Hot Dog Chili is the perfect way to make top dogs! A zesty beanless chili in about 15 minutes, this recipe has ground beef, tomato sauce, and seasonings for the perfect topper!
It is a one-size-fits-all condiment for hot dogs, brats, and even hamburgers. You could even try it on omelets and grilled cheese sandwiches!
What is Hot Dog Chili Sauce?
This Southern sauce is a staple at diners, drive-in’s and homes from Louisiana to Texas and once you try it, you’ll want to keep a stash of it in your fridge for everything!
It’s the all-purpose condiment that replaces ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions! A total one-step and you’re done condiment that is fresh, tangy, and totally versatile!
Unlike a traditional ground beef chili recipe, this one skips the beans. Fresh beef, tomato sauce, and some seasonings, and you’ve got a tasty sauce that you can customize. Make it spicy or sweet as you please!
To Make Hot Dog Chili
This Hot Dog Chili Sauce is so delicious and so easy to make. With just two steps you can have this simmering away in no time!
- Cook ground beef and onions (per recipe below).
- Mix all ingredients together and simmer until it reaches your preferred thickness.
Spoon over hot dogs and serve with a side of french fries for a ‘ballpark’ meal everyone will love!
Other Delicious Chili Dog Toppings
Hot dogs are the perfect grab-and-go vehicle for whatever you want! Here is a list of my favorites!
- Veggies: diced or fried onions, sundried tomatoes, jalapenos, or pepperoncini.
- Cheese: shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella, or spicy habanero!
- Sauces: pickle relish, sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce.
- Other: black olives, black beans, or bacon bits.
How Long Will It Last?
Hot dog chili sauce won’t last long when you see all the great things it can be used for! Till then, store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or Tupperware in the fridge.
It will keep about 3-4 days but if you have extras you can and freeze it for a few months!
More Chili Favorites
- Easy White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chili
- The Best Chili Recipe
- Turkey Chili
- Easy CrockPot Chili Recipe
Quick Hot Dog Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 80/20
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup beef stock or broth
Instructions
- In a 12" skillet brown ground beef and onions over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes or until the stock has cooked down and the chili sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Spoon over cooked hot dogs and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Sauce
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Great recipe! I did add a little more chili powder and some cumin but otherwise followed the recipe as written. I’ll never go back to the can!
So delicious my husband went crazy for this. I don’t like hot dogs so I did mine with a breakfast sausage. Soooo yummy and handy when my grandkids drop by. Thx
Good base recipe. Instead of red pepper flakes I used cayenne pepper, cumin and extra chili powder.
This recipe is a go to for me!! We absolutely love it for hot dogs! It’s so quick and simple. It really is delicious. I use fresh garlic, but other than that I make it according to the recipe and it’s perfect!! Try it!! It will be a staple in your house too!
Made this for the 2nd time and it’s now my go to for hot dogs
I love chili dogs, and this is a decent base recipe. I increased pepper flakes, and chili p. I added 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. I used only a tsp of brown sugar.
Next time I’ll omit sugar, sub Dijon mustard or powdered mustard, and use puréed tomatoes. Hotdog chili should be savory IMO.
We loved this chili. It was gone the first day.
First time making homemade chili and it’s perfect
I add cocoa which takes this to the next level!
This was as bland as it could possibly be. No stars
Sorry to hear that, Lisa! We do have this easy chli recipe you might enjoy more.
I’ve tried several hotdog chili recipes and this is, by far, the best. I used a bit more broth, but other than that, I followed the recipe. It’s quick and easy to make.
Glad you enjoyed it, Joni!
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!
I never liked chili dogs until now. I do see how the sauce for a chili hot dog is way different than bow chili. I think that’s why I never cared for chili dogs because they always used the bowl chili. I saw this recipe and thought I would give it a try.
I followed the recipe exactly, except for the Worcester sauce. I didn’t have any!
Amazing. I made a double batch and will be freezing it to use at my next casual get together with friends.
Try making Sonoran hot dogs with it!!! Get the right recipe for Sonoran hot dogs!
Thank you!
This is a great, easy recipe. I made modifications based on preference and ingredients I didn’t have on hand:
Preference: I omitted the brown sugar; I didn’t have any on hand anyway, and reading the ingredient list beforehand, I knew that I’d end up with a sloppy joe-like chili.
Ingredient modifications: I used ground turkey. I didn’t have any broth/stock, but I did have beef bouillon cubes and added one cube plus 1/4 cup of water. I didn’t have any Worcestershire sauce, but I did have a few soy sauce packets from some leftover Chinese food. I used 1/2 of the packet. In addition to the spices listed above, I used pepper, and a couple of hard dashes of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning because I just love the stuff. Finally, I used a ketchup packet I had which didn’t over-sweeten it all, just rounded everything out.
I loved it. Recipes like this are great for tweaking and making your own.
This hot dog chili recipe is amazing! So easy to make and so delicious. I made it for Memorial Day and again this past Sunday because it was so enthusiastically received by the members of the household.
We really enjoyed this chili, perhaps some didn’t let it cook down enough and we felt it had enough flavor. We ate all the chili last night and had to make some more today so we could try it on loaded fries!
Great basic recipe. We like it hot so added Mccormick HOT chili packet along with the other spices. No brown sugar and if needed at the end 1 tsp white sugar. Also, a strong onion.
I wasn’t looking for a specific flavor profile, but I did want a chili recipe for hot dogs (no beans and the right texture) and not like chili you eat in a bowl. As someone else said this reminded me of sloppy joe’s, and I enjoyed that. I think the mildness of this recipe goes well with hot dogs (I used turkey dogs) without overpowering them the way normal chili would. I did adjust the seasoning proportions to taste and added some salt and a little cumin, but I thought this was an excellent base recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome Judy, thank you so much for your comment!
Sorry but this is awful. Too much Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. All it tasted was mustard and Worcestershire and sweetness.
Hot dog chili is definitely different than regular chili. Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy it as much as we do Susan. Thanks for trying it.