Hispanic Grill Watch Survey.

The first Weber Hispanic GrillWatch Survey, a comprehensive study looking into the outdoor grilling habits of Hispanic Americans, reveals Hispanic Americans host a lot of barbecues. And when they do, it’s with family, grilling chicken and meat while listening to Nortenas music.

According to the study, 73 percent of Hispanic Americans host five or more barbecues during the summer compared to 31 percent of Americans overall. Among those using gas grills, 81 percent host five or more barbecues, while 72 percent of those using charcoal host the same amount.

“The Weber Hispanic GrillWatch Survey reconfirms our belief that Hispanic Americans grill more often than the country’s mainstream,” said John Medina, Hispanic sales and marketing specialist for Weber-Stephen Products Co. “It makes sense, as Hispanics have a very strong sense of family, and hosting a barbecue is a very communal, familial activity that brings people close together.”

Hispanic barbecue grill owners throughout the United States completed the Weber Hispanic GrillWatch Survey, which was conducted in Spanish via telephone by third-party Garcia Research Associates, Inc. to ensure accuracy and objectivity. All participants were required to speak Spanish as their primary language, were over age 21, and own a gas, charcoal, or electric barbecue grill or smoker.

Other Indicators Hispanic Americans Enjoy Grilling

— Hispanic Americans who use gas grills are more likely to grill weekly (61 percent) compared to 41 percent who use charcoal.
— Sixty-one percent are likely to use their grill away from home.
— When it comes to grilling different courses of the meal, 44 percent grill their entire meal.
— Sixty-six percent use a full-size model grill compared to 34 percent who use smaller, portable tabletop versions.
— Forty-two percent say they prefer the taste of their food grilled over charcoal, while an additional 42 percent use only charcoal to grill their food.
— Flavor of barbecued food is the number one reason Hispanic Americans grill out (43 percent).

Charcoal Over Gas

Hispanic grill enthusiasts favor charcoal barbecue grills over gas. In fact, 65 percent of Hispanic Americans own a charcoal grill, with 28 percent owning a liquid propone gas grill. When it comes to the grill used most often, charcoal reigns by nearly a two-to-one margin (62 percent charcoal; 32 percent gas). Furthermore, among Hispanic Americans who own both a charcoal and gas grill, forty-four percent say the charcoal tends to get used more often. One quarter say they use both grills equally as often.

What’s on the Grill

Overall, Hispanic Americans grill a wide variety of foods with 97 percent grilling chicken. Meat is next at 96 percent, followed by fruits and vegetables (94 percent) and seafood (71 percent). Other popular items Hispanic Americans grill include pork ribs, spicy sausage, pork roast, meat loaf, ham, goat, onions, corn, hot peppers, mango, shrimp, lobster, clams, octopus, and conch meat. When it comes to their all-time favorite food to grill, Hispanic Americans say it’s a close tie between beef or flat meat (seasoned meat pounded thin and cooked) at 20 percent, and grilled meats at 19 percent.

Hispanic Americans and Smoke Cooking

Smoke cooking is not a popular method of cooking among Hispanic American grillers. When asked about smoke cooking only 17 percent say they have tried it, while 70 percent say they aren’t familiar with the method. And while 22 percent say they would like to try smoke cooking, 50 percent say they are not interested.

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo and Other Holidays

Hispanic Americans grill for all occasions with 28 percent celebrating Cinco de Mayo behind the grill. Birthday celebrations top the list at 78 percent, followed by 55 percent celebrating the Fourth of July, 51 percent gathering for Mother’s Day and 41 percent celebrating Father’s Day. Other holidays and celebrations making the list include Memorial Day (34 percent), Labor Day (33 percent), Thanksgiving and Christmas (21 percent), and Semana Santa (20 percent).

Whom to Invite to the Barbecue

Family comes first among Hispanic Americans. When asked if they could invite anyone in the world to a barbecue, 63 percent say they would invite family while 39 percent would invite friends. On average, Hispanic Americans say about a dozen people normally attend barbecues at their home regardless of whether they use a charcoal grill (12 people) or a gas grill (13.4 people). Fifty-nine percent typically have more than 10 people at their cookout.

Music to Grill By

Hispanic American grill owners listen to a variety of music when grilling. Thirty-seven percent say Nortenas is their favorite followed by Cumbias (35 percent), Boleros (27 percent), Banda (24 percent) and Salsa (21 percent). Nortenas is preferred more by Hispanic Americans under age 35 (41 percent) than those ages 35 to 54 (35 percent) or over age 55 (32 percent). Hispanic Americans over age 55 are much more likely to enjoy Rancheras (20 percent) than are those ages 35 to 54 (10 percent) or under age 35 (7 percent).

Favorite Places to Grill

Sixty-one percent of Hispanic Americans say they are as likely to use their grill away from home. Parks, beaches, and forests or campgrounds top the list of locations. Bringing a grill to a park is most common for 53 percent of Hispanics surveyed living in the Western region of the country. Overall, 44 percent are more likely to take their grill to the park, 12 percent say they like to grill in a forest or campground and an additional 12 percent like to grill on the beach.