Chili Dog
intro
Juicy grilled hot dogs topped with savory beef chili, melted cheddar, and classic fixings in soft toasted buns for a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook the chili base
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat (175°C / 350°F). Add 225g 80/20 ground beef, break apart with a wooden spoon, and cook for 6-7 minutes until fully browned with no pink remaining. Drain excess grease, leaving 1 teaspoon of rendered fat in the pan.
Simmer the beef chili
Add 110g finely diced yellow onion to the saucepan with the beef, cook for 3 minutes until translucent and soft, then stir in 6g minced garlic, 30g tomato paste, 8g mild chili powder, 2g ground cumin, and 1g smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then pour in 120ml crushed tomatoes and 60ml low-sodium beef broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low (95°C / 200°F), cover, and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with 5g kosher salt and 1g freshly ground black pepper, then set aside off heat.
Grill the hot dogs
Preheat an outdoor gas grill or stovetop grill pan to medium-high heat (230°C / 450°F). Pat 450g (8 links) all-beef hot dogs dry with paper towels to encourage even charring, then place directly on the grill grates. Cook for 4-5 minutes total, turning every 1 minute with metal tongs, until light, even char marks form on all sides and the internal temperature reaches 71°C / 160°F. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
Toast the split buns
Brush the cut inner sides of 8 split-top soft hot dog buns evenly with 28g melted unsalted butter. Place the buns cut-side down on the cooler outer edge of the grill (175°C / 350°F) for 30-45 seconds, until the cut surface is light golden brown and slightly crisp at the edges. Remove from the grill and arrange on a large serving platter.
Add base condiments
Spread 1 teaspoon (5g) of yellow mustard along the inside of each toasted bun, then top with 1.5 teaspoons (7.5g) of sweet dill pickle relish. Nestle one grilled hot dog into each prepared bun, pressing gently to seat it securely in the bun split so toppings do not slide out.
Top with chili and serve
Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons (30g) of warm beef chili evenly over each hot dog, then top each with 2 tablespoons (14g) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Let the assembled dogs rest for 1 minute so the cheese melts slightly from the residual heat of the chili and grilled dog, then serve immediately.
Tips
2.Simmer chili until it is thick enough to mound on a spoon without dripping; thin chili will make buns soggy quickly. Add 1-2 extra minutes of cook time if needed to reach the right consistency.
3.Customize toppings to taste: add diced white onion, pickled jalapeños, sauerkraut, or a drizzle of hot sauce for extra flavor and texture.
OMG, made these for our college football tailgate last Saturday and they were an absolute hit! The chili is the perfect thickness—no soggy bun mess, which is a total game changer for serving a crowd. Will be making these every home game for sure, SO good.
35 minute cook time? Sign me up! I whipped these up after my kid’s late soccer practice on a weeknight and both of my boys devoured them. Didn’t even have to run to the grocery store, I had all the ingredients in my pantry and fridge already.
Tastes exactly like the chili dogs I used to get at the old drive-in when I was a kid! Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I added a little extra cumin and a dash of hot sauce to kick the heat up a bit, but the base recipe is totally solid.
Brought these to our church potluck last Sunday and the whole pan was gone in 15 minutes! Even the picky eaters in the congregation came back for seconds. I topped mine with a little shredded cheddar and diced white onion, classic combo.
Bro, I’m a broke college senior with minimal cooking skills and this was so easy to make in my dorm’s tiny kitchen? Used cheap hot dogs, canned beans, and a dollar store bun and it still slapped. 10/10, no notes.
Made these after a long day hike with my partner and they hit so hard. We cooked the hot dogs over the campfire then topped them with the pre-made chili I brought in a thermos, absolute post-adventure perfection. Will be adding this to our regular camp meal rotation.
Great recipe for meal prep! I made a big batch of the chili on Sunday and it kept perfectly in the fridge all week, so I could just heat it up and pour it over a grilled dog for quick lunches. Only knock is I wish the chili had a little more tomato depth, so I added a tablespoon of tomato paste next time.
My kids loved it!!! I was worried the chili would be too spicy for my 6 and 8 year old, so I skipped the red pepper flakes and it was perfect for them. They asked if we can have “chili dog night” every Friday now, looks like we have a new family dinner tradition.
I run the concession stand for our local high school baseball team and we tested this recipe for our last home game. We sold out in the first hour! Kids and parents both were raving, we’re adding it to the permanent menu for next season.
Solid recipe, but I’d recommend using all-beef hot dogs instead of the standard ones the recipe suggests, and grilling them instead of boiling to get that nice smoky char. The chili itself was great, though, good balance of flavors.
Game changer! I’ve been making chili dogs for years and could never get the chili to not run all over the place, but this recipe’s consistency is perfect. I topped mine with pickled jalapeños, sour cream, and crushed Fritos for that extra crunch, chef’s kiss.
Made these for my little brother’s birthday cookout and they were such a hit! I didn’t have any kidney beans on hand so I used pinto beans instead, and it worked perfectly. No one even noticed the swap, they were too busy piling on toppings.
It’s 30 degrees out here in upstate NY and these hit DIFFERENT. Served them with a side of tater tots and a cold beer and it was the perfect cozy Sunday dinner. I’m already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.
I’ve been making chili dogs since my Army days back in the 80s, and this recipe is one of the best I’ve tried. The spice balance is spot on, no weird fancy ingredients, just straight up classic American comfort food. Great work on this one.