Julia’s Southern Hot Dog Chili Sauce
In this post I’m sharing the recipe for Julia’s Southern Hot Dog Chili Sauce. It’s my signature hot do chili recipe and folks sure do love it!
I’ve loved hot dogs as long as I can remember. Hot dogs topped with good ole’ fashioned chili sauce! Some even go so far as to top that chili with a helping of coleslaw too.
How do you prefer topping your hot dog? Typically for myself it is chili, mustard and onions. Sometimes slaw on top. If I’m just having a chili bun though, which is a thing, it’s the bun with mayonnaise and chili.
Regardless of how you top them, hot dogs are a favorite for many.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Ground Beef
- 1/8 c Ketchup
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce
- ½ Medium Onion Minced (Keep the other half as a condiment for the Hot Dogs)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ c Beer (optional)
- 3-4 c Water
- ½ tsp Paprika
- Pinch Sugar
- 2 tbs Chili Powder
- 2 tbs Tomato Paste
Old Fashioned Hot Dog Chili Sauce
Cover the ground beef with water and break up the meat completely. Next, add the beer (if using), diced onion, Worcestershire, ketchup, hot sauce sauce and spices and start on Medium High to bring to a rapid boil.
Reduce and simmer. You can cook it down faster if needed on a higher temperature, just until most water is reduced. Stir occasionally.
When water is reduced, add tomato paste to thicken. Stir to incorporate.
Serve as a hot dog topping.
Leftover chili sauce freezes well.
Get the Recipe for Carolina Slaw Dogs
Carolina Style Southern Hot Dog Chili Sauce
Check out my recipe for Crock Pot Hot Dog Chili
Best Hot Dog Chili
Julia’s Southern Hot Dog Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Ground Beef
- 1/8 c Ketchup
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce
- ½ Medium Onion Minced Keep the other half as a condiment for the Hot Dogs
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ c Beer optional
- 3-4 c Water
- ½ tsp Paprika
- Pinch Sugar
- 2 tbs Chili Powder
- 2 tbs Tomato Paste
Instructions
- Cover the ground beef with water and break up the meat completely. Next, add the beer (if using), diced onion, Worcestershire, ketchup, hot sauce sauce and spices and start on Medium High to bring to a rapid boil.
- Reduce and simmer. You can cook it down faster if needed on a higher temperature, just until most water is reduced. Stir occasionally.
- When water is reduced, add tomato paste to thicken. Stir to incorporate.
- Serve as a hot dog topping.
- Leftover chili sauce freezes well.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out my Fast Skillet Hot Dog Chili Recipe
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Julia’s Southern Hot Dog Chili Sauce
Thank you for stopping by! I hope that you love this hot dog chili just as much as so many do. I get rave reviews for this chili recipe. If you like the old fashioned classic hot dog chili like Southern grandmothers used to make then you’ll love this one too.
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About Julia
Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Weekend Potluck, Julia 🙂 I love chili dogs…one of my favorite foods! Hoping you can link back to the party for a possible feature. Thanks for all your awesome shares! Hope you have a great week!
Yes, I sure will. I was leaving to go out of town Friday morning and in a rush. I am linking back now 🙂
You're such a great supporter of WPL – Thanks for all your shares!!
This recipe is right on time, I just bought hot dogs, and now i'm going to make this sauce. I love hot dog sauce and never knew how to make it.
Thanks for sharing!
I hope you enjoy the recipe Mary!
When do the onions go in? Are they considered a "spice"?
Jennifer,
Thank you for pointing that out. I have updated the post 🙂
Looks yummy! We will probably grill hot dogs on the 4th.
Thank you 🙂
I really wish you'd remove the beer, it's been Proven that ALCOHOL DOESN'T COOK OUT IT'S DOESN'T COOK OUT you really don't need it in there
That ingredient is optional.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be removed, if you don’t like it, don’t use it, its like your TV if you don’t like what your looking at, turn the channel
Completely agree, Larry Webb! I don’t drink beer, but I’ll be adding it to the recipe for sure!
Do any of you have any pressure cooker recipes??
I’m afraid I don’t at this time. I’ve never used a pressure cooker for preparing meals. I do have a few slow cooker recipes. I’m considering adding some pressure cooker recipes in the future.
Loved your chili for not dogs!!! Have you added any instant pot recipes yet?
Debb,
Thank you! That’s one of our most popular recipes. I don’t have any instant pot recipes yet of my own but if you check out the Meal Plan Monday posts each week on my website, you’ll find some there 🙂
Julia
Love so many recipes.. Thank you. The logos on the right side of screen, P for pin, F for facebook,Twitter,and the Gmail/Email makes it very difficult in seeing recipes.
Diane,
Thank you. I so glad you enjoy the recipes. Thank you for the feedback on the mobile share buttons. They will be updated to hopefully provide a better experience while you’re visiting.
Thanks for all your great recipes. I really only have one issue and that is…you don’t list the ingredients in order of use. For someone like me who is new to cooking, I kind of need a little more structure. lol But they still turned out great. Will be looking for more great eats in the future.
Dave,
Back when I was new to blogging I was just learning the ropes 🙁 Please forgive me. You’ll find that the recipes eventually list ingredients in order when I caught on to how things work. Thank you so much for stopping by.
Julia
This looks good but I’m confused about the hamburger meat. So you don’t cook it first? Is it greasy?
Kathy,
No, you don’t cook it first. It cooks as it simmers.
Do you drain the ground beef? Or do you leave in the excess grease?
You can leave it because typically you would use a slotted spoon to drain each serving before topping a hot dog or burger. If you wanted to remove the excess fat after it cools, or after it has been refrigerated overnight, down it is easier because it solidifies on top.
A nice recipe, which has the ingredients of most good hot dog chilies, …. so what makes this a ‘southern’ recipe? Is it the way the gr. beef is cooked? That’s an interesting method, so I’ll give it a try. What is the advantage of cooking the meat this way, if any.
This is the traditional Southern hot dog chili sauce. You’ll find that the chili sauces vary by regions of the US.
If you look at the photo, you’ll notice how the ground beef has a fine texture, like crumbles, which is the result of cooking it in water. Much better texture than larger chunks.
I think what Vicky said is correct. I’ve been looking for a recipe with the finely textured chili as the end result rather than the chunky stuff you might eat as a meal. I remember seeing one years ago where the ground beef was boiled in water, which I’d never heard of up to that point. Also read a recipe today where the guy put his chili in a food processor for a great end product…but way too much trouble, IMO. I’m going to try this, for sure. I’m from the south and I love a good hot dog with chili and slaw…and you just can’t buy good hot dog chili!
I LOVE a good chili dog with mustard and onions. When I was pregnant with my daughter, (34 years ago! Yikes!), I worked for the advertising department of a large department store. They had a Hot Dog Restaurant in the basement. I must have eaten there twice a week for my entire pregnancy! Still trying to find a hot dog chili to top Angelos. I will definitely give your recipe a try. Thanks for sharing!
Let me know what you think when you try it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Thank you so much for stopping by.
Could you use leaner beef to reduce the grease and make this in a slow cooker?
Miranda,
You sure can, suit it for your tastes. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Hi Julia, Your recipe says it makes 25 servings. How much is a serving? 1 Tbs, 1/4 cup, 2 oz. I need to calculate WW points. Thank you
Pat,
Each serving would be about an ounce or around 2 tablespoons
Hi Julia, I would like to know if this chili sauce is spicy hot? Can’t wait to try it! Thank you!
Janet
Hi Janet 🙂 Chili sauce is only mildly spicy. the chili powder itself is not overly spicy. If you want it to be spicier you can add a few red pepper flakes or more hot sauce. I hope this helps.
What can I do to tone it down? Mine turned out way too spicy. Thanks!
Lucy,
You can strain out some of the liquid and try diluting it with water or you can add a “sweet” type of acidity like a can of tomato paste or more ketchup.
Hi Julia, I’m thinking about doubling the hot dog chili sauce recipe for a larger gathering. Would you suggest doubling all the ingredients? I’m concerned about the amount of water though…the recipe already calls for 3-4 cups.
Maybe just keep the water as is?
Thanks!
You really just need enough water to cover it and make sure the meat is broken up well within it. You can judge, it doesn’t have to be doubled though. You may want to cut back a bit on the salt and taste near the end of cooking and add more if needed. Once the water cooks out it may be overly salty even with it being a double batch.
That sounds good. Thanks for you help!
Can you make this in a crock pot ?
Kelly,
I’ve never tried making it in a Crock Pot myself. I suppose that you could. Since you want liquid to evaporate it could take quite a long time however. Keeping it warm for serving in a slow cooker I have done and that works well.
Can’t wait to try this! My aunt used to make a family favorite hot dog chili like this but sadly she passed away a few years ago and I never thought to ask her recipe beforehand. Crossing my fingers that it’s the same!
Kalee,
I hope that you enjoy the recipe!
Yum, yum !!! This is my favorite way to have a chili dog.. hotdog with hotdog chili, mustard and onions !! Wow, thanks for a great southern recipe. It’s a keeper 😊
Sherry,
Thanks so much! It thrills me that you let me know how much you enjoy this recipe.
~Julia
My husband loves chili dogs i want to make this sauce. How long do i let it simmer thank you for the recipe.
Ada,
You’ll want to let the meat sauce simmer until nearly all of the liquid is gone. The amount of time will depend on how high you cook the chili. As the liquid reduces, chili tends to splatter so a lower temperature simmer works best for less mess. I keep a lid partially on the pot as it cooks with a vent for evaporation. I hope that y’all enjoy the chili sauce. I also have a quick skillet version for hot dog chili here on the website as well if you might be interested.
This sauce is just what I’ve been looking for!!
I’m so glad that you are enjoying the recipe! Thanks.
~Julia
I’ve cooked chili for years! This is a good Recipe!
I add a couple of bay leaves at the start, used brown sugar, and guess most measurements! I add the liquids and brown it then finish for an hour or so in a double broiler on the stove then let it cool and paper towel off most of the grease!
Great job Julia!
Thank you 🙂
Seriously the best chili recipe! Had to substitute turkey for the ground beef and still turned out amazing. Will be making it the fourth weekend in a row!
Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know how much you have been enjoying the hot dog chili recipe. It makes me so happy that you do!
~Julia
I was very confused on the NOT cooking the ground beef, so I went ahead and cooked it first. I did use a potato masher to break the beef down. I loved the consistency of the chili but felt it could use more flavoring. I ended up adding in mustard, extra chili powder, and hot sauce. BUT this is a good recipe, thank you so much.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the recipe. The recipe does call for adding the raw ground beef and cover with water. It will cook as it simmers. The flavors do intensify the seasonings as the liquid cooks out but we all have varying tastes so season however you like 🙂
~Julia
What if only using 1lb of ground beef,how would measurements be for ingredients?
If it were me, I would just keep them the same 🙂
~Julia
Would it make a huge difference without the Worcestershire sauce?! I have everything but that. If so is there anything else I could use in its place! Super excited to try this tonight!!
Nah, not a big deal at all, Leaha. Enjoy the recipe.
~Julia
@Julia Jordan, thank you very much!!!
What’s the difference between chili sauce and “chili?” Also, can I just use Hormel (no beans)?
In this case, chili sauce and chili are the same thing. You can opt to use canned, of course, but there is no canned chili that tastes like homemade hot dog chili in my opinion.
~Julia
Just saw your Southern hot dog chili recipe and am going to make it. We moved from the Upstate to Hilton Head Island and can’t find any good hot dog chili around here. I was raised in Clemson, notice you’re from Pickens.
My question is if I cook it longer and slower on low heat, will that give it more flavor? Or is time not important? Thanks!
Hi Ken,
Cooking it longer and slow is great. As the liquid reduces, the seasonings concentrate for more flavor. I like to wait until the liquid is really low before adjusting any seasonings to suit personal tastes. I hope that y’all enjoy this chili for your hot dogs.
~Julia
Julia, I made your chili sauce recipe yesterday exactly to your recipe and the color doesn’t match your color of sauce at all. Mine looks like just plain cooked ground beef not a darker color? Also, it seems a little bland for some reason? Any thoughts?
Dale,
Be sure to allow the liquid to really cook out and adjust seasonings again if needed near the end of cooking to suit your tastes. Also, I’ve found that the brand of chili powder does make a difference and recommend McCormick’s chili powder.
This is a really great topping for hot dogs. It was a real hit at our BBQ!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it!
I love this coney sauce, perfectly seasoned and spiced for those that don’t like real spicy food. I figure some hot sauce on top of my hot dog will add extra zing if I want it. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it. We love to add a few dashes of hot sauce to our hot dogs. Enjoy!
This is delicious! Don’t taste it until it sits overnight,I added 1/8 tsp of cinnamon and mustard powder the next day. If you’re from Tennessee and love Paul’s this is it!!!
I LOVE CHILI DOGS I ALWAYS MAKE THE CONEY ISLAND CHILI SAUCE BUT I WILL TRY THIS ONE I TRYED THEM ALL THANK YOU
I hope you enjoy it, Marlene! Thanks for stopping by!
Would this style of chili be good with nachos?
I’ve never tried it on nachos myself, but have seen people using the chili as a dip with chips at parties. Let me know if you try it.
~Julia
How long should I cook it down???
It cooks down until most of the liquid is gone except for just enough to cover the chili.
You’re right this is the best hotdog chili that I have made. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know.
~Julia
I love this recipe…… it’s so easy to make. I can mine in pressure canner. It doesn’t last very long in my house. My ingredients may be a little different from yours like hot sauce, My family loves it. This is the chill that I had as a child going to the little local hotdog stand.
Thank you
Well, that’s a great idea! I’m about to try this recipe and if we like it then I’m going to make a huge batch for canning! Thanks!
My family and friends absolutely love this chili. My only complaint is I personally don’t like all the grease left from the meat, I do get the most lean burger meat I can find but still have grease on the top. How can I get rid of the grease?
Hi Carol!
I’m so glad that you love this chili recipe. It is our family favorite.
The drippings are part of the flavor, but if you don’t want it in your chili, refrigerate it overnight and the grease will firm up on top.
Remove it and discard and enjoy the chili.
~Julia
This hot dog chilli recipe is very similar to what I was told about around forty plus years ago. It’s a good recipe for someone wanting to make thier own.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
I am planning to make this for our Christmas dinner!! I know it’s a change! but we don’t usually do the expected thing. I usually ask the grown kids what they want, and I get the expected results…Chicken fajitas, Ham, Mexican pile-on…etc… I have one kid that absolutely loves hotdogs. So I decided to just go for it and that’s what we are having! I haven’t actually made this but how can I go wrong with that many votes and almost 5 stars!!!! I think I have found a winner!!! Were going to do it up right with all the fixings, and everything! I think the kids will all be surprised and will absolutely love it! Along with the grandkids!
Enjoy! We traditionally enjoy chili dogs after we’ve grown weary of holiday foods. It’s a great way to break away and have a delicious meal.
Merry Christmas!