There are few things more classically American than a good old chili dog. And like many American dishes, there are a number of regional variations. You have the coney island dog in Southern Michigan. The Michigan dog from Upstate New York. The New York system from Rhoad Island. And of course the Texas hot found in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Wait a second….. None of those names make sense….
Anyways, no matter what you might call a chili dog in your particular region, there is one thing that almost all Americans can agree on. That the chili dog is one incredibly delicious mess of a meal. With “mess” being the operative word.
So what exactly is a chili dog?
Well as the name obviously suggests it is a hot dog that has been smothered with chili. However, we aren’t talking about the hearty stew that is filled with beans and vegetables. No the chili used in chili dogs is actually a meat sauce that was developed by either Greek or Macedonian immigrants. It is a smooth, almost velvety mixture of ground meat, tomatoes, and spices, which makes it perfect for smothering over hot dogs.
And while it might seem like a lot of extra work for a simple topping, I can assure you that making your own hot dog chili is a very simple process. All you really have to do is add some ingredients to a pot, let it come to a simmer, and then let it do its magic for an hour. And trust me once you’ve tried a dog with homemade chili you will never go back to the canned stuff. So without further to do let’s get into the recipe.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- We will be using one bottle of beer in our chili recipe. As the chili cooks all of the alcohol will burn off. However, if you are still concerned about it then simply swap out the beer with water. Or better yet use either beef or chicken stock to add more flavor.
- Feel free to use other types of ground meat if you don’t like beef. Or even use a meat substitute for a completely vegan option.
Chili Dog Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Ingredients
8 hot dogs
8 hot dog bus
For the chili sauce:
1 Lb of ground beef
½ of a large onion, finely diced
3 Cloves of garlic minced
1 12 oz. can/bottle of your favorite beer
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon of ketchup
1 Tablespoon of mustard
1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon of paprika
2 Teaspoons of chili powder
1 Teaspoon of cumin
Salt to taste
Optional toppings:
Mustard
The rest of the onion, finely diced
Shredded cheese
Instructions
- Prep the chili sauce: Get out a large pot and add the ground beef along with 1 cup of water to it. Then use a wooden spoon to mix these two ingredients until the beef has separated into little particles. This step is important because it will result in a fine almost velvety finish to the sauce. Finally, add all of the remaining chili sauce ingredients and mix well.
- Cook the chili sauce: Place this pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Then lower the heat so that the mixture comes to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for at least 1 hour, making sure to stir the mixture every 5 to 10 minutes.
- Finish the chili sauce: After an hour taste the chili sauce and add enough salt to your liking. Then you have to option to simmer the sauce for longer if you want it to be of thicker consistency.
- Cook your hot dogs any way that you prefer.
- Place the cooked hot dogs on buns, spoon some of the hot chili sauce on top, and add any other topping that you like. Enjoy!
Chili Dog Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 hot dogs
- 8 hot dog bus
For the chili sauce:
- 1 Lb of ground beef
- ½ of a large onion finely diced
- 3 Cloves of garlic minced
- 1 12 oz. can/bottle of your favorite beer
- 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon of mustard
- 1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of paprika
- 2 Teaspoons of chili powder
- 1 Teaspoon of cumin
- Salt to taste
Optional toppings:
- Mustard
- The rest of the onion finely diced
- Shredded cheese
Instructions
- Prep the chili sauce: Get out a large pot and add the ground beef along with 1 cup of water to it. Then use a wooden spoon to mix these two ingredients until the beef has separated into little particles. This step is important because it will result in a fine almost velvety finish to the sauce. Finally, add all of the remaining chili sauce ingredients and mix well.
- Cook the chili sauce: Place this pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Then lower the heat so that the mixture comes to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for at least 1 hour, making sure to stir the mixture every 5 to 10 minutes.
- Finish the chili sauce: After an hour taste the chili sauce and add enough salt to your liking. Then you have to option to simmer the sauce for longer if you want it to be of thicker consistency.
- Cook your hot dogs any way that you prefer.
- Place the cooked hot dogs on buns, spoon some of the hot chili sauce on top, and add any other topping that you like. Enjoy!
