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Home Run Hot Dog Chili is the ultimate topping for your grilled dogs, sausages, and burgers! This meaty, tangy, slightly sweet sauce is simmered in just the right combination of herbs and spices. It’s a winning recipe for your next cookout, BBQ or tailgate party!
This past weekend, we celebrated the end of an era for my youngest son. Hunter graduated from high school this spring, and that brought an end to his participation on the drumline. To honor the successes of the past year and show a little love to the seniors, I organized a cookout for the students and their parents.
I got a text message from one of the kids; he had a favor to ask, a special request. He said…could I please make my Hot Dog Chili? My heart melted. Of course, for him and the drumline, no problem!
Is This Chili Or A Sauce?
This recipe is more of a sauce than what you normally think of as chili. It does not have beans as my Bloody Mary Chili or Award Winning Chili does. It’s a topping, plain and simple.
To give it a special touch, once all the ingredients simmer together for about 30 minutes, I let the chili cool a bit, then use my immersion blender to break down the beef just a bit until I get a texture that is perfect for ladling over a grilled hot dog.
We had a great evening sharing a meal, laughing, and telling stories. It all ended with lots of hugs and a few tears. These people know how to get me…every time. I sure will miss them, but maybe, I’ll make a big batch of Home Run Hot Dog Chili and invite them over. I have a feeling they’d be at my back door in no time.
Ingredients To Make Home Run Hot Dog Chili
This chili is so good! It’s rich and meaty with a smooth texture that doesn’t overpower the hot dog, burger, or sausage that you’re spooning it over. I use just the right amount of spice to simmer the ground beef and onions so that deep flavor is developed.
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Tomato paste
- Garlic
- Sugar
- Mustard
- Chili powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Celery salt
- Cumin
- Tomato sauce
- Honey
- Ketchup
Scroll Down For Measurements And Instructions
How to Make Hot Dog Chili
- The beginnings of how to make chili start in a heavy bottom pot, brown ground beef. Drain excess fat and add onions to the pot, and stir. Add in garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in celery salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomato sauce, honey, and ketchup, and stir. Add in water and stir.
- Begin to bring chili up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and continue cooking for approximately 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, carefully blend chili until meat chunks are broken down.
- When ready to serve, heat chili either on the stove or in a slow cooker
What Can Hot Dog Chili Be Made Of?
The best homemade chili dogs can be made from different meats and blends!
- Ground Beef: Ground beef is a popular choice for homemade chilli. It can be browned in a skillet or saucepan until cooked through, breaking it up into small pieces.
- Ground Turkey: Ground turkey can be used and any good chili dog recipe and is a leaner alternative to beef. It can be prepared similarly to ground beef by browning it in a skillet.
- Ground Pork: Ground pork adds a rich flavor to the chili. It can be cooked in the same way as ground beef or turkey.
What Kind Of Toppings Can I Use?
Its no secret that a good hot dog is made not only from a great frank but the quality of the toppings; here are the best toppings for your next hot dog cookout!
- Chili cheese dogs are commonly considered the best version of the hotdog. A generous helping of delicious homemade chili and a healthy scooping of cheese sauce make for a hot dog no one can say no to.
- Chopped Onions: Add a layer of flavor and crunch with finely chopped onions. You can use yellow or red onions or raw or sautéed onions to make the best hot dogs.
- Ketchup: Another traditional condiment, ketchup, can be added to enhance the sweetness and tanginess of the chili cheese dog.
People Often Ask…
The answer is yes. My Homerun Hot Dog Chili is totally freezer friendly!
It’s super easy to store the leftovers for this recipe. You can keep this Hot Dog Chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can substitute tomato sauce for diced tomatoes. However, keep in mind that the consistency of the chili might be slightly different. Tomato sauce will provide a smoother texture, while diced tomatoes will add some texture and chunks to the chili.
You can use your preferred type of hot dog buns for serving the chili dogs. Popular choices include traditional soft buns or toasted buns for added crunch.
What to Serve With This Recipe…
- Air Fryer Hot Dogs
- Grilled Barbequed Hot Dogs
- Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 cup onion – chopped
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, brown ground beef. When the meat is no longer pink, drain excess fat and add onions to pot, stir. Add in garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add celery salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomato sauce, honey and ketchup, stir. Add in water. Bring chili up to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cook for approximately 30 minutes sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, carefully blend chili until meat chunks are broken down. *You can also use a regular blender, making sure to blend in small batches to avoid getting burned.
- When ready to serve, heat chili either on stove or in a slow cooker. Can be stored in refrigerator for 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
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I have made this twice now and both times have received comments from guests that it is “the best Hot Dog Chili they have ever had!” Don’t skip on the celery salt and cumin – these spices add such an important flavor!!
If you don’t have an immersion blender like me, don’t panic … recipe still turns out amazing. Just make sure you work on cooking down the beef as fine as you can.
This recipe is also super easy to store and freeze so you can have a supply of Hot Dog Chili all summer long 🙂
Thank you so much! Your comments made my day and I really appreciate the terrific rating.
~Donya
I will have to give this recipe a try to see how it compares with The Varsity’s in Atlanta, my lifelong fav. When I make hot dog chili I run it through my KA food grinder to get a uniform texture rather use immersion blender – less mess & more uniform.
Omg this is awesome. I just made it for a luncheon at work. I did tweak it some after reading other recipes but still outstanding. Thank you for this and now it will be a staple in my recipe box.
WOW, Cheryl! Thank you so much and I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe.
~Donya
This was a great surprise & really added to our hot dogs & polish sausage with the St. Pierre brioche buns that split on top….. perfect for adding condiments, this sauce, chopped jalapeños, onions , etc. I have made something similar but didn’t grind it down & that made a big difference along with the ratios you used. It’s really tasty!
Also, I used the leftovers to make a scalloped potato dish which was delicious. Thinly sliced potatoes in a casserole dish, leftover chili as next layer. add any leftover chopped onion or peppers, a little cheese of your liking than another layer of potatoes, topped with cheese & dots of butter. To this add some milk, half & half or cream ( so it comes out creamy & not dried out) , cover with foil & cook @350 F then uncover, raise heat to 400 F & cook until golden brown on top! Serve with a nice salad & voilà!
Thank you for your recipe!
Entire family loved it! I made it just exactly as printed.
We topped the dogs with onions and mustard – and everyone from grandkids to grandparents raves about it.
Thank you!
Hey there!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that y’all enjoyed this recipe, getting rave reviews from both grandkids and grandparents is quite the achievement! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your phenomenal rating, let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
This recipe is as close to perfect as it gets.
Hey there Kim!
My goodness, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, I couldn’t agree with you more! I hope you’ll check out my Carolina Slaw Dog recipe, it uses this chili and a creamy coleslaw recipe, it’s simple to make and super delicious. Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your fantastic rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
~Donya
Wish I would have seen this a few days ago. Just made a big batch of Skyline hot dog sauce. We love it but I was really hoping to try something new this time. But there is always Labor Day to grill some Hofman’s and Sabretts hot dogs with your recipe.
Hey there Baltisraul!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, it is the PERFECT addition to Hot Dog night! I completely agree with you, this recipe would be great to serve over Labor Day Weekend. If you’re looking for hot dog recipe inspiration, you should check out my Creamy Coleslaw recipe, I highly recommend pairing this chili with that coleslaw, it really is a match made in heaven! Thank you so much for all your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe, feel free to reach out!
~Donya
I am eating an air fried Hofmann skin on beef frank dog as I read this.
I will have to try this. My mother taught me to make hot dog chili. She used ground beef, ketchup, mustard, cider vinegar, finely chopped onions, chili powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes of Tabasco, salt & pepper. A little water if to thick.
Hey there Bob!
It sounds like your mother really knew her stuff, my Hot Dog Chili uses almost the exact same ingredients, apart from the Tabasco but you can always add that little kick of spice! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe, I’d be more than happy to help. Thank you so much for your interest in this Chili, I hope you’ll give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting this sauce to be this good. I made it as directed except; 1: I didn’t have tomato paste (I don’t think 1Tbls. would be missed). 2: Added water only at the end to reach the consistency I wanted, I only needed about 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Good recipe, I’d defiantly make it again.
Hey there Butch!
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, it sounds like you made a delicious Hot Dog Chili. Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipes I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
Just like mine, well almost and just love some of the addition, always made mine by putting the water and burger together in the post to start and mash with potato masher, if you use low fat burger works perfect, and also use a little hot sauce but just a touch. One more note, if you simmer your dogs keep the sauce thinned out with the water from the pot with dogs, gives it a another dimension. Made mine yesterday and today here Donya sends it,, This is the best sauce ever for dogs., not over whelming with chili favor .
Hey there Stony!
Thank you so very much for your phenomenal rating and your sweet words! I am so glad you like this recipe, great minds think alike as they say, though adding hot sauce is always a welcome addition! Thank you so much for your support, let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe! I hope you have a great rest of your day!
~Donya
My family really enjoyed this chili dog sauce! It has replaced a 15yr old recipe for Coney Island sauce. I used Chipotle chili powder for a bit more heat and depth. The stick blender trick is wonderful to create the consistency we’ve always wanted.
Hey!
Thank you so much for your kind words of support! I am so glad that you and your family enjoyed this recipe, my boys always loved it too! Thank you for your support!
~Donya
Good eats, second time making for our bbq, big hit!
No cumin, not a spice I care for and the immersion blender does the trick!
Looks like the canned but that’s where the similarity ends!
Thanks for posting!
Hey Chris!
Thank you so much for your terrific rating, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your support!
~Donya
oh I love this chili dog recipe. My family loves this recipe it’s a keeper.
Hey Shauna!
Thanks so much for your lovely comment! I am so happy to hear this recipe got your family’s stamp of approval. Thank you for your support!
~Donya
I made this vegetarian style with a few other substitutions, and it is awesome! Thanks for sharing it with us!!
Do you cover with lid while simmering or leave open?
Hey there Meg!
Thank you for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! I usually place the lid onto my pot while the Chili is simmering, but it’s completely up to you, you can also leave it uncovered and it won’t make a big difference. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I really hope you enjoy!
~Donya
Delicious recipe and I love your personality!
Thank you!
~Donya
Consistency of final texture is important to me. I prefer to use the courser of the two disks on my Kitchen Aid food grinder. Much better control than blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
Great!!!
This Hot Dog Chili is just what I was looking for!
Perfect for our 4th of July cookout next week!