Have you ever thought about what you’re actually consuming when you fire up a hot dog? Here is some of the gross American food we’re actually eating in the United States.
Deep-Fried Butter
It’s true that things taste pretty good after being deep-fried. Now, normally, that applies to Oreos or fish, but not this time. This time, it’s even better.
Someone pushed it too far when they created deep-fried butter. That someone is Abel Gonzales Jr. He created the dish for a 2009 State Fair in Dallas, TX.
For what it’s worth, deep-fried butter actually won a prize for being the most creative entry. We have to hand it to him — it is creative.
Garbage Plates
If you’ve ever gone to a buffet, there’s a good chance you unknowingly created your own garbage plate. This Rochester, NY phenomenon is gaining steam.
It’s perfect for the glutton inside all of us. Garbage plates are almost like unique art forms, with your choice of meat, home fries, and macaroni salad.
There’s a ton of layering involved. And even if the food is garbage, the best garbage plates still look like masterpieces on Instagram. Serve us up.
Chitlins
Fans of the movie Babe, you may want to look away. Seriously, we’re warning you! Chitlins are made from a disturbing part of the pig.
Also known as chitterlings, this dish is made from pigs’ small intestines. Chitlins are quite popular in the South, and they grace many plates of soul food.
They’re pretty good to cook with; they have a relatively mild flavor, and will soak up whatever spices you use in your meal. We’d try it!
Jell-O Salad
Jell-O salad is an interesting dish. It consists of Jell-O and a multitude of other ingredients such as chopped-up fruits, veggies, marshmallows, or cottage cheese.
Though they were extremely popular — in both sweet and savory forms — during the ’60s and ’70s, Jell-O salads are still pretty classic. If a bit gross.
This is especially true in the Midwest, where many people seem to really enjoy them. We’re glad they like the, but that doesn’t make them good.
Burgoo
Now, to be fair, there are plenty of different types of burgoo. So, let’s talk about burgoo in its traditional form; it’s often served up in Kentucky.
Burgoo is a type of spicy stew. Sometimes, chefs make it with venison or mutton. But oftentimes, it’s made out of animals like squirrel, raccoons, and possums.
Sure, it makes sense to eat those small animals in cases of emergency. But otherwise, how can they even provide enough meat? Also, squirrels are too cute to eat.
Brain Sandwiches
The contestants on Survivor had difficulty choking down brain, but maybe it was because it wasn’t in proper sandwich form. Or maybe it was because it was brain.
But brain sandwiches are very popular in Indiana. They used to use cow brain, but switched over to pig, all thanks to Mad Cow Disease.
There’s a proper way to cook the brain so that it’s at its best. Make sure you have cold hands so that the brain doesn’t melt.
Clam Pizza
Remember when anchovies were the worst pizza topping imaginable? Then, people started hating on pineapple. Now, there’s another gross pizza topping in town: clams.
But now clams have made their way unto unsuspecting pizzas. Frank Pepe’s white clam pizza from New Haven, Connecticut, has been praised pretty heavily, in fact.
We can’t say that we wouldn’t try it. But you have to admit — it’s not what most people would order on a nightly basis.
Spam Musubi
Spam itself is an odd choice, but Spam Musubi? Yikes. This dish takes inspiration from Japanese onigiri, with the Spam served on rice, with seaweed.
My husband actually makes this one on occasion. I can always tell what went down based on the way the kitchen smells afterward. It’s not great.
The dish originated in the United States — Hawaii, to be exact, where Spam is exceedingly popular. And a Mrs. Mitsuko Kaneshiro is responsible for creating them.
Lamb Testicles
Bulls aren’t the only animal whose testicles became people food. People enjoy lamb testicles, too. The dish is called “lamb fries,” to soften the impact a little bit.
If you’re dying to try them out, they’re most popular in Kentucky. At least people are using every part of the lamb, right?
They’re not only eaten in Kentucky or in the United States. They’e popular in different parts of the world as well, including Italy, China, and Turkey.
Alligator Tails
When I think of alligators, I think of pure fear. I don’t think of them as appetizers, especially when mozzarella sticks exist. Or literally anything else.
But people in Florida (because of course it’s Florida) would disagree. In fact, many Southerners actually fry up alligator tails to eat as snacks.
I will say, it does seem pretty cool to be able to tell someone you’ve eaten alligator before. We’d give this gross American food a chance…maybe.
Akutaq
Akutaq is mostly enjoyed in Alaska, but it’s a legitimate dish. What’s in akutaq, you may wonder? Well, glad you asked! Let us tell you all about it.
Akutaq is an ice cream dish that, when made traditionally, uses seal oil. Sometimes, reindeer fat is used. Berries are often used as a natural sweetener.
The other name it often goes by is “Alaskan ice cream.” As for me, I’ll stick to good ol’ Ben & Jerry’s, thank you very much.
Koolickle
Did you ever wonder what’d happen if you tried to brine a pickle in some other liquid? Well, someone did — which is probably how Koolickles got their start.
Likely invented by a pregnant woman with weird cravings, but definitely invented in Mississippi, Koolickles are pickles brined in Kool-Aid. Oh yeah. Kool-Aid pickles.
Pretty gross American food. Now, people all across the country make them, for the novelty of it, if nothing else. We have to admit, we’re curious.
Ambrosia Salad
We’ve heard the Greek gods are suing. They named this after the food of immortals, but it’s more like a candy coma: canned fruit, Cool Whip, coconut, and marshmallows—childhood nostalgia meets a dental nightmare.
It’s pink. It’s squishy. It’s got more textures than a toddler’s toy bin. And someone always unironically brings it to family holidays.
Is it a salad? A dessert? A warning sign? The answer is yes. Yes to all of it.
Green Bean Casserole
Green beans, fried onions, and cream of mushroom soup combine to create green bean casserole. It’s a dish often enjoyed by Americans at Thanksgiving.
It definitely wasn’t present at the first Thanksgiving in the 17th century. But it’s managed to become a holiday staple, whether you like it or not.
It was created in 1955 by a woman named Dorcas Reilly for Campbell’s. Interestingly enough, she has no memory of how she came up with it.
Olive Loaf
Can we talk about olive loaf for a second? I feel like it’s always the weird second cousin at the deli party that nobody wants to acknowledge.
Olive loaf is exactly what you think it is — a loaf of meat with olives embedded in it. Definitely not as bad as an animal’s testicles.
According to The Daily Meal, this was most popular in America in the 1950s. But why does this still exist when ham is an option?
Spray Cheese
It took me a long time until I realized that Kraft Singles weren’t actual cheese. And the same can be said for spray cheese.
I’m not here to hate on the stuff, as it’s served me well in life, even though it probably doesn’t count as being cheese. Technically.
It was produced in Wisconsin early on, which is known as the cheese capital of the United States. So it’s got that going for it.
Pickled Pigs Feet
If you live in the southern United States, where these are popular, you’ve probably seen these in grocery stores before. My question to you is… why?
They look… not great. I’m going to go ahead and say they also taste… not great. I’ve never had them, so that review is unfair.
I feel like I’m smelling these things through the screen right now just by looking at the picture. But then again, I’m not from the south.
Scrapple
I lived in Pennsylvania for a large chunk of my life. And a pretty decent segment of that time was spent in diners, where they served American fare.
That’s where I learned what scrapple, a dish created in Mid-Atlantic United States, was. But I never tried it. It just seemed a little too strange.
It’s literally a loaf of pork scraps and cornmeal that can be cut and sliced. Why even bother when meatloaf already exists? The world will never know.
Turducken
Only in America would somebody think of stuffing an entire chicken into a duck that’s later stuffed into a turkey. That’s three uncomfortable layers.
Not to shame anyone who loves turducken, but they’re all pretty gruesome if you think about it. That’s way too much meat, and way too many animals.
Dr. Gerald R. LaNasa, a surgeon from New Orleans, is often credited as being the one who invented the dish. Like most foods, the origins have been contested.
Bull Testicles
You might know them better as “Rocky Mountain Oysters,” but no — this food has nothing to do with seafood. They’re bull testicles. Yep, bull testicles.
Created by ranchers in the Rocky Mountain area of North America, they also may be called “meatballs,” which is anatomically accurate. It’s also highly misleading.
At least they’re usually deep-fried. If we learned anything from deep-fried butter, it’s that some things taste better that way. In fact, most things do.
Bologna Cake
The unholy matrimony of lunch meat and desserts. Layer after terrifying layer of bologna, slathered in cream cheese frosting, built like a cake—but meant to be eaten!
With crackers. And a side of personal shame. It looks like a birthday cake that lost custody of its kids. One slice, and you’re suddenly questioning every decision that led to this moment.
Fancy a slice? Bring antacids and a therapist. It’s not dessert. It’s revenge in meat form.
Pineapple On Pizza
We already talked about clam pizza, but for non-Americans, this is right up there, too. Even in America, it’s a heated debate: pineapple or no pineapple.
No matter where you stand on the debate, the fact is that pineapple on pizza just isn’t traditional. You’d never find this dish in Italy.
Would pineapple on pizza cause pizza’s forefathers to roll over in their graves? Probably. Is it good anyway? We’ll leave that for you to decide.
American Cheese
Sure, we can all agree that spray cheese isn’t the greatest cuisine to come out of America. But what about American cheese?
You know, those plasticky orange slices of “cheese” manufactured and sold primarily by Kraft? They’re a staple for American grilled cheeses and other simple sandwiches.
As we grow up and try more authentic cheeses, most of us realize that American cheese just isn’t it. But there’s still something nostalgically delicious about the stuff.
Huge Portions
This one isn’t a particular dish. It’s more so the way that American food tends to come in huge, heaping portions that other countries take issue with.
People in many countries are raised to eat everything on their plates. It’s a commendable lesson that leads to less food waste, which we’re all for.
But when those people come to the States, they often find themselves eating two or three times as much as they normally would. The plates are huge.
Lutefisk
Fish soaked in lye, because why not? Take a fish. Soak it in drain cleaner. Revive it with water. Congratulations, you’ve made lutefisk—Norway’s gift to the American Midwest’s therapy bills.
It’s jiggly like a haunted Jell-O mold and smells like a post-apocalyptic fish market. It’s served during holidays because nothing says “family” like edible trauma.
People eat it out of cultural pride, but pride has limits. This dish crossed them, lit them on fire, and jiggled off into shame.
American Tacos
Here’s something I and many people I know couldn’t agree with more. The American taco is simply an abomination and an insult to authentic tacos everywhere.
It all starts with a hard corn taco shell. Then you add ground beef seasoned with mass-manufactured “taco seasoning” and some nonspecific cheese sauce or shredded cheddar.
Follow that up with diced tomatoes and lots of sour cream, and you have yourself a weird take on a delicious Mexican treat. We’ll take the original.
Deep-Dish Pizza
Residents of Chicago be warned: not everyone is a fan of this Illinois delicacy. To some, it’s an affront to what pizza was meant to be.
Deep-dish pizza is certainly a departure from the classic pizza slice. Rather than a thin crust with cheese and sauce, you have a lot more…of everything.
So while a pig slice of deep-dish pie might look appealing to many Americans, it’s just not appetizing for many others. To each their own!
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
Even to many Americans, this dish just doesn’t sound right. Sure, sweet potatoes are sweet. But they’re not a dessert, and they certainly don’t go with marshmallows.
According to Southern Living, this interesting dish likely came from a recipe pamphlet in 1917. It was created and distributed by the Angelus Marshmallow Company.
Surprise surprise, a marshmallow manufacturer was behind the creation of this marshmallow marketing scheme of a recipe. Why do people still make it today? It’s beyond us.
Donut Burger
If you’re looking for a quick way to give yourself a heart attack, look no further than the donut burger. It’s, unfortunately, exactly what it sounds like.
A donut burger is simply a hamburger, but instead of a bun, you’ll find a donut in its place. Honestly, we’re afraid to try it.
There’s some debate about where this culinary combo came from. Paula Deen has claimed its creation as her own, but many trace it back to Luther Vandross.
Liverwurst Spread
It’s meat, but in spread form (and smells like regret). Liverwurst gets blended into a paste to smear it on crackers, toast, or your rapidly deteriorating will to live.
It’s earthy, metallic, and absolutely committed to lingering in your mouth—and in the room. One sniff and even your dog backs away in disbelief.
Beloved by grandpas and feared by everyone else, this “spreadable snack” is like pâté’s weird cousin that never left the basement.
Sloppy Joes
You can’t deny that a food is gross when it literally has the word “sloppy” in its title. So is it weird that I’m now craving one?
These ultra-messy sandwiches made of ground beef with a thick sauce were the highlight of elementary school hot lunches everywhere. I can just smell it now.
According to Blue Apron, many people attribute the Joe to a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa. Apparently, a cook in 1930 (named Joe, of course) created this masterpiece.
Bacon-Wrapped Oreos
Take a beloved cookie, wrap it in bacon, and fry it. Now it’s salty, sweet, greasy, and completely overwhelmed by its own ambition—a snack with no chill.
Each bite feels like flavor warfare. The chocolate screams, the bacon shouts back, and your stomach whispers, “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”
It’s the kind of snack people bring to parties they don’t want to be invited back to. Equal parts chaos and cholesterol.
Chicken Gizzards
Let’s take another trip down south to look at this unsettling regional dish. If you don’t know what exactly a “gizzard” is, you’re not alone.
Chicken gizzards, as it turns out, are actually made of the stomach of a chicken. Gizzards actually aren’t just an American ingredient. They’re used in many cuisines worldwide.
In the States, though, chicken gizzards are typically breaded and deep-fried. They need to be thoroughly cleaned first to remove anything…unpalatable…that might be left behind.
Clam Juice
Need seafood essence without the joy of seafood? Clam juice is here, smelling like Poseidon’s armpit and tasting like a mermaid’s bad day. Have you seen a bottled ocean anxiety? This is it.
It’s sold as a “cooking enhancer,” but we all know it’s liquid regret. A dash in chowder, a splash in cocktails—what’s wrong with you?
The fact that this has a market suggests the apocalypse is closer than we think.
Poor Man’s Gravy
Also known as “red-eyed gravy,” this gravy is not what you might expect. Or did you expect it to contain coffee and sometimes cola? I sure didn’t.
This is yet another specialty that comes from America’s south. Usually, it’s made of salt-cured ham drippings mixed into a gravy with coffee. The coffee deglazes the pan.
That might not sound too bad, but what if you replaced the coffee with a splash of cola? We can’t say we’ve tried it, and we probably won’t.
American Nachos
There are two different images I get when I think of “nachos.” One is of a delicious plate of tortilla chips with seasoned ground meat, real cheese, and salsa.
The other? Soggy tortilla chips drenched in queso that you might pick up at the bowling alley. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve had and enjoyed both.
For people in other countries, though, learning that we call the latter “nachos” might come as a shock. It’s just another gross American food that we love.
Head Cheese
Not cheese. Still a crime! Take a pig’s head. Boil it. Scrape off the gooey bits. Mold that into a gelatinous loaf. Add salt and shame. Voilà: you’ve summoned head cheese.
It’s neither head nor cheese in any comforting way. Cold, meaty, jiggly—it’s what you’d find in Hannibal Lecter’s charcuterie spread.
Looks like deli meat, feels like betrayal. People slice it onto crackers like it’s normal. But nothing about meat jelly is okay. Absolutely nothing.
Canned Cheeseburger
An entire cheeseburger in a can. Bun included. (Shelf-stable shame!) The texture? Wet sock. The vibe? Culinary crime scene. If you hear a squelch, you’re already too deep.
It slides out of the can like a regretful birth. One bite, and you’re instantly transported to the apocalypse—minus the excitement.
Sold to campers, survivalists, and people who’ve never felt joy. It’s not fast food—it’s last food.
Liver and Onions
Sounds like a dinner and a dare. The iron-packed organ of nightmares, sautéed with onions in an attempt to mask the sadness. Chewy, metallic, and deeply divisive. Children weep. Adults lie.
It’s a dish people pretend to enjoy because their grandma made it. Nostalgia can be cruel like that.
It smells like a biology exam and tastes like punishment. Yet, somehow, it keeps showing up on menus like it has rights.
Mac and Cheese Ice Cream
You love mac and cheese. You love ice cream. But you should not love them together. Sweet cream with cheddar flavor—this is what betrayal tastes like. It’s a dairy treason!
The texture’s creamy, the color’s radioactive, and the aftertaste? Processed guilt. Perfect for confusing your mouth and upsetting your ancestors.
Great as a novelty. Terrible as dessert. Somewhere, a cow is crying in shame.
Tomato Aspic
Savory Jell-O for people with no friends. Take tomato juice, add unflavored gelatin, and then mold it like you’re hosting a 1950s nightmare dinner. Serve chilled with celery and shame.
It’s red, it jiggles, and it fights you with every bite. Cold tomato jelly is not the vibe, no matter how retro you feel.
People called it “classy” once. Those people are gone now. They were consumed by the aspic.
Boiled Peanuts
Ah, the South strikes again! Peanuts, boiled until soft like legume porridge. Wet, salty, mushy—exactly how no one wants their snack to feel. Texture fans, this one’s a war crime.
It tastes like if peanut butter got emotional and gave up. Popular at gas stations and awkward family reunions.
Some people swear by them. Others swear at them. Everyone agrees they’re weirdly damp.
Peanut Butter and Mayo Sandwich
Peanut butter and mayonnaise on bread is an actual combination that humans consume. (Proof that sandwich crimes exist.) Someone decided two creamy spreads with wildly opposite vibes needed to meet in the most intimate way: between sandwich slices.
It’s salty, fatty, tangy, and existential. Take a bite, and your taste buds will start filing HR complaints. It clings to your mouth like betrayal and doesn’t leave even when you beg.
This sandwich tastes like depression and confusion at a discount. If your lunch sounds like a therapy session, maybe just order a salad.
Velveeta Fudge
The time when sugar meets fake cheese in hell. It starts with a fudge recipe and ends with someone whispering, “Let’s add Velveeta.” And boom—you’ve entered the dimension where chocolate and processed cheese pretend to be friends!
The texture is disturbingly smooth. The taste is sweet, salty, creamy, and wrong on so many molecular levels. Have a slice and your soul develops lactose intolerance.
Velveeta fudge is what happens when dessert gives up on dignity. Great for shocking guests, ruining bake sales, and triggering spontaneous food-related therapy sessions.
Pizza with Peas and Carrots
Because toppings are real chaos now. At some point, someone looked at a perfectly good pizza and thought, “Needs peas.” Not basil. Not pepperoni. Peas. Like the kind of fake-chew you use to impress Grandma.
The little green orbs roll around like guilty toppings. They add nothing but confusion and a weird texture that screams, “This isn’t Italy anymore, Toto.”
It’s like salad crashed into your slice, and nobody cleaned up. Pineapples? Out. Peas? In. But honestly, peas belong in side dishes—not as surprise grenades in your cheesy triangle of happiness.
Tuna Jell-O Pie
From the darkest corners of vintage cookbooks, behold the tuna Jell-O pie: a mix of tuna, mayonnaise, lemon Jell-O, and trauma. Served cold because warm would be merciful. (Salty sadness in a crust.)
The filling jiggles like it knows it’s wrong. Fish and gelatin should never meet, let alone mingle inside a pie shell. That’s not flavor—it’s fa elony.
Each bite is a salty, sour memory of 1950s culinary rebellion. This isn’t food. It’s a mid-century cry for help in casserole form.
Deep-Fried Coca-Cola
You heard right. Mix Coca-Cola into batter, deep-fry it, and top with whipped cream and a drizzle of syrup. The state fair has no laws.
It’s sweet, crunchy, oddly wet inside, and absolutely dedicated to your early cardiac exit. You don’t taste Coke—you taste fear and your arteries giving up.
Why drink soda when you can mainline it through batter and regret? It’s dessert for people who’ve already said goodbye to moderation.
Cottage Cheese with Ketchup
Is this a snack or a cry for help? Scoop some cold, curdy cottage cheese into a bowl. Now ruin it with ketchup. That’s the recipe. No seasoning, no hope, just fridge leftovers dressed in confusion.
The sweet acidity of the ketchup clashes with the lumpy, milky base like two roommates who’ve never spoken but share the same rent.
Just one lick of it, you’ll feel your ancestors gasp. This snack screams, “I gave up, and the store was closed.”
Pepsi Milk (“Pilk”)
Milk. Pepsi. Mixed. A creamy, carbonated combo popularized by sitcoms and possibly ancient curses. Give it a sip and you’ll question whether society deserves redemption.
The fizz curdles the milk just enough to make it texturally offensive, while the sweetness makes your teeth file a restraining order.
It’s the kind of drink that starts as a joke, then haunts your digestive tract like a lactose-loaded ghost with bad intentions.
Hot Dog Water Martini
The latest in artisan cocktail nightmares—vodka shaken with the literal water from boiled hot dogs. Add a garnish if you want, but the damage is already done. (Why are we like this?)
It smells like gym socks and smoky brine. The taste is “ballpark nostalgia meets broken dreams.” It’s not shaken or stirred—it’s traumatized.
You don’t drink this for pleasure. You drink it to forget, to prove a point, or because you lost a bet and now everyone’s filming.
Fried Rattlesnake
It’s exactly what it sounds like: snake meat battered and deep-fried like a scaly chicken tender. The texture? Rubbery. The experience? Regret. The flavor? Like fear, but crunchy.
Served in the Southwest, often accompanied by people shouting, “It tastes like chicken!” (It doesn’t.) It tastes like chicken that knows you’re judging it.
Some people love it. Others pretend to. Most just try to chew through the trauma before the tail slaps back in vengeance.
Pickle Cupcakes
Dill pickle juice in cupcake batter. Topped with cream cheese frosting and, yes, pickle slices. Because apparently dessert needed more vinegar and fewer boundaries.
The cupcake part is oddly moist and tangy, like a lemon cake that got lost in a brine barrel. The frosting screams, “I don’t belong here!”
Each bite is sweet, sour, and psychologically damaging. Dessert shouldn’t make you question your childhood, but here we are—crying into cupcake wrappers.
Sardines and Peanut Butter on Toast
Spread creamy peanut butter. Add canned sardines. Serve on toast. Then notify your insurance company, as your taste buds will need emotional support coverage.
The combination of fish oil and nut paste is baffling. The saltiness explodes while the texture just gets progressively worse with each chew.
Perfect snack for people who enjoy punishment and also possibly chew sand for fun. This isn’t quirky. It’s edible trauma.
Mayonnaise Banana Salad
This actually happens. Peel a banana. Slather it in mayo. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. Serve chilled. Why? Because the 1950s happened and no one stopped them.
It’s sweet, creamy, oily, and aggressively slimy. One bite and you realize some culinary crimes are not just forgivable—they’re unforgettable in therapy.
This “salad” exists only to test how much weird you’ll tolerate before chewing stops and crying begins. Spoiler: You’ll reach that limit fast.
What’s Your Favorite Gross American Food?
Sure, the foods on this list are gross. But they’re ours. So what’s your favorite messy, weird, or off-putting guilty pleasure when it comes to gross American food?
For me, most of the dishes on this list are just a no-go. I’m not interested in turducken or pickled pigs’ feet, or in bull’s testicles, for that matter.
But occasionally, a Hawaiian pizza just hits the spot. And you can’t tell us at SoYummy that Chicago’s deep-dish pizza doesn’t look delicious. So what if it’s gross?
