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Summer is here and for us, that means we use the grill a lot. There’s just something about hamburgers and hot dogs in the middle of summer that is oh so perfect. While Carrigan loves her hot dog with ketchup and nothing more, I’m a fan of just a little extra something. Thishot dog chili recipe is so perfect for making your favorite chili dogs!
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Wonder.
Hot Dog Chili Recipe
Hot dogs are one of Carrigan’s favorite food and her love for them means we’ve started eating them more often. Summer is the perfect time for hot dogs!
Justin mans the grill and weall enjoy the time we spend together in our backyard on warm summer evenings. But when it comes to hot dogs, I want chili cheese dogs every single time. Every single time.
We love to use Wonder Hot Dog and Hamburger buns for our summer meals. There’s just something about them that feels like summer. They’re just summer essentials and have to be part of our summer memories.
This summer Wonder has partnered with the United Services Organization (USO) to honor military men and women.The hot dog and hamburger packages feature stars, stripes, and camo in honor of our heroes!
Wonder is celebrating our nation’s heroes with the “Camo for the Cause” initiative. Wonder will be making a donation of $250,000 by its parent company (Flowers Bakeries, LLC) to support the USO and its efforts!
The “Camo for a Cause” packaging is only available through the end of July, so be sure to pick up some Wonder Classic hot dog and hamburger buns for your next cookout, picnic and other get-togethers!
Then think about trying your hand at making your own hot dog chili!
For the longest time, I just bought hot dog chili at the store and used that to make chili dogs. But most things are better when you make it yourself and homemade hot dog chili is no different! It’s so versatile!
If you didn’t know we’re huge fans of chili in our house! Carrigan also loves Instant Pot Chili Mac so I whip that up pretty often too! But there’s a difference between the chili I make for meals and for chili mac and the type of chili I make for our chili dog recipe.
The main difference is in the beans. In this hot dog chili recipe, there are no beans. Instead, you get a super simple ingredients list that turns into a tasty hot dog sauce you can actually use on hot dogs, hamburgers, frenchfries, and tater tots (it’s delicious over tatertots with some cheese)!
Hot Dog Chili Recipe Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup minced onion
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
You’ll also need:
- 8 hot dogs
- 1 package Wonder Hot Dog Buns
- Toppings as desired
- Minced onions
- Mustard
- Corn chips
- French friend onions
How to Make Hot Dog Chili
The key to making really great hot dog sauce is getting your meat really smooth. You don’t want big chunks of ground beef in your chili dog sauce. By putting your meat in some water and then breaking it up until it’s smooth, it will brown up with the consistency that makes for great hot dog chili.
1. Place ground beef in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to sit for a few minutes and then use a spatula to break up the meat.
2. Add ground beef, water, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are soft.
3. Add in ketchup, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and stir well.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer over low heat.
5. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the hot dog chili sauce is your desired consistency.
6. Cook or grill hot dogs and place each hot dog in a Wonder Hot Dog bun.
7. Serve the homemade hot dog chili over hot dogs and top with your favorite toppings.
Printable Hot Dog Chili Sauce Recipe
Hot Dog Chili Sauce
Instructions
Place ground beef in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to sit for a few minutes and then use a spatula to break up the meat.
Add ground beef, water, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are soft.
Add in ketchup, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and stir well.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer over low heat.
Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the hot dog chili sauce is your desired consistency.
Cook or grill hot dogs and place each hot dog in a Wonder Hot Dog bun.
Serve the homemade hot dog chili over hot dogs and top with your favorite toppings.
Remember to look for the exclusive Wonder and USO “Camo for a Cause” packaging through the end of July at your local grocery store. They’re great for making chili dogs! Actually, I think they might be some of the best hot dog buns for making chili dogs! My family agrees!
FAQs
Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.
What kind of chili is best for hot dogs? ›
A smoother chili sauce with fine “grains” of ground beef / beef mince, rather than chunks like bolognese or chili con carne, works best for chili dogs. It's the Ben's Chili Bowl way! I've always wanted to replicate the Ben's chili sauce.
How to make a simple hot dog? ›
Cooking Instructions
- Add water to a skillet or frying pan. Cover the surface with half an inch of water.
- Turn the heat on medium-high. Heat the pan until the water starts to boil off.
- Gently add the hot dogs. You'll only want to cook a few at a time with this method.
- Steam them. ...
- Serve.
What's the difference between hot dog chili and regular chili? Hot dog chili is much thicker than soup chili. It also usually doesn't contain beans. The meat in hot dog chili is also very finely ground whereas in soup chili, it is chunkier.
What is the most important spice in chili? ›
Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.
What liquid is best for chili? ›
Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.
What is the best hot chili in the world? ›
Top 10 World's Hottest Chilli Peppers
- Pepper X. Scoville units: 2,693,000.
- Carolina Reaper. Scoville units: 1,641,183.
- Trinidad Scorpion Butch T. Scoville units: 1,463,700.
- Naga Viper. Scoville units: 1,382,000.
- Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. Scoville units: 1,200,000.
- Infinity. Scoville units: 1,176,182.
- Ghost Pepper. ...
- 7 Pot Barrackpore.
Hot Dog Chili Ingredients
Tomato products: You'll need tomato sauce and ketchup for the best flavor. Seasonings: The hot dog chili is seasoned with chili powder, salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Worcestershire sauce: A dash of Worcestershire sauce takes the flavor up a notch.
What's the difference between chili sauce and hot dog chili sauce? ›
There's a bit of a discrepancy as to what makes chili for a hotdog different from the regular chili you eat from a bowl. According to cooking blog, The Country Cook, hotdog chili is thicker than regular chili and uses tomato paste. The blogger also defines hot dog sauce as just a little thinner than hot dog chili.
How to make a very good hot dog? ›
Prepare the hot dogs: Preheat grill to 500°F. Using a pairing knife, cut small 45° slits along the length of the wieners, marking every half-inch and going about halfway deep. Transfer the wieners onto the hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure they're uniformly cooked.
Nathan's method is to slow-cook them, starting on low heat and upping the temperature until they're cooked through, about 40 minutes later.
What seasonings are in hot dogs? ›
The most common spices used include red, white and black pepper, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, paprika and allspice. Sugar and corn syrup - Sweeteners that add flavor and promote browning. Water - Water (or sometimes ice) is mixed in with the meat and spices to help blending.
What is on a coney island hot dog? ›
A Coney dog is a beef frankfurter in natural casing, nestled in a soft, steamed bun. Its topping of an all meat, beanless chili, diced white onions, and yellow mustard distinguishes it from the ordinary hot dog.
What is an A&W coney dog? ›
An all-beef* hot dog, served with your choice of toppings. Try it with our signature meaty chili sauce, onions… any way you like it.
What is coney dog sauce made of? ›
Make the Beef Sauce
Add the beef, stirring frequently, until well browned. Drain liquids and juices from the skillet, but keep beef in pan. Add onion, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, allspice, ground mustard, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, and water. Stir to mix thoroughly.
What brings out the flavor in chili? ›
Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.
What ingredient will change your chili forever? ›
According to The Kitchn, that ingredient is cocoa powder. You may associate chocolate with dessert, but rest assured, adding cocoa powder won't make your chili sickeningly sweet. Instead, it'll contribute a layer of richness and balance out the spiciness.
Why would you put vinegar in chili? ›
With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.
Why do you put brown sugar in chili? ›
The brown sugar gave it a sweet/tangy flavor that reminded me of BBQ-sauce! Th chili was so good - it was hard to stop eating it! I did had some extra veggies (1 cl. garlic, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 1 hot pepper) and used a can of diced tomatoes rather than tomato juice.
