Hot Dog Chili Recipe
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.
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.
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.
- Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large pot breaking it up into small pieces with a fork.
- Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic.
- Add the spices and tomato paste continuing to cook until a dark burgundy color.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, espresso powder and vinegar.
- Season and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 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.
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.
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!
- Homemade Corn Dog
- Italian Style Hot Dogs with Broccoli Rabe, Provolone and Roasted Red Peppers
- Coney Island Hot Dogs
Our Favorite Chili Recipes
- Turkey Chili
- White Chicken Chili
- Turkey and Black Bean Chili
- The Best Chili Recipe
- Chili Cheese Dip
- Chili Mac
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Get the Recipe: Hot Dog Chili Recipe
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
43 Comments on “Hot Dog Chili Recipe”
Some good chili and it’s all so better the next day
Thank you so much!
I love french fries topped with good chili, and this sounds like it would work amazingly well with a mound of fries!
This would be amazing….we do use it on Tater Tots!
The third type of bean out there that you might want to look into is called the “large-mouth” bean. These are often sold as “little bean-shaped chilies” and are very popular with many of the people who are making chili for those who cannot eat too much meat.
Ok, thank you!
What can be subbed for espresso powder? I don’t want to buy it for just this recipe.TY
I’m wondering the same thing.. I’m making it tonight and don’t have that so I’ll just minus it, I guess.
You can just skip it….it’s not imperative that you add it, it just adds extra oomph. BUT you can use Espresso Powder in so many things like our Chocolate Chip Cookies!
We LOVED this! I am a stickler for natural ingredients – so we NEVER buy canned chili or seasoning packets. All of these ingredients are already in my house, so I proceeded. And it was GREAT!!! Really tasted like a commercial chili.
I’m so glad you loved it! It’s a favorite of our’s, too.
I’m 65, and have been looking for a great hot dog chili for years. I liked the sounds of this and tried it, following the recipe as close as I could. ( I didn’t have instant espresso powder, so I substituted some really strong coffee. LOL) I LOVED IT!! Told both my daughters and my sister, and they have all made it now, with the same rave reviews. I have since purchased the instant espresso powder, and am about to make it again. It’s definitely a keeper. I just made some cheese sauce to top it with, that turned out really well. I could be eating Nathan’s Hot dogs with chili and cheese sauce for a week. 🙂
Our favorite, too! It took me a while to develop it so I’m happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment!!
I followed the recipe to the T “except” I halved the 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper. I think next time I will cut it again, or even omit it. Otherwise, it was great!!
Thank you!
I tried this on company. It was a hit.
Now filed under “keepers.”
I had the chili cheese onion option.
I’m so glad you loved it! I love that it’s easy but not lacking in the flavor department….I’m a cheese onion girl, myself.
Homemade is always better! This hot dog chili looks amazing and so easy to make!
It’s so much better than canned and just as easy!
My fav bbq party eats!!
Mine too! So good!
With this sauce, I just might eat hot dogs! Love it!
Ha ha ha!!! Well, it’s good on baked potatoes, too.
Yum! I am using this for my cookout this coming weekend.
It’s so easy, I know you’ll win over your guests!
SO perfect for Summer! Can’t wait to make this!
You will love it!
This is such a brilliant idea for a backyard BBQ!
Thank you!
My husband asks for chili dogs at least once a month! I can’t wait to make these next time!
They’re my favorite!