Chili Dogs
The best Chili Dogs start with thick and delicious chili layered over grilled all beef hot dogs inside toasted buns and topped with plenty of cheddar cheese. Chili dogs are perfect to feed a crowd and are always a family favorite meal.
Hot dogs are always a cookout favorite to serve alongside classic burgers but they are even better topped with homemade chili.
Ingredients for Chili Dogs:
For the Chili:
- Lean Ground Beef
- Bacon
- Onion
- Bell Peppers
- Fresh Garlic
- Beef Broth
- RedBeans
- Black Beans
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Green Chile Powder
- OnionPowder
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Cumin
- Black Pepper
For the Hot Dogs:
- Beef Hot Dogs
- Hot Dog Buns
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
How to Make the Best Chili Dogs:
- Make the chili by browning ground beef in in a skillet. Drain excess grease if needed.
- In a dutch oven or large pan, cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp.
- Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Cook onions, bell peppers and garlic in bacon grease over medium heat, stirring often until vegetables are softened.
- Add beef broth and browned ground beef.
- Rinse and drain beans and stir into beef mixture.
- Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Stir to combine. Add the bacon.
- Mix brown sugar with spices, salt and pepper. Stir into chili mixture.
- Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring often. Cook until chili is thickened and heated through, about 30 minutes.
- Place hot dogs over indirect heat on a 350° grill, rotating about every 4- 5 minutes until hot dogs are heated through and slightly charred on the outside.
- Add buns to the grill and toast quickly, about 2- 3 minutes.
- Remove buns and hot dogs.
- Place hot dogs inside buns.
- Top with chili and cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Pro Tip: Chili can be made ahead and refrigerated. Chili just gets better the next day when it’s reheated.
How to Store and Reheat:
Store chili dogs in a covered dish in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Leftover chili can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Reheat chili dogs in a 350° oven in a foil covered pan for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
To reheat chili, place in a pan over low heat, stirring frequently until heated through, about 8 – 10 minutes.
This chili is incredibly delicious. It’s thick, hearty and very flavorful making it great to top hot dogs but it’s also delicious on it’s own. Make the chili ahead and you can have chili dogs ready to go in no time at all.
Serve chili dogs with bacon ranch corn and air fryer tater tots for a quick and easy dinner that everyone can agree on.
More Recipes to Grill:
Smoked Chili is cooked over the top or “OTT” on the grill. It has tons of smoky flavor and is a crowd favorite.
Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole is always a hit for a quick and easy dinner on the grill.
Grilled Beer Brats are another cookout favorite. We like to top ours with crispy bacon and caramelized onions, so good!
Brisket Burgers are seriously the best hamburgers we’ve ever grilled. They are sure to impress everyone at your next backyard cookout.
A Hot Dog Charcuterie Board is a delicious idea that the kids will go crazy for. Every topping imaginable to make the tastiest grilled hot dogs.
Chili Dogs are perfect for every summer gathering, birthday parties, holidays and game day feasts. Add them to your next cookout menu and watch them disappear!
Chili Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 6 slices bacon cut into bite size pieces
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 can 15 ounces black beans
- 1 can 15 ounces red beans
- 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons green chile powder or red
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 beef hot dogs
- 8 hot dog buns
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a skillet, stirring to brown on all sides. Drain excess grease if needed.
- In a dutch oven or large pan over medium heat. Cook bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Cook peppers, onions and garlic in bacon grease, over medium heat. Stir often, cooking until vegetables are softened.
- Stir in beef broth and browned ground beef.
- Rinse and drain beans. Add to beef mixture.
- Next, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and bacon. Stir to combine.
- In a bowl, combine brown sugar with chile powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, cumin and pepper.
- Mix into chili.
- Continue to cook chili over medium heat, stirring often until chili is thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Grill hot dogs over indirect heat of a 350° grill fire, turning every few minutes to sear on all sides. Cook until hot dogs are slightly charred and heated through.
- Toast buns on grill for about 2 minutes.
- Serve hot dogs in buns. Top with chili and cheese.
