No chili dog is complete without the Best Hot Dog Chili! Quick and easy, this homemade hot dog chili sauce is better than anything you’ll ever buy at the neighborhood hot dog cart. Sweet, tangy, meaty….this recipe has a secret ingredient that just makes it explode with epic flavor.

Overhead shot of three chili cheese dogs

Everyone has their favorite comfort foods, the food that you turn to which makes you feel good from the inside out. Mine is a Chili Cheese Dog. I don’t know why but I kind of have a love affair with hot dogs and have since as far back as I can remember.

This Hot dog Chili recipe is somewhat of a viral sensation. It’s not like regular chili in that it’s more of a chili sauce and less of a stew. The Best Chili Recipe is always #1 in our book but this hot dog chili sauce is definitely a close second and which makes it the perfect topping for every hot dog in all the land or a pile of French fries.

Key Ingredients for Hot Dog Chili

  • Ground Beef – Choose a lean ground beef like 80/20. This will give you the best flavor because it’s lean but not too lean. You can substitute with ground turkey or even ground chicken for a leaner chili recipe.
  • Italian Sausage – You can make it spicy by substituting mild sausage with hot sausage.
  • Onion – Diced sweet onion or yellow onion adds a nice caramelized flavor to the chili.
  • Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and smoked paprika add great flavor without overpowering the chili.
  • Tomato Sauce – We use canned tomato sauce but homemade tomato sauce would make this even better.
  • Espresso Powder – The secret ingredient! It adds another level of rich flavor, you can skip it but everyone who doesn’t raves about this chili.

For a full ingredient list, see the recipe card at the bottom.

The BEST Hot Dog Chili Sauce in a white bowl on a blue background

How To Make Hot Dog Chili

Homemade Hot Dog Chili sauce is pretty simple to make with easy to find ingredients you may already have in your pantry. To level up my hot dog game, I threw in a few extra things to amp up the flavor like never before.

  1. Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large pot or large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a fork.
  2. Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic.
  3. Add the spices and tomato paste continuing to cook until a dark burgundy color.
  4. Stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, espresso powder and vinegar being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits.
  5. Season and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Serve on your favorite hot dog in a fluffy hot dog bun or make a chili cheese dog!

Make sure you find good, premium quality hot dogs and use our method for how to boil hot dogs to ensure perfect dogs.

Make it spicy by adding 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper with the other spices. You can also skip the seasonings and add 2 tablespoons of our Homemade Chili Seasoning.

Hand placing shredded cheese on a chili cheese dog

Why This Hot Dog Sauce is the Best

I LOVE a good chili cheese dog but what makes a chili dog seriously amazing is the actual hot dog chili sauce that’s blanketed on top. It can seriously make or break your dog so it’s best when you take matters into your own hands.

Sure, I’ve topped my dogs with the canned stuff in the past and I have to say I’m not really a fan so I came up with the very BEST Hot Dog Chili recipe so you, too, can have a seriously epic homemade chili cheese dog. And never leave the house again.

A chili dog is just a hot dog topped with a simple chili sauce, also known as chili con carne. It’s, basically, a chili made without beans. You can top your hot dog with additional toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, raw onions, relish, pickles and peppers but classic cheese sauce is my favorite. We love making a Coney Dog with this easy hot dog chili recipe, too.

Undressed hot dogs with grilled hot dog rolls, a bowl of chili and shredded cheese

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer any leftover hot dog chili to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot.

To freeze, transfer to freezer bags or a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Overhead shot of three chili cheese dogs

Get the Recipe: Hot Dog Chili Recipe

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Sweet, tangy, quick and easy, the very BEST Hot Dog Chili Sauce will be the hit at your next party or tailgate!
4.88 from 25 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 4 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 15 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet or large pot

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sausage to the pot breaking it up into small pieces with a fork. The smaller the pieces, the better your chili will be!
  • Continue cooking the meat until browned and no longer pink, approximately 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pot and transfer to a large bowl. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
  • Add the onion to the pot with the reserved fat. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
  • Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika and tomato paste to the onion mixture stirring to combine. Continue to cook the onions until the tomato paste turns a deep Burgundy color, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, espresso powder and vinegar. Return the beef and sausage back to the pot and stir to combine.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Check for seasoning again adding salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Hot Dog Chili Sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The Chili Sauce can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 460mg, Potassium: 537mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 735IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 3mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American

More Hot Dog Topping Ideas

When it comes to topping hot dogs, the possibilities are endless. You could just make your epic chili cheese dog with the very BEST Hot Dog Chili Sauce or you can go classic New Yorker with a pile of this New York Style onion sauce. And learn How to Boil Hot Dogs, the right way, before topping with your chili.

We also love adding homemade ketchup or top it with a dill pickle!

Chili Cheese Dogs on a wooden board

Our Favorite Chili Recipes

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