Homemade Hot Dog Chili Recipe
33 Comments May 08, 2024
Updated Apr 30, 2025
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Do you love chili dogs? My easy hot dog chili, made in the slow cooker, is one of the best you’ll ever try—so much flavor in every bite! Skip the canned stuff and treat your dogs to a chili that’s truly worth it.
Hot dogs are an easy way to get dinner on the table but why not make it spectacular? Pile this homemade hot dog chili sauce over your hot dogs and top with cheese and onions. You can even use this hot dog chili on Slow Cooker Hot Dogs!
A chili dog is a hot dog served on a bun and topped with rich chili con carne. The sauce is sometimes called coney sauce, and when served, it’s often referred to as a coney dog. It has a thick, meaty texture similar to sloppy joes but with classic chili flavor. These saucy dogs can get messy—in the best way—and are often enjoyed with a knife and fork. You can even use the chili to top burgers for an extra-flavorful twist!
Ingredients needed for Hot Dog Chili Sauce
You most likely will have most of the ingredients in your pantry for this recipe. For ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below the images.
- Ground beef – I like to use a fatty ground beef for this recipe (10-20%fat)! Gives the sauce a great flavor.
- Ketchup – add sweetness and more tomato flavor
- Canned tomato sauce – This is the base for the sauce
- White onion – save some for topping the chili dogs if desired.
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder
- Other Key Ingredients – a touch of brown sugar for sweetness, Worcestershire sauce for rich, tangy depth, and mustard for a classic zesty kick.
How to make Hot Dog Chili
Step 1 – Add the ground beef to a skillet on the stovetop.
Step 2 – Cook over medium-high heat. The trick to good hot dog chili is to crumble the meat extra small with your spatula.
Step 3 -Drain the fat off the beef and add to the slow cooker.
Step 4– Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1.5 hours or LOW for 3 hours. Stir this often, or it will burn.
How to serve hot dog chili:
This hot dog chili is super versatile—perfect for classic chili dogs and so much more! Try these serving ideas for your next gathering:
- Serve over hot dogs and buns (make sure to offer a knife and fork to your guests).
- Serve this hot dog chili in a crockpot, along side crockpot hot dogs.
- Offer toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, minced onion, jalapenos, mustard (try it! so good). Some even top their chili dogs with nacho cheese!
- Other ways to use this hot dog chili is as a topping for baked potatoes, cheeseburgers, or cornbread. Top nachos with this chili as well!
Featured Comment
“This was excellent! I used ancho chili pepper so it had a tiny kick but once in the hotdog was perfect. I rarely leave comment reviews but this recipe deserved it. We only cooked hot about 30 minutes so I’m sure it will be even better reheated.”
– Kimberly
Homemade Hot Dog Chili Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 cup ketchup
- 8 oz. tomato sauce, (not paste)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup minced white onion
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp. mustard , (regular liquid mustard)
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
Instructions
- Set a large skillet on the stove top over medium high heat. Brown the meat and crumble as small as you can. Drain the fat off and add the meat to the slow cooker.
- Add remaininng ingredients and stir.
- Cover and cook for 1.5 – 2 hours on high or 3 hours on low, stirring often. This may burn if you leave it unattended too long.
- If the hot dog chili sauce gets too thick add a splash of water or a touch more ketchup.
Stove-top instructions:
- Follow directions above but add everything to the skillet along with the beef. Turn the stove to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add water or ketchup if it thickens too much.
Sarah’s Notes
- Serve over hot dogs and buns (make sure to offer a knife and fork to your guests).
- Serve this hot dog chili in a crockpot, along side crockpot hot dogs.
- Offer toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, minced onion, jalapenos, mustard (try it! so good). Some even top their chili dogs with nacho cheese!
- Other ways to use this hot dog chili is as a topping for baked potatoes, cheeseburgers, or cornbread. Top nachos with this chili as well!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Meals:
Slow Cooker Beer and Garlic Brats are loaded with flavor and perfect for game day, while Slow Cooker Meatball Sliders are easy to serve and always a hit.
Set up a Nacho Bar for a fun, customizable option, and try Slow Cooker Beer Brats with onions and peppers for a savory crowd-pleaser.
Bourbon Hot Dogs bring a sweet and smoky kick to your party spread, and Hot Tub Beer Brats stay warm and juicy in a flavorful beer bath.
Seriously Don’t Post Unless It Seriously Really Is Hot Dog chill… Seriously What A False Recipe.. Seriously Agree With The Other Reviews That It Tastes Like Manwish…Seriously Lame Recipe I Wouldn’t Reccomend This Recipe There’s Better Recipe Then This…Specially On Food Network. Etc
lol, I was guessing this wouldn’t be a good recipe as they mentioned to eat the hot dog with a knife and fork and to provide those to guests. Not something I even want to try.
We eat chili dogs with a knife at home too, you can add more toppings that way.
Was excited to make this because of the great reviews. This is not hot dog chili. It’s sloppy joes.
This looks great…I have picky children(and a picky wife) when it comes to onions. They don’t eat them unless they lose their crunchiness. Do they get soft in the 2 hours in the crock pot? Would it work if I put them in with the ground beef when browning the ground beef?
They do stay a little crunchy. I would cook them with the ground beef.
Can the sauce be frozen for later also
Yes, this freezes well.
I agree tastes like Manwich
It was ok. I dont like sweet chili and between the catsup and the brown sugar it wasn’t what I was looking for.
Tasted good, I didn’t use as much ketchup tho. A little trick : thaw meat and add water, and mix up then cook. This will make very fine meat instead of having to try and chop it fine after it’s cooked.
This was excellent! I used ancho chili pepper so it had a tiny kick but once in the hotdog was perfect. I rarely leave comment reviews but this recipe deserved it. We only cooked hot about 30 minutes so I’m sure it will be even better reheated.
Tasted almost identical to Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce. Did not taste like hot dog chili at all.
Tried this for my family and they loved it..
The only thing extra was brown sugar and water..
It didn’t last long. Thank you so much