Hot Dog Chili Sauce

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Today I’m bringing you our recipe for hot dog chili sauce. The term “sauce” is used loosely here because we drain the liquid out when we top our dog with it. It’s a highly seasoned loose meat sauce that takes dogs to a whole new level – and it is perfect to add to your summertime arsenal. This hot dog chili sauce recipe will transform your hot dog experience.

The great thing is that this recipe makes a lot so I usually make it once and freeze it in family sized portions to reheat later. One cooking session – lots of delicious hot dog meals with all the trimmings. Can’t beat that with a stick!

If you are new to make this hot dog easy sauce, no worries I walk you through hit. Great for birthday parties, summer cookouts and so much more. Pile on your favorite toppings like chopped onions, pickle relish, cheese, and more.

ingredients for Hot Dog Chili Sauce

Ingredients

  • ground beef
  • sal
  • chili powder
  • black pepper

How to Make

You’ll also need some water but most of us are tremendously blessed in that we have it just flowing out of the faucets.

ground meat in water in a pot

Place all of your beef in a large pot and add enough water to cover.

seasoning crumbled ground beef in water

Use your hands and smoosh all of the beef until it is completely spread out in the water like this.

I know this may seem gross to some of you but trust me, there are far worse things to have to do. We will not go into those now, but know that if examples did not immediately come to your mind, life will offer them up in due time and you’ll find yourself looking back on smooshing ground beef in water as one of the lesser happenings on the scale of grossness. Trust me.

Hot Dog Chili Sauce

Add all of your seasonings. 

stirring meat in water

Stir well and put over medium high heat. Bring to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour.

removing oil from the meat in water

Ladle the grease off of the top of the chili and discard. 

spoon with hot dog sauce on it

Use a slotted spoon to spoon it out and put it on top of your hot dogs. 

Hot Dog Chili dog on plate with chips and pickles

Some might look at this and say “But that doesn’t make sense. You’ve taken a meat hot dog and added another meat to it.” To them I would say “Yes I have, and your appreciation is noted.” 🙂

Recipe FAQs

Can I use ground turkey in replace of ground beef?

You are more than welcome to swap the ground beef for a ground turkey if you would like. You will follow the same ingredients as the recipe. It will just give the hot dogs a leaner take to them.

How to freeze leftover meat sauce for hot dogs?

Freezing the meat is super easy to do. Just take what you don’t eat and place in a freezer bag, or even a sealable freezer container. You can freeze the meat mixture for 3-4 months. Then when you are ready to reheat, simply thaw in the fridge overnight. Then reheat on the stove, microwave, or even a slow cooker.

How to make the sauce spicy?

If you want to spice up the sauce you can add some hot sauce in the mixture, or cayenne pepper. Either method will help amplify the heat. You can add in the sauce or the pepper as you are cooking the meat so it has time to soak into the meat and really infuse the flavor.

hot dog chili

Hot Dog Chili Recipe

Transform a regular hot dog with this easy, flavorful, and low-carb hot dog chili recipe.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: hotdog
Servings: 12
Calories: 297kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds ground beef
  • 4-6 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon salt more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon pepper more or less to taste
  • water enough to cover your ground beef

Instructions

  • Place enough water in a pot to cover your beef. Take handfuls of the beef and submerge in the water, smooshing it up with your hands. Add seasonings and stir.
    3 pounds ground beef, 4-6 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon pepper, water
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and boil gently for about an hour. Ladle off grease from the top. Remove chili with a slotted spoon to put on hot dogs.
  • Freeze leftovers for your next cookout!

Notes

I first published this recipe back in 2009 but am republishing it with updated photos and a printer-friendly format. Hope you enjoy it!

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 701mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

Tell me your favorite hot dog brand in the comments! You might also enjoy this recipe! Loose Meat Sandwiches

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129 Comments

  1. Christy,
    Sometimes you might want to try Leggs Chili Power. Those old boys have been making spices since 1923, and they are located in your neck of the country(Calera, AL).

    1. Mexene products, from Texas, most authentic “chili” taste ever. A very old product I grew up on. Brought it with me, when we retired to Tennessee, and now order it from Amazon. Our favorite wieners are Hebrew National, Oscar Mayer is a close second. Nathans are just too sour tasting. Before we retired we lived in Houston for years and you could not beat James Coney Island wieners and chili sauce. Look forward to trying you chili sauce receipt. Dee

  2. My mom is from Buffalo, and THEY had Sahlen’s hot dogs, that had a snapping casing when you bit into them. They even had hot dog restaurants, like Ted’s. They had all sorts of hot dog toppings, like sauerkraut. They had DOUBLE dogs at the gas stations. It was fascinating. In VA, we just ate hot dogs at home, typically Gwaltney (if we didn’t have any frozen Sahlen’s we brought down from Buffalo). It’s funny that Sahlen’s were fried and grilled, and really treated well. But the VA Gwaltney was microwaved or boiled with the ramen noodles. (I’d never put the Sahlen’s with the ramen noodles!) The Sahlen’s were served on the buns….Gwaltney, sliced white bread. However, these are still my faves, no matter where I am, VA or NY.

    1. Sandra, I LOVE natural casing wieners because of that snap. We have a sausage company (Daisy) in Chicago and all their smoked sausage-style products are excellent but very expen$ive. 🙁 Otherwise, that would be the only brand of hot dog I would buy.

  3. Glad to see you sharing a hot dog sauce recipe on here! In West Virginia, we take our hot dogs very serious. There’s a lot on the website dedicated to them. We steam our buns, our sauce is a little different but definitely with no beans, chopped onions, mustard and topped off with sweet slaw. However, be it known, I am from the slaw portion of the state. Give it a try, you might like it!

      1. I would really like to know how you make your slot I have never had that and I would like to try that? I actually like the Kansas City hotdogs from Qvc with snap, with catchup mustard relish a little mayo sweet pickles but I would really like to try to different way with slaw could somebody give me some direction on just a really good grilled hotdog with slaw and sauce ty

    1. yea you can,t beat coleslaw on hot dogs ,barbecue sandwiches ,fish sandwiches coleslaw with everything love it

    2. That is the only way to eat a hot dog in my family. If we don’t have cabbage for slaw, we can’t have hot dogs!

      1. I watched a recent episode of a local chili dog joint from Iowa. These is exactly how they made their chili. ☺ I prefer just a chili cheese dog. I don’t eat any of the condiments. I lived in Los Angeles and went to Pinks often yum! I don’t make them at home, because I don’t have a grill. I prefer Hebrew national. I love grilled d ogs, just plain with a fresh toasted buttered bun. I don’t often indulge. This post has made me want to go track down the best dogs in Omaha Nebraska!

    1. I usually buy the Ball Park All Beef bun length dogs. (Which happens to be tonight’s dinner). Sometimes, I will buy the Hebrew National or Nathan’s hotdogs, because they’re healthier with less additives in them. I like your chili sauce recipe… its very similar to mine, except that I put a little tomato sauce in it.

        1. Oops I left my favorite on Instagram comments but I’ll comment here too.
          We enjoy the Johnsonville Hot Beef Links….we like spicy

      1. Similar to my mom’s hot dog chili sauce. I’m from West Virginia and our chili sauce includes ketchup along with the other spices. They are served with slaw and onions along with the hot dog and chili on the bun. Best paired with Lay’s potato chips and baked beans.

        1. WV girl here. I love a hot dog with chili and slaw! No one sells them outside of WV (and surrounding area) so I had to learn to make them at home. Will try this recipe. And yes, all of the ones I’ve tried included water. My favorite include ketchup.

    1. My family’s favorite hot dog is Ballpark Lean. Very low fat and very meaty. They are the best when steamed.

    2. I like the natural casing dogs cause of the snap. I grew up in NY with all the Umbrella Restaurants” so I like sauerkraut and onion sauce with a kick (chili powder, cayenne, hot sauce, even with a habanero chopped up in put in there. If it brings a sweat to your forehead, then you’ve done good.

    3. Use a potato masher, with the S-curves, after you add water to the meat. You don’t have to squish it with your hands.

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