Go Back
Chili Dogs

Chili Dogs

These Chili Dogs are the ultimate comfort food—juicy sausages in fluffy buns, topped with smoky homemade chili, melted cheese, and crunchy onions. Perfect for game day, barbecues, or casual dinners, they’re hearty, customizable, and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 chili dogs
Course: Dinner, Main Course, SNAK
Cuisine: American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Homemade Chili Powder
  • 3 tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to heat preference
  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1.5 tsp onion powder
  • 1.5 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp mustard powder
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
For the Chili Sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 0.5 medium onion finely chopped
  • 500 g ground beef
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cubes beef bouillon cubes crumbled
  • 375 ml water use less for slow cooker
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt
For the Chili Dogs
  • 6 pieces smoked sausages or hot dogs such as bratwurst or kransky
  • 6 pieces hot dog buns
  • to taste yellow mustard classic American style
  • 200 g shredded Colby or Monterey Jack cheese
  • as needed plain crinkle-cut potato chips optional, for serving

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Heat olive oil in a pot. Sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper for 3–4 minutes until softened.
  2. Step 2: Add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Step 3: Stir in homemade chili powder, crushed tomatoes, bouillon, water, and salt. Simmer covered on low for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Blend part of the chili if desired for thicker consistency.
  4. Step 4: Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grill or pan-fry sausages until browned.
  5. Step 5: Place sausages in buns on a baking tray. Drizzle with mustard, sprinkle onions, spoon over chili, and top with cheese.
  6. Step 6: Bake 7–10 minutes until cheese is melted and buns warmed. Serve hot with chips or sides.

Notes

✔ Use smoked sausages for extra depth. ✔ Swap cheese for cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack. ✔ Make chili ahead—it tastes better the next day. ✔ Control spice by reducing cayenne. ✔ Chili freezes up to 3 months.