Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This easy hot dog chili recipe is the perfect addition to your next football tailgate, cookout with friends, or family movie night! The simple chili sauce is made with sweet ketchup, hearty ground beef, and zesty seasoning for a flavorful condiment that elevates an American classic. Add other toppings like cheese, onions, and pickle relish for the best chili dog ever!
Table of Contents
Whether you’re hosting a football tailgate, enjoying a cookout with friends, or just pulling together a weeknight dinner, chili dogs topped with this homemade hot dog chili sauce are always well received!
How to Make Hot Dog Chili Sauce | 1-Minute Video
Loved this recipe. This will be my go to recipe for now own. Great on hotdogs & hamburgers. Thank you for sharing.
– Judy
What to Know Before You Get Started
- This particular hot dog chili recipe is a condiment sauce (like ketchup) for hot dogs. It’s sweeter and thinner than a pot of traditional ground beef chili that you would eat on its own with a spoon.
- This easy chili sauce simmers on the stovetop and is ready in less than an hour! You can make it ahead of time and then just keep it warm on the stove or in a Crock Pot. It will be ready and waiting to dress up your hot dogs whenever you need it!
- If you’re preparing a big batch of this chili for a crowd, I recommend planning for about 2 hot dogs per person. Each hot dog is topped with about 2 tablespoons of chili, so you’ll need ¼ cup chili per person. For a crowd of 50, that’s about 12 ½ cups of chili (or this recipe multiplied by 3). To serve 100, I would estimate about 24-25 cups of hot dog chili sauce (so multiply this recipe by 6).
Directions
This easy hot dog chili recipe comes together quickly, and keeps well in the freezer if you’ve got leftovers on hand. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is soft. Then stir in the garlic, and cook for one more minute. Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to break up the beef into very small pieces as it cooks. A classic hot dog sauce doesn’t contain any large chunks of meat.
- Add water, tomato sauce, ketchup, paprika, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. If you like a spicy hot dog chili, this is a great time to add cayenne pepper, too.
- Simmer for about 25-30 minutes to thicken slightly, and then the sauce is ready to enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Remember, this hot dog chili is a condiment for chili dogs. It is not a traditional beef chili that you would eat in a bowl with a spoon. Instead, this chili sauce has a much sweeter taste (like ketchup), and is reminiscent of the meat-based condiments that you’d find in an old-fashioned diner. Spoon it on top of hot dogs, and finish them off with minced onion, pickle relish, and grated cheddar cheese!
On the side, serve the chili dogs with a classic pasta salad, traditional coleslaw, Jiffy corn casserole, Southern-style green beans, creamy baked mac and cheese, French fries, calico beans, or an apple Snickers salad.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Hot dog chili sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The leftovers should be discarded, however, if it’s left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- How to Freeze: this chili sauce freezes really well, making it an ideal prep-ahead option when you’re hosting a gathering. To freeze, allow the chili to cool completely. Package in smaller portions (if desired) in airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place the chili in a saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover and warm over low heat, just until hot, about 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, place the chili sauce in a Crock Pot, cover, and keep it on the “warm” setting for the duration of your party.
This was great!!! I made it and froze the rest in little 2 Tbsp dots so I can make one for lunch and I don’t have to heat up too much!!!! My favorite dinner this week!!!!
– Rebecca
More Hot Dog Recipes to Try
Franks and Beans
50 minutes mins
Chili Dog Casserole with Cornbread Crust
42 minutes mins
Hot Dog Casserole
55 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Hot Dog Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 90% lean)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- For serving: cooked hot dogs, hot dog buns, grated cheddar cheese, diced onion, pickle relish, mustard
Instructions
- Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink and onion is soft (about 7-10 minutes). Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into very small pieces as it cooks. Add minced garlic and continuing cooking and stirring for 1 more minute. Add water, tomato sauce, ketchup, paprika, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes (or until chili sauce thickens slightly).
- Spoon the chili sauce on top of hot dogs and finish with additional toppings of choice.
Notes
- This chili sauce is designed to be a condiment that you serve on top of hot dogs, and therefore has a sweet flavor that’s similar to ketchup. It is not a chili that you eat on its own in a bowl. If you’re looking for a more traditional beef chili recipe that’s not very sweet, try this or this Crock Pot version.
- Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to break up the beef into very small pieces as it cooks. A classic hot dog sauce doesn’t contain any large chunks of meat.
Nutrition
Hot Dog Chili Sauce Recipe Variations
- A traditional hot dog chili does not include beans; however, you can add a can of drained, rinsed pinto beans, pink beans, or kidney beans if you like.
- Swap out the ground beef and use ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, or even a combination that includes ground pork sausage or ground chorizo.
- Add diced bell peppers to the skillet with the ground beef, onion, and garlic.
- If you like a richer, meatier flavor, you can use beef broth instead of water.
- Substitute ¾ teaspoon of garlic powder for the fresh garlic cloves.
This recipe was originally published in October, 2019. It was updated in August, 2024.
I’m not good with math but is there a way to cut this down for 6 people.
Hi, Katelyn! I just made a batch last weekend for our family of 5, and then stashed the leftover chili in the freezer for another meal. Always a good option!
If you just want to make less chili, though, I would suggest cutting all of the ingredients in half. That will give you about 8 servings, but it might be the perfect amount for your crowd of 6 (if you have some bigger appetites in the mix)! Enjoy!
This recipe was absolutely awesome.I did use some of my own seasonings but this recipe was WELL put together. This is my go to from now on. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Angie!
I’m so sorry that you didn’t care for it, Kimberly. Hot dog chili is definitely supposed to be sweet (more like ketchup), since it’s used as a condiment — not like a regular chili that you would eat in a bowl. 🙂
This was great!!! I made it and froze the rest in little 2Tbsp dots so I can make one for lunch and I don’t have to heat up too much!!!! My favorite dinner this week!!!!
Yay! So glad that you liked it, Rebecca! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. Enjoy those leftovers! 🙂
Loved this recipe. This will be my go to recipe for now own. Great on hotdogs & hamburgers. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful! Thanks, Judy!
Recipe of chilli deserves a special recognition because it s delicious.I especially enjoy worcheshire flavoring in this chilli.
Thanks, Linda!
I made this recipe on Memorial Day. My family loved it! Just made a double batch today.
Thank you, Dee! I’m so glad that it was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. 🙂
Delicious! I used beef broth instead of water and less mustard to fit my taste. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks, DeLisa! I appreciate you taking the time to come back here and leave a note. I bet the beef broth was great!
I agree. Kinda upset it turned out like sloppy joe instead. Luckily I had a can of castleberry up in the cabinet. I’ll eat it because I love sloppy joe, but hubby is picky. Maybe less ketchup would have been better.
I made a different recipe that had similar ingredients and it was awful, but I found your recipe and used it to doctor up the other one. 100% better, so good!
I’m so glad to hear that, Caitlin! Thank you!
WAY TOO SWEET..TOO MUCH KETCHUP
Too much ketchup. Taste a lot like sloppy Joe’s.. and I’m my opinion, too sweet. I would leave out the ketchup if this isn’t what your aiming for.
Absolutely loved this recipe however it tasted more like sloppy joes. It was on the sweet side. Down in the south, our hot dog chili sauce isn’t sweet. I’m going to not use the ketchup next time and just use more tomato sauce. I had to add more chili powder to make it taste more like a chili sauce. It also didn’t make a lot for the serving you have listed. For a family of 6, 3 being adults, one teenager and two younger kids I need to double this recipe.
Like others have said, this chili tastes more like Sloppy Joes than what I imagine when I think of traditional hotdog chili, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good!! Next time, I’ll use half the ketchup. In the meantime, I’m gonna load my dogs up with chopped onion, cheddar cheese, and this lovely chili. Thanks for the recipe!!
Love love love this recipe.
I add beer instead if eater and a pinch of nutmeg
I always double batch and give some out to FAM AND FRIENDS
Love love love this recipe.
I add beer instead if water and a pinch of nutmeg
I always double batch and give some out to FAM AND FRIENDS
Thank you so much, Daisy! We really appreciate you making and sharing our recipe!
I am going to make this for the weekend as I am having adult kids, grandkids their friends and with my husband too, this chili sauce will be top of the menu! I, too, only use Oscar Mayer regular and not beef (have an odd taste) hot dogs. I could live on chili dogs and every time we have moved,when we are settled in, I search for the nearest and best chili dogs. I can even buy the chili sauce from a restaurant where we have our second house, freeze it and bring it to our nestled in the woods, rural house about 350 miles north! I found out that the original chili sauce that the A&W chain has Beef organ meat (heart of cow) in it, so despite eating/loving it, I will not make it and then there is the “problem” of procuring that heart! I’m going to make a triple batch as our adult son, his son, son’s friend and my husband will probably eat it all, by themselves. When they visit, in the winter, I always make them a huge kettle of regular chili, which they continually eat all day and night! So your recipe this weekend, using the suggestion of other posted regarding less ketchup, replaced with tomato sauce as mine has the mild chilies already in the can, thus cutting the need for the chili powder. None of the men in my family will eat any raw onions let alone spicy chili!
What fun memories! We hope you enjoy this recipe.
Cooking for 50 men at our next Tuesday Night Bible Study. What better for a group of men than Chili Dogs? I am confused however, Does the included ingredient calculator already adjust for 2 – hotdogs per man? I’m thinking it does………………..and i looks like I’ve bought twice as many ingredients than I needed. I think I’m going to cook-up half of them a day early and see what my take is then.
I’ll update after that.
Hi Terry! You can’t go wrong with chili dogs when feeding a crowd! This recipe allows for 16 servings. To feed 50 men with 2 hot dogs, you’ll want to type “100” into the servings box. Although, we would probably recommend making a little extra just in case. Hope this helps!