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Full of flavor, this Crockpot Hot Dog Chili makes an ordinary hot dog extra delicious. Made in the slow cooker, it is the perfect addition to a hot dog bar with toppings, or serving on top of fries or burgers!
Crockpot Hot Dog Chili
I have a confession – I don’t like hot dogs (persnickety, remember?) but I do like this chili. It is hearty, flavorful and honestly great on a bun even without a hot dog. Filled with ground beef, ketchup, mustard, and seasonings (it reminds me of my cheeseburger pasta skillet), it is plenty on its own.
Being from Detroit, we are kinda known for our coney dogs (Detroiters – do you prefer American or Lafayette?). The dogs are grilled and then topped with a thin, beef filled chili (no beans!).
This crockpot hot dog chili will do a Detroit coney dog justice – just make sure you grill the hot dogs! If it is too thick for your liking, you can thin it out with additional water or even more ketchup.
Ingredient Notes
Below is a summary of the major ingredients as well as some helpful tips and substitutions. Scroll down for the full recipe card.
GROUND BEEF – Use a lean cut of beef for the best flavor and the least amount of grease. I always use sirloin (93/7%).
TOMATO SAUCE – Make sure you grab sauce and not paste.
KETCHUP & MUSTARD – Use your favorites but these add great flavor to the chili.
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE – Worcestershire sauce is a bit sour, sweet, and spicy at the same time. If you don’t have any, you could sub balsamic vinegar.
CHILI POWDER – You’ll add chili powder, along with salt and pepper, to give a little kick and season the chili.
ONION – You can use minced onion or onion powder.
Tools found on Amazon to help you
- Skillet – You’ll start of browning the meat in a skillet on the stove. I’ve had this one for years & have been happy with it. I like that it has a lid.
- Hamburger Chopper – When you’re browning the meat, you want it to be really small, no large chunks in the chili (unless that’s what you’re into). This little tool is great at breaking the meat apart.
- Slow Cooker – You’ll need a 6 qt (or larger) slow cooker for the chili. I have had this one for years.
How to make Crockpot Hot Dog Chili
STEP ONE – BROWN THE MEAT: Over medium heat, brown the ground beef with water in a large skillet, making sure to break the meat up into small pieces (unless you want chunky chili).
STEP TWO – MAKE THE CHILI: Add the cooked beef to the bottom of the slow cooker, top with all additional ingredients, and stir until combined.
STEP THREE – SLOW COOK: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours.
STEP FOUR – SERVE: Once the chili is done, you can spoon it over hot dogs, fries, or even a burger. Top with diced onions, shredded cheese, diced jalapenos, and/or more ketchup and mustard.
What’s the difference between hot dog sauce & chili?
Hot dog sauce is made with ketchup and is slightly sweeter while chili is thicker with a spicier flavor.
Serving Suggestions
I think setting up a hot dog bar would be a great idea. In addition to the chili, add various toppings like shredded cheese (cheddar sounds delish), diced onions, diced jalapenos, and more condiments like ketchup and mustard.
Alongside the hot dogs, I would serve potato salad, coleslaw, potato chips, macaroni salad, and traditional or sweet potato fries. And brownies, because of course.
How to store it
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. If the chili thickens too much, you can thin it out while reheating with water or additional ketchup.
How long do you cook hot dogs in a crockpot?
If you have two crockpots, you can easily make the hot dogs in one and the chili in another. Per Delish, you’ll stand the hot dogs upright in the slow cooker (however many will fit), turn it to HIGH, and let them cook for 1-2 hours. That would be a great way to serve them at a party or barbecue – feeding hot dogs to a crowd doesn’t get easier.
Stovetop Instructions
If you’re short on time and don’t want to let the chili come together in the slow cooker, you can also make this in a skillet on the stovetop. After browning the meat, add all ingredients to the skillet, stir, and simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Here is another version of stovetop chili sauce for hot dogs.
Need more crockpot recipes? Try these:
Crock Pot Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Click here for my entire collection of crockpot recipes.
Crockpot Hot Dog Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef use a lean cut like 90/10
- ⅓ cup water
- 5 ounces tomato sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder or minced onion
Instructions
- In a medium skillet over medium heat combine the ground beef and water.
- Make sure to constantly break up the ground beef while it is cooking. You want it as fine as possible.
- Drain off any remaining water/grease.
- Add the beef to your slow cooker.
- Next, add all the remaining ingredients and stir together.
- Let cook on LOW 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
- Serve on hot dogs, french fries, or burgers!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
This was Delicious!! Thank you very much, for sharing I put a little more Chilli powder in mind, 😘
Can this be frozen?
Yes, it should freeze well. Either in a freezer container or in large freezer bags with the air pressed out.
I am making this for soley putting it on hotdogs. Will it only be enough for 8 hotdogs?
Yes, I have it as 8 servings.
Like you recipe’s they are simple and delicious thank you.
This tastes more like a sloppy Joe than chili.
It shouldn’t – try my sloppy joe recipe for the difference 😉
The crockpot Hot Dog Chili is so good. I will make it again .
Thanks Peggy!
Like to try it
My husband suffers 2 chronic gastric issues which severely limit what foods he can eat. Beef is a HUGE NO-NO for him. I saw this recipe a few days ago and decided to give it a try – using GROUND CHICKEN in place of hamburger. I had my husband sample it after being in the slow cooker for only an hour and I had to fight him from eating it directly from the pot!!! He was OVERJOYED!!! He hasn’t been able to eat a coney dog in Y-E-A-R-S and now he can. Most other recipes I’ve seen make an exorbitant amount of are too spicy; as it’s just the 2 of us in the house and we also have to watch spiciness, this recipe is PERFECT for us!!! It made just enough that we had dinner (2 dogs each) and we have frozen the leftovers in 2 batches!!!
That makes me so happy! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
I made a batch of this chili as a topper for hot dogs at our superbowl party. I used a bit less ketchup and no sugar based on personal preference and it turned out great.
Glad you liked it!