Hot Dog Chili Recipe (Easy & Delicious)

You'll love this easy, savory homemade hot dog chili recipe to use for all of your outdoor gatherings!

Great on hot dogs or brats, but also great as a sauce for pasta, a topping for baked potatoes - the possibilities for this tasty chili sauce are endless!

Pairing the chili with your favorite hot dog or brat toppings - like mustard and slaw (my two favorite pairings) or onions, relish, ketchup - makes for a hearty, extremely stuffed bun.

You may want to go with larger buns (hoagie rolls, maybe?), especially if you're filling your bun with fat brats.

My latest brat was squeezing out of the bun, and I hadn't even put my slaw on yet (note to self: get hoagie rolls next time).

Tips For the Best Hot Dog Chili

To make the best hot dog chili possible, start with the freshest ingredients. Fresh onion, garlic, and peppers. Super fresh, lean ground beef.

Add in the best spices and sauces. Let it simmer or slow cook for hours, and you'll have the best chili sauce imaginable.

This hot dog sauce recipe is easy to whip together and can be made days in advance - up to 3 days, and it's still nice and fresh.

If you make the sauce at least the day before, the flavors have time to meld together better. This makes for a tastier hot dog sauce.

I find that the level of chili powder in this recipe is just right to add nice chili flavor. But it's also mild enough for those who don't like spicy chili as well as children.

If you like your homemade hot dog chili recipe to have a hotter kick to it, feel free to add more chili powder. Be aware, however, that it will get spicier the longer it simmers and the longer it's stored.

How To Cook Hot Dogs

In my opinion, the best way to cook hot dogs is by grilling them or over an open fire on a camp out. My next choice is to pan fry them in a bit of oil till they're browned on all sides.

Lastly, you can boil them to heat them up. They won't brown if you boil them, but it's a quick way to heat them.

Hot dogs, after all, are already cooked, so you actually only need to heat them. But I like the way they taste when browned on a grill, open fire, or stove top.

Easy peasy!

What to Serve With Hot Dogs and Chili

This hot dog chili sauce recipe pairs very well with my Creamy Coleslaw Recipe to add to your hot dogs or serve alongside.

These fabulous Slow Cooker Baked Beans are also a big hit to serve with hot dogs and chili at your next barbecue or cookout.

Making my Simple Potato Salad with Bacon is another great option for your potluck or cookout.

Making Hot Dog Chili

Making hot dog chili isn't super difficult. I see it as a sauce - one that typically starts out with onions, garlic, and maybe peppers. You then add the meat to brown.

The spices and tomato sauce are then added before simmering.

The trick is to get the seasonings just right so it's flavorful, saucy but not runny, and full of small chunks of meat throughout.

Beans are an option, but I personally prefer my hot dog chili be without beans, and I think a lot of other folks feel the same.

On low-to-medium heat, you will brown your ground beef in a large skillet (I love to use my cast iron skillet).

Chop up the ground beef as it cooks so the pieces are small.

When almost browned, you will add the garlic and blend in with the meat.

Once the ground beef is browned, you will want to spoon out any extra fat from the pan. Take care not to remove any of the garlic pieces.

Next, you will add tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, onion powder, and chili powder and blend.

At this point, you will increase the heat so the chili mixture begins to simmer. Once it's simmering, turn down heat to low and let simmer for 45-50 minutes covered.

Serving Hot Dog Chili

You can serve this delicious hot dog chili right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Serve on hot dogs, brats, pasta, or baked potatoes. Pairs well with coleslaw.

I hope you LOVE this hot dog chili recipe as much as me and my family do! I find it simple yet OH SO TASTY on my hot dogs and brats!

And any leftovers are great on pasta or baked potatoes (like I said before ;-))

Of note, I love to use the already-prepared minced garlic in the jars. Great for if you forgot to get garlic at the store. Adds so much flavor to your favorite dishes and saves so much time!

More Summertime Recipes

📋 Recipe