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Hot Dog Chili

A hot dog just isn’t complete without a generous smothering with homemade chili at our house. Skip the canned version and make your own Hot Dog Chili to enjoy on those grilled hot dogs this year.

Hot Dog Chili

Easy Southern Hot Dog Chili Recipe

In the South, there’s are a variety of approaches to chili. This particular recipe has a bit of sweetness due to the ketchup. Regardless, homemade chili has a much better taste and you likely have all of the ingredients on hand to make it. This chili is my “go to” hot dog chili recipe, and it’s packed with flavor. I like to make this in advance and freeze it. It freezes and reheats beautifully, and for a cookout, I usually have it warmed in my crockpot so people can build their own hot dogs with their favorite fixings. How to make Southern Hot Dog Chili: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Onion – In a stove top pan, on medium high heat sauté the chopped onion in vegetable oil until translucent.
  • Ground Beef – Add ground beef cooking until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
  • Sauce – To the beef add ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, soup, chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and paprika. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes, then serve or freeze. (Makes about 4 cups)

How to Make the BEST Hot Dog Chili

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Hot Dog Chili: Ground beef, oil, onion, ketchup, french onion soup or beef stock, dark chili powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, light brown sugar, yellow mustard, white vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: A large 12 inch skillet, measuring cups and spoons, a sharp knife and chopping board and large spoon for stirring.
  • This recipe has a nice balance between spicy and sweet. That said there’s plenty of room to adjust both to your personal taste. You can use chili sauce in place of ketchup i.e. Heinz or a similar private label brand that you like. You can also decrease the amount of light brown sugar and dark chili powder.
  • You can use ground chicken, pork or turkey in the same amount for this recipe with no other adjustments necessary.
  • This chili recipe freezes like a dream. Simply package it in desired size portions in freezer safe containers or plastic storage bags, then press flat. Label and stack them in the freezer until your need them for up to 3 months.
  • You can also store this chili in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat or in a microwave safe bowl.
  • If that’s not your preference, you can certainly replace some of the ketchup with plain tomato sauce, then adjust to your personal taste.

Hot Dog Chili recipe

Side Dishes to Serve with Hot Dogs

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Hot Dog Chili

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Condiment, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: hot-dog-chili
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 156kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1 10 3/4 oz can French onion soup OR beef stock
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp prepared mustard
  • 2 1/2-3 Tbsp dark chili powder adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp paprika

Instructions

  • In a stove top pan, on medium high heat sauté the chopped onion in vegetable oil until translucent.
  • Add ground beef cooking until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
  • To the beef add ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, soup, chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and paprika. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes, then serve or freeze. (Makes about 4 cups)

Notes

a) For a timesaver, make a large batch and freeze it in separate portions for future meals.
b) You may substitute beef broth in place of french onion soup, and tomato sauce or Heinz chili sauce in the same amount in place of ketchup, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 473mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

12 Comments

    1. Depending on how heavy handed you are with it you’ll need to at least double this. That said, you might want to play with the amount of ketchup so it’s not too sweet.

  1. Hi Melissa,

    I love your page! I’m from Illinois and i know this may sound crazy.. but except for the vinegar and chili powder these ingredients are what my family has always made as sloppy joes. They have always been a family favorite, My kids always loved dipping their chips in it as well! lol Anyway thanks for all the great recipes, God bless & keep up the great work.

    1. Hi Shirley, these ingredients do overlap with homemade sloppy joes I had never put that together before. This chili is how my Mom taught me to make it. Thanks for stopping by!

  2. Made your hot dog chili and cole slaw tonight… yum! Reminded me of the ‘fully dressed’ hot dogs I used to have when I was a little girl growing up in NC! I’ve lived in MN for 40 some years… thank you for sharing your recipes and your southern charm and hospitality! Brings back so many good memories!

  3. Thanks Robyn, I probably most often use beef broth but have done it both ways. The soup will give it a more intense onion flavor. Sure hope you enjoy it!

  4. Melissa, this looks WONDERFUL and I can’t wait to try it! What do you most frequently us, onion soup mix or beef broth? Which do you like best? Thanks, Robyn

  5. Hey Mellisa, so happy I found you. I’m currently stuck in Bogota, Colombia but I’m frm South Carolina and needed to read through your page to remind me of home cook’n! I’m gonna do the chili dogs with coleslaw! Thanks, God Bless!

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