This Hot Dog Chili Recipe is perfect on top of hot dogs and so much more! This simple no-bean chili is also delicious on hamburgers, french fries, nachos or stuffed into baked potatoes. Also be sure and try our EVERYDAY CHILI RECIPE that’s super kid friendly!
Why We Love This Chili Recipe
First of all, we love chili. Chili recipes in all forms work for us. But when you’re looking for a basic, bean-free chili recipe this is the one you need.
The key to making this chili is cooking it low and slow for about an hour and a half. You can definitely dive in after an hour or even 45 minutes, but the flavor keeps getting better and better the longer you cook it.
But do watch the heat so the chili doesn’t scorch the bottom of your pot and make sure to get in there and stir it every once in a while. Making sure you have a good, heavy bottomed dutch oven is also a key to making this hot dog chili recipe.
There’s also a good amount of chopped onions in this recipe but they cook down so much you won’t even know they’re in there. Those onions are just there to add tons of flavor, not like the raw onions you might add on top of your chili dog.
Also make sure when you’re browning the ground beef that you break it up into really small crumbles. That way when you go to spoon the chili over a hot dog or burger it’s not going to fall off in big pieces. That’s why we love this hot dog chili recipe, not only for the taste and flavor but because it works.
What Can You Put This Chili On Besides Hot Dogs?
So of course we’re going to be making tons and tons of chili dogs here, but please don’t stop there! Like I mentioned before, you can use this chili recipe and a topping for hamburgers, nachos, french fries and so much more.
- Make taco bowls or burrito bowls
- Spoon over rice or pasta
- Stir into macaroni and cheese
- Stuff into baked potatoes and top with cheese
- Scrape out centers of zucchini halves, add chili, cheese and bake
- Use as a filling for stuffed peppers
- Eat as is for a low carb meal
What Can You Substitute In This Hot Dog Chili?
Definitely ground turkey or even ground pork but I wouldn’t try ground chicken in this chili recipe. Ground chicken chili is another flavor profile entirely to me so I save that for other recipes.
The rest of the ingredients are pretty basic so I don’t think you’ll need to be substituting that many ingredients, it’s just a basic beef chili we’re making here. It’s so simple and so delicious, we’re sure it’s going to become a staple at your house!
Can You Freeze Chili?
Chili is one of the best make ahead meals ever. We make a big batch (sometimes a double) to eat for dinner and leftovers. Then we can freeze the rest in portions that our boys can take out and eat when they’re hungry. And they’re always hungry.
Also a win win when your kids can feed themselves. Am I right? Take out a frozen bag of chili, heat it up and then they can make whatever they want. Which usually means cheesy chips and chili for dip in our house, but I’m good with that.
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Looking For More Chili Recipes?
- THAI PEANUT CHICKEN CHILI
- FIESTA SAUSAGE CHILI
- RANCH TURKEY WHITE CHILI
- SPICY WHITE BEAN TURKEY CHILI
Hot Dog Chili Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThis simple beef chili recipe is perfect for serving on hot dogs, baked potatoes, french fires or nachos!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (93%)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat, then add the ground beef, salt and pepper. Brown the beef, breaking up into small crumbles as it cooks.
- Drain the beef and any grease form the pot and transfer the beef to a bowl.
- Turn the heat down to low, then add the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the onions. Cook the onions for 7-8 minutes, frequently stirring so they don’t burn.
- Next add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin and chili powder stirring into the onions and Worcestershire sauce, then add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef back to the pot then pour in the broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- Taste for seasonings and serve as is or on hot dogs, hamburgers or spooned over french fries!
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Hi from Germany!
A few days ago we watched a series about chilli hot dogs. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since! Today I tried your recipe and I’m so impressed! I’ll be making it more often from now on 🤩 best wishes from the North Sea. Veronika
Great taste! Actually it’s perfect. However should I add water so it’s not so dry or am I not letting it sit long enough? Also it maybe the flour I am using…. Do you call for all purpose or self rising?
Very good by itself with cheese and sour cream. We’ll try the leftovers on hot dogs. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing…
My husband is absolutely OBSESSED with this recipe! I add a little more seasoning, just to my personal taste along with some cayenne because we’re a spice family, but every time it’s a hit! Camping food staple for us
I’d prefer a more smooth chili with a little kick.
Could you describe to me what “smooth” chili is? You can also add as much kick to this chili as you like!