Hispanics.

Hispanics are firing-up their outdoor grills more than ever. While 47 percent of Hispanics grill at least once per week during the grilling season (similar to last year), approximately 23 percent say they are grilling more than last year. In addition to these key findings, the second Weber Hispanic GrillWatch Survey also reveals the following outdoor grilling habits of Hispanics associated with ownership and usage, foods, and entertaining.

Grill Ownership & Usage

Hispanics continue to prefer charcoal as the barbecue grill of choice. Among Hispanics owning grills, 71 percent report they own a charcoal grill (up from 65 percent last year). The majority favors using charcoal grills over gas by a wide margin—charcoal 67 percent to gas 29 percent.

— Outdoor Grilling—Percentage of Hispanics who prefer grilling outdoors to cooking inside has increased to 34 percent this year, up from 24 percent last year.

— Year-round Grilling—Grilling year-round among Hispanics is up to 30 percent from 22 percent last year. Americans overall, however, are more likely (58 percent) than Hispanics to grill year-round.

— Reason for Grilling—Flavor of the food continues to be the number one reason why Hispanics barbecue (34 percent), followed by 15 percent who grill as a healthy way to cook, and 11 percent who say it’s a good way to get together with the whole family.

— Portable Grilling—Among grills used most often, smaller, portable grills are increasing in popularity at 44 percent (up from 34 percent last year). Hispanics are more likely (44 percent) to use a portable grill compared to 18 percent of Americans overall.

— Women at the Grill—Women are significantly more likely to say they are grilling more than last year (29 percent) than are men (18 percent).

— Grilling Skills—Nearly half of the respondents say their grilling skills are on the same level with most others (47 percent), while 21 percent rate their grilling skills as better than most.

— Grill Size—Full-size grills are used most often and considered most popular (55 percent).

— Spending—Those who primarily use gas stand-up grills say they would spend more (average $207) than those who use charcoal stand-up grills (average $135).

— Luxury Grills—Majority of Hispanics (73 percent) say they would like a luxury grill with a stainless steel finish and all the modern features. Women are significantly more likely to say they want a luxury grill than men (80 percent versus 66 percent).

Grilled Foods

What’s on the grill? Hispanics have a slightly wider grilled food repertoire than Americans overall, including being more likely to grill fruits and vegetables. When asked how their grilling style has changed over the past year, most Hispanics say they basically grill the same foods (70 percent). However, 24 percent said they are either always trying new foods on the grill or they would like to try new foods but never have the time.

— Most Grilled Item—Meat continues to be the most grilled item at 98 percent, followed by poultry at 91 percent, fruits and vegetables at 84 percent, and seafood at 51 percent.

— Grilled Fruits and Vegetables—Approximately 84 percent of Hispanics say they grill fruits and vegetables compared to only 68 percent of Americans overall.

— Most Popular Fruits and Vegetables—Certain fruits and vegetables are much more popular among Hispanics than Americans overall, including onions (72 percent versus 44 percent), corn on the cob (64 percent versus 43 percent), and sweet potatoes (23 percent versus 10 percent). Other top mentions included hot peppers, squash, asparagus, and pineapple.

— Burger and Hot Dogs—Only five percent of Hispanics said they grill burgers and hot dogs when grilling away from home, while 82 percent said they grill steak and chicken most often.

— Grill-Ready Foods—Only 12 percent said they tend to buy food which is already prepared for grilling. Younger grillers under age 35 are more likely to purchase grill-ready food (16 percent) as compared to those 45-54 years (9 percent), 55-64 years (7 percent) or 65 and older (4 percent).

— Desserts—About six percent of respondents even grill their dessert, as compared to two percent of Americans overall.

Outdoor Entertaining

The percentage of Hispanics who are spending more time entertaining outdoors is on the rise. While 54 percent say they are spending the “same amount of time” compared to a couple years ago, 25 percent say they are spending “more time” entertaining outdoors (up from 19 percent last year).

— Family—When asked if they could invite anyone in the world to a barbecue, Hispanics say family definitely comes first at 81 percent, compared to six percent of Americans overall who would invite family or friends.

— Barbecue Parties—During the grilling season, 77 percent host five or more parties compared to 73 percent last year.

— Guest List—Approximately 75 percent of respondents say they invite up to 10 people to their home when they barbecue.

— Celebrations and Holidays—Hispanics grill for a variety of celebrations and holidays. Birthdays top the list at 48 percent followed by Fourth of July (24 percent), Christmas (10 percent), Mother’s Day (eight percent), Thanksgiving (seven percent), New Year’s (five percent) and Father’s Day (four percent). Other holidays mentioned for grilling include Cinco de Mayo, Semana Santa, Labor Day, Valentine’s Day and Mexico’s Independence Day.

— Music—Mexican music (32 percent) and romantic music or ballads (25 percent) top the list as favorite music. Other favorites include cumbias (21 percent), norteñas (17 percent), salsa (12 percent), and merengue (11 percent). By region, salsa and merengue are tops in the northeast and south atlantic, while Hispanics in the north central, south central, and west listen most to Mexican music.

— Popular Places to Grill—Public parks top the list as the most popular place to grill away from home (26 percent), while beaches, forest or campgrounds, and lakes top the rest of the list.

— Grilling Away from Home—When grilling away from home, 55 percent said they prefer to bring their own portable or backyard grill.

— Preparation—A strong majority (68 percent) say they pack their food the same morning, while 19 percent are very organized and prepare their food the night before when grilling away from home.

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