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 to make you feel good from the inside out. Mine is the 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.

And you can all keep your lectures about what’s in hot dogs to yourselves. I’m aware…and that’s why I’m super picky when it comes to shopping for my dogs. We’ll talk about that later.

Ingredients

  • Ground Beef – Choose a lean ground beef like 80/20 or 90/10.
  • Italian Sausage – You can make it spicy by substituting mild sausage with hot sausage.
  • Onion – Diced sweet onion adds a nice caramelized flavor to the chili.
  • Spices – Garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and smoked paprika add great flavor without overpowering the chili.
  • Tomato Sauce – We use canned sauce but homemade would make this even better.
  • Espresso Powder – The secret ingredient! It adds another level of rich flavor.

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

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

What is Hot Dog Chili?

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 canned chili sauce 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 onions, relish, pickles and peppers but classic cheese sauce is my favorite.

Hand placing shredded cheese on a chili cheese dog

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 make this easy hot dog chili….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 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, sugar, espresso powder and vinegar.
  5. Season and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Serve on your favorite hot dog or 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.

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

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.

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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Chili Cheese Dogs on a wooden board

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 stock 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