BEST Hot Dog Chili Recipe - Traditional New York Style Hot Dog Chili! (2024)

There is nothing better than a summer cookout with friends and family. burgers and hot dogs on the grill and the sun shining down on it all. The next time you’re planning one, think about making this Hot Dog Chili to go on top of your hot dogs.

Very different than a traditional chili, this easy hot dog chili recipe is made to go on top of hot dogs to resemble coney dogs like you get at a football game. We cook the spices before adding the liquids so they slightly fry in the ground beef fat and bloom to make them more flavorful.

This does make a large batch, but in my family we also eat this on the side like a regular chili with cheese on top and our favorite chili toppings. This makes enough for a generous amount of chili for 24 hot dogs. If you don’t like as much chili on your hot dogs, this will stretch to double the amount. You could even use them on chili cheese fries .

Homemade Hot Dog Chili Recipe

This would be perfect for a party, you can keep it warm in a slow cooker and guests can serve themselves. You can set up a hot dog bar with a variety of toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, pickle relish and chopped white onions- perfect for summer cookouts.

There are a ton of spices in this, which makes it unique and more of a “New York Style” hot dog chili. Even though there are small amounts of ingredients it is essential to add them all to get the right flavor. We love this especially over grilled hot dogs, but cook your hot dogs however you wish, still delicious.

How is the Best Hot Dog Chili Recipe different from Regular Chili?

While many timestraditional chiliis used on top of hot dogs, hot dog chili is commonly sweeter and made with a ketchup base instead of tomato paste or plain tomato sauce.

Hot Dog Chili Recipe ingredients

• Ground beef – I prefer to use a lean ground beef for this hot dog chili.
• Onion – A sweet onion adds the perfect flavor, and complements all of the other spices nicely. Make sure it is finely chopped.
• Seasonings – To season this hot dog chili, we are using a blend of chili powder, ground mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, allspice, nutmeg, garlic salt, cumin, celery salt and cinnamon.
• Ketchup – Ketchup has a sweet tomato flavor that takes this hot dog sauce to the next level.
• Tomato sauce – Some recipes use tomato paste, but I prefer to use sauce. I like that it’s thinner.
• Soy sauce – This adds an extra flavor that really sends this chili sauce over the top.
• Worcestershire sauce – This is one of my favorite ingredients- I put it in nearly everything. It’s the perfect addition to round out the flavors.

How to Make Hot Dog Chili

1. Brown ground beef. Place a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onions, breaking up the beef into fine crumbles. Cook, stirring occasionally until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off any excess liquid.
2. Add seasonings. Add the chili powder, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, allspice, nutmeg, garlic salt, cumin, celery salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly.

3. Add wet ingredients. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, water, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, stir the hot dog chili to combine.
4. Simmer, covered. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. Simmer, uncovered. Take off the cover and continue to simmer until most of the liquid cooks out, stirring occasionally.

How to serve the Best Hot Dog Chili

Hot dog chili can be served over hot dogs on a bun, but also on hamburgers.

What to do with leftover Homemade Hot Dog Chili

Leftovers can be saved and used within a week or frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. It can also be labeled on top of pasta for chili mac, like Cincinnati Chili, stirred into mac and cheese or used as a dip for corn bread.

Storing and Freezing Instructions for Homemade Hot Dog Chili

Store leftover chili in the fridge for up to three days. You can warm it back up on the stovetop, you may need to add a little water to it to loosen it up and then let it cook out again before eating any leftovers.

This hot dog chili also freezes beautifully for up to three months. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container before you do.

More cookout recipes:

• Greek Pasta Salad
• Cowboy Homemade Baked Beans
• Ranch Pasta Salad