Southern Style Homemade Hot Dog Chili is made with ground beef, garlic, beef broth, tomato sauce and seasonings (no beans!) So much flavor!
HOMEMADE HOT DOG CHILI
For me, the key is to a great homemade hot dog chili recipe is that it won’t overtake the taste of the hot dog (cause I wanna taste that too). Also, it can be kept in a slow cooker to keep warm for serving!
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
SOUTHERN STYLE HOT DOG SAUCE
Now, hot dogs work a bit differently here in Southwest Virginia. When you order a hot dog, it automatically comes with chili. If you want it without chili, you gotta be specific. They usually refer to a plain hot dog as a weiner dog. But if you just order a hot dog with ketchup and mustard, they are gonna throw chili on there too. There are lots of ways to make it. But for a true southern experience, add some SOUTHERN COLE SLAW on the hot dog with the chili.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:
lean ground beef
onion
garlic
chili powder
sugar
cumin
Worcestershire sauce
tomato paste
beef broth (or water)
corn meal
kosher salt
vegetable oil
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HOT DOG CHILI:
Give it all a good stir to combine then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Do a taste test at this point to see if it has enough salt. If you want, you can transfer the chili over to a Crock Pot and put it on the keep warm setting.
TIPS FOR LEFTOVER CHILI:
This chili is super-duper wonderful on tater tots and french fries. You gotta try it if you have some leftover chili. Throw some cheddar cheese on top and you gotta whole new meal! And you could definitely try this with leaner meats like ground turkey or chicken.
THE BEST HOMEMADE HOT DOG CHILI RECIPE
Southern Style Homemade Hot Dog Chili is made with ground beef, garlic, beef broth, tomato sauce and seasonings (no beans!) So much flavor!
Originally published: March 2011
Updated & Republished: July 2019
BEST HOMEMADE HOT DOG CHILI
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 tbsp corn meal
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt to taste
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- Put a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in medium sauce pan.
- On medium-high heat, saute onion until translucent, then add garlic.
- Stir for about a minute, then add ground beef.
- As beef begins to brown, use a potato masher to grind up the beef into small bits.
- Once brown, add in the rest of the ingredients (if your beef produced a lot of grease, you may want to strain some of that out first before adding the rest of the ingredients).
- Give it all a good stir to combine then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Do a taste test at this point to see if it has enough salt.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
WANT MORE RECIPES? YOU MUST TRY THESE!
CROCK POT CHILI CHEESE DOGS
CHILI MAC
CROCK POT HOMEMADE CHILI
CROCK POT TACO JOES
BEST SOUTHERN COLE SLAW
INSTANT POT PULLED PORK BBQ
BEST EVER POTATO SALAD
THE BEST (CLASSIC) DEVILED EGGS
CAMPFIRE HOT DOG & POTATO PACKETS
Oh No! If you have an authentic Chicago Hot dog, no ketchup. That's the rule;) we eat Portillos Hot dogs! Your chili dogs look good though. Every region has their own version of the hot dog.
Tasty hot dog..You did an amazing job! I'm totally drooling :))
Mmmmmmmmm Chili Dogs… *drool*
Mmmmmmmmm Chili Tots ..*drool* : )
Wow that looks wonderful. My daughter would dig right in!
yum!! That looks delicious! Thanks for sharing! I might just have to go try that ASAP!
Yum..that looks good!
My hubby LOVES chili dogs…or just hot dogs period!! He's from Indiana also..maybe that explain it! The kids always hated it when I needed him to cook for me..guess what they'd always have?? 🙂
I'm going to give this chili recipe a try. We love chili dogs here! I've never seen those split top buns before. Thanks for mentioning those. I'll be on the lookout for them. And those Hebrew National dogs are the only ones that are eaten in this house!
Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer
This is one super beautiful hot dog!!! My mouth is all watery now, yum yum yum! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I just got done telling a colleague how much I love hot dogs as a guilty pleasure. Thanks for bringing these to me while I have hot dogs on the brain!!
I along with Becky grew up on the Chicago dog, lots of veggies (might as well be a burger with a whole pickle and slices of tomato on it) and love it to this day. Then I grew up and moved away and discovered chili dogs… AMAZING!!! Oh and chili fries… Ok I'm hungry!
LOL, Brandie, you know a lot about hot dogs 🙂 I've never even had a chili dog, but that may change soon! Yours look awfully good~
Lizzy, I know WAY more about hot dogs than I probably should…hee hee.
Don't even get me started on pizza!! ;o)
Can't wait for summer! Your dog looks so good piled high with chili like that, yum! Like the split-top bun, too, less messy if that were possible with a chili dog.
Brandie, I love your sense of humour. Must be tough keeping a couple of hot dog connoisseurs happy! Great job.
Wow this looks amazing! Tater tots sound wonderful too. Soo ready for summer and this is the perfect dish!
My husband and boys would love this too! 🙂
We are a chili dog family here, Brandie. Love them so much. Your chili recipe sounds wonderful! I'm with you on the split top hot dog buns. I could never find them in Louisiana. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I have never had chilli on a hot dog before. Sounds interesting.
🙂 Mandy
Nothing like a good chili dog! I'm going to have to try that brand..and I'll be sure to pick up some Stewart's Rut Beer :o)
I think I have a few boys in the house that would enjoy this recipe!
yum! That looks good! You should come link it up to my What's Cooking Wednesday linky tomorrow!
Diane
http://www.turning-the-clock-back.blogspot.com
I think my brother would love these….goonna make these for him when he visits chicago and i hope it's soon…hehe.
I was just over at a friends this morning who said she had a chili dog last night. I'm really picky about my dogs but needless so say this looks delish!
In the summertime we have hot dogs so often on the open fire! It seems so long ago, I know at the first almost warm evening, Mr. Rosemary will be asking if we have any dogs. (I'll surprise him with the chili!)
I live in Chicagoland, so the hot dog is near and dear to me – just don't put ketchup on it!
I can just imagine that chili with fries – yum!!
Oh my, hotdogs reminds me of summer. My husband would want a regular beer to go with it.
Mmm-mm! This looks really good. When I saw your link on a carnival (I forget which one), I saw that you said something about "tots." I was afraid you were going to say this was a good meal for kids…because I think it looks like a great meal for ME! 🙂
My husband is with yours – he loves hotdogs – we use Hebrew nat'l too
I live in New England those buns are the best – I grill them before putting hotdog in them – butter both sides and grill in pan until golden brown
This looks really good! I love chili sauce on hot dogs or fries…I can't wait to try this 🙂
That looks delicious 🙂
Hello.You have a great blog..the recipe are all yummy! This chili is such a treat for my kids.Thanks.. I am your newest follower. I hope you could come and visit my blog: www.cookiedropletsetcbymarelie.com
I tried making a dog sauce a few years ago, it did not turn out well at all! But with BBQ season coming up, I want to try again. Your sauce looks good and I like the touch of cornmeal to take up the slack, so it stays on the dog. thanks.
I'm laughing out loud because my first reaction was, "What's wrong with the way your husband says root beer?" Being from the Chicago area, I think he says it perfectly. Then, I saw your package of Hebrew National dogs and I knew you were a hot dog aficionado too. It's always nice when you know that's what's in there is not very, very gross.
Great recipe and fun post. 🙂
I made this yesterday, exactly as shown in your recipe, and my house smelled good for the rest of the day. We are having it tonight for dinner, with hot dogs of course.
Hooray!! So glad it was a hit with your family!!
Visiting through Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin it Friday. Great recipe, nice and simple. We always use any leftover chili for chili dogs. Gotta have frech chopped onion and cheese on top though. I'll have to give this quick and easy chili a try in between the leftover pots.
Thanks.
Brandie – I'm WAY behind on my reading but I saved this one because we're going to have a shredding party at the office and I want to fix chili dogs… I've tried a couple of recipes that I wasn't totally happy with. since I've loved everything else you've made, I'm figuring this'll be a homerun! Happy 4th 😉 Kate
Made this today, it was sooo good! I didn't add the corn meal, but it was great regardless! Thanks for another awesome recipe.
I made this today without the cornmeal and it was great, except, 1 T kosher salt was way too much. I had to do some damage control with a big can of diced tomatoes to tone down the saltiness. Still, a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Emily! Thank you so much! I did adjust the amount in the recipe. I had originally had (to taste) next to the salt amount. That amount of salt works for us but I realize saltiness is in the mouth of the beholder..lol. Glad you liked it though! Next time try adding the cornmeal. It really adds a little something special to this chili! 🙂
I was born and raised in Southwest Virginia, who transplanted to the big city of Knoxville Tn. When I want good hot dog chili, I'll drive three hours to get my chili! Love your blog
Your Southwest Virginia Sister!
These look so good!!! I love me a good chili dog. I grew up in southern West Virginia and here we would put slaw on top of that chili. Good stuff.
I've never heard of the cornmeal in the chili but will definitely be trying that one soon.
Just made this except I didn't have cornmeal and I use chipotle chili powder for 1/2 TBSP of the chili powder, rest regular chili powder. YUM, YUM and YUM again!! A keeper of a recipe!
We moved to KY about 5 years ago and whenever we make it back home to Chicago we ALWAYS make a pit stop at Portillo's!!! Can't wait to try this! Oh how I miss my midwestern fast food! :,( lol
I made this yesterday in the slowcooker. We really enjoyed our chili dogs. No more canned chili!
I made this recipe yesterday as well, & I loved it! we ate it on hotdogs & Frito pies too! Definitely a keeper! Thank you for your great recipe!
-Ashley
Can't wait to try this! My sister lives in Southwestern VA too (Dickenson County – and we love our dogs with chili and occasionally slaw as well! Originally from the extreme mountain part of KY and now living in Central KY:)
My husband and I grew up in NW Indiana and I have been looking for years for a hot dog chili recipe like we used to get "back home". Can't wait to try this! So glad I found your site. I think I'm in love!
I also grew up in northern Indiana and dearly loved going to Hank's A&W Root Beer Stand for ice cold A&W root beer and a "Spanish" hot dog (which was his version of chili). My mouth is watering just thinking about those hot dogs. Oh my! I miss our midwestern food, too. Our local WalMart here in western North Carolina sells the split hot dog buns like you use. I am going to have to try this recipe real soon. We don't only fix hot dogs in the summer. In the winter, I do them in the broiler of my oven. Mmmmmmmmm!
I live in NW Indiana about 3 miles from Lake Michigan. Sounds like your M-I-L worked at an A&W drive in. Quite a few responders live in NW Indiana. I've been looking for a recipe for chili dog sauce when I realized how much$$$ that little can cost. I'll have to give your recipe a try. Hello to your husband from the "Region".
Vicky
Hi There: I was raised in Mi. Battle Creek to be exact, now living in Ca. In Mi. we had a couple little places that sold chile dogs, I believe they were Greek. The hot dogs were to die for. I sure miss them.
I've been wanting a good chili recipe and tried several online that ended up not tasting the best. I was tired of throwing money away on ingredients trying to find a good recipe. I decided to give it another try with this recipe and I'm so glad I did! It's delicious! Thank you.
My 11-year old wasn’t sure about eating chili without beans 🙂 This is easily her favorite thing now. She eats it on hot dogs, tater tots or even by itself with Fritos. Needless to say she doesn’t dread hot dog days.
There’s an out-of-this-world hot dog place right in the cTheir dogs are so good you don’t even have to chew them Andthe chili is scrujmptuous the name ofr the place is — yeah, you guessed it — You-Yum’s. They serve up fantastic ice cream for your after-meal treat. If you’re everSpring Garden Street and just ride east until you come yo it. It will be the greatest treat of your life!
Never heard of cornmeal in chili ???
This sounds good though.
Love a good hotdog,like mine
with chili , onions and coleslaw.
I am excited to try this, but was wondering what the purpose of the cornmeal is and it is corn meal, similar to grits, not the finer corn flour or corn starch, correct? Want to make sure before I attempt it. Thank you!
Corn meal acts as a thickener. It’s optional but we really like it. 🙂
In the summer, my Dad took us to the A&W once a week for a root beer and hot dog with chili or a breaded temderloin on a bun. We had to share one order of french fries. I can still taste it all. The nights were warm. What a great reward for mowing the yard..
Goshen, In
I absolutely love your childhood memory! I’m sure you’ll cherish it always!!
I’m southern and so is this chili! It’s perfect for dogs and so much more. Thanks for the recipe!
This was amazing !! Thankyou .. the recipe i was using took 2 hours our more the flavor here is better and doesn’t take long
THIS WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!
For even more authentic taste, hit your ground meat with a stick blender before adding the other ingredients. It give the meat that fine ground texture.
My hubby’s all time favorite hot dog chili is definitely ‘Custard Stand’ … but its expensive. I made your recipe & added a 12 oz container of Custard Stand hot dog chili to tweak the flavor he loves. I freeze in individual containers (enough for 3-4 hot dogs) which keeps fresh & it also offsets the cost! TY appreciatively for this recipe. 🙂
We really loved this chili. I liked that it was soupy or runny. It stays in place on the hot dog and it tastes great!
I just made this and it is delicious I will never buy hot dog chili again!!! Awesome thank you
Trying to cut beef out of diet, used ground chicken and the family loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
This was very good after some adjustments. The 1/2 tablespoon of salt called for was way too much for us. I adjusted by adding another 6 oz of hot water, about 2 tablespoons of honey and another teaspoon of sugar to tone down the salt. I let it simmer for another 10 minutes or so to boil off the liquid. I did not use the corn meal because I did not have any. (Maybe that would have helped the salty?).
I will use this recipe again, but only use 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of chili powder. It was a tad too spicy for us.
Overall, it’s a great recipe. Since I’m feeding just two of us, I liked that I could use 1 pound of ground beef rather than 1-1/2 – 2 pounds like other recipes I found. We each had 2 fully loaded dogs and we still have leftovers to freeze for another meal. (I love leftovers to freeze!)
Thank you!
This recipe is spot on. Add some cayenne if you like a little heat. Smoked paprika if you like a more rustic flavor.
Awesome chili. Made for 4th July hotdogs. Very very good!