Classic game day food includes Chili Dogs loaded with toppings. This is a fast 20-minute hot dog chili recipe perfect for a Superbowl party.
Learn the secrets to whip up this recipe fast, plus a recipe for Pickle Relish.
Every big game needs hot dogs loaded with scrumptious toppings cheese, onions, and thick hearty chili...
Why You'll Love These Chili Hot Dogs
- Parties and game days are all about relaxing and having fun. You can make this Hot Dog Chili and Homemade Pickle Relish ahead of time and grill the hot dogs during the party.
- The salsa and beer (use a good one!) add great unique flavor to the chili.
- Adding a can of refried beans makes the chili nice and thick, perfect for loading on dogs.
- You can serve it with a hot dog topping bar. Have fun setting up a hot dog topping bar full of favorites, and let people build their own loaded dog!
- Homemade is also a bit healthier. This recipe is made with fresh ingredients and no preservatives as long as you ensure the salsa and refried beans used in the chili don't contain any preservatives or chemicals.
How To Make Hot Dog Chili
My Hot Dog Chili recipe doesn't contain ketchup like most recipes. Instead, it gets its delicious flavor from ingredients like salsa, beer, and refried beans.
Hot Dog Chili Ingredients
Now you're ready to make your Loaded Chili Dogs! You'll need:
- 8 grilled hot dogs
- 8 hot dog buns (toasting optional)
- Homemade Pickle Relish
- A batch of Hot Dog Chili (make sure it's warm!)
- 2 cups grated cheese
- ½ cup green onions sliced thin
- optional toppings: mustard ketchup, pickled jalapenos, crumbled bacon, or sauerkraut
How Do You Make Loaded Chili Dogs?
Step 1: In each bun, place a grilled hot dog, chili, relish, grated cheese, and green onions.
Step 2: Add any other toppings you like and enjoy!
Chili Dogs are perfect for a "hot dog bar" at parties and gatherings!
Ingredients For Hot Dog Chili
To make this yummy Hot Dog Chili recipe, you'll need:
- 1 diced onion browned
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 ½ pound of ground beef
- 12 oz bottle beer any beer will work, pub ale preferred
- 16 oz salsa (look for a brand without strange additives or preservatives)
- 32 oz cans refried beans makes the chili thick! (same no additives or preservatives)
Step 1: Over medium-high heat in a large heavy dutch oven or pot, add the butter and brown the onion with sea salt, ground pepper, chili powder, granulated garlic, oregano, and cumin. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 2: Add the ground beef, stir and saute until brown.
Step 3: Once the onion and ground beef are browned, add 12 ounces of beer, the salsa, and both cans of refried beans. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, skim the fat off the surface with a large spoon, stirring occasionally.
Pickle Relish Recipe (Hot Dog Relish)
The Homemade Pickle Relish is full of delicious FRESH ingredients, and no added sugar or preservatives. It takes minutes to make and is amazing.
- 1 bell pepper chopped fine (you can use yellow or orange for different color)
- 1-2 dill pickles chopped fine
- 1 cup green cabbage finely shredded
- ¼ cup chopped onion chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Step 1: Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until finely mixed (or finely mince veggies on a cutting board and mix with wet ingredients and spices in a bowl).
Step 2: Let sit for a day if possible, store in a mason jar, and use within a week.
There are a wide variety of relishes all over the world, and the general definition of relish is "pieces of vegetables and/or fruits in a sauce."
Names for relish include Boston Gurka (Sweden), chakalaka (South Africa), chutney (India), and kuchela (Trinidad and Tobago). In the U.S., "relish" often refers to pickle relish, the most popular variety.
There are two versions of pickle relish in the U.S.:
Hamburger relish: pickle relish in a ketchup base
Hot dog relish: pickle relish in a mustard base
More Game Day Food
Spiral Hot Dogs get nice nooks and crannies to hold more toppings like Relish, ketchup, and mustard. Grill these at your next Cookout and put out a bar of all the condiments. Jalapeno Popper Dip appetizer recipe is ALWAYS A HIT! Make this melty hot dip for parties with just 6 ingredients and scoop up with large corn chips. Get my full Cookout Menu loaded with over 60 recipes and ideas for the ultimate outdoor party.
For more game day and party food recipe ideas, check out my Game Day and Party Food recipes
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Chili Dogs (Hot Dog Chili Recipe)
Ingredients
chili dogs
- 8 grilled hot dogs
- 8 hot dog buns toasted optional
- homemade pickle relish recipe below
- 1 batch hot dog chili
- 2 cups grated cheese
- ½ cup green onions sliced thin
- optional toppings: mustard, ketchup, pickled jalapenos, crumbled bacon, or sauerkraut
homemade relish
- 1 whole bell pepper green, yellow or orange
- 1-2 whole dill pickles
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
hot dog chili
- 1 diced onion browned
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried cumin
- 1 ½ pound ground beef
- 12 oz beer any beer will work, pub ale preferred
- 16 oz salsa
- 32 oz can refried beans makes the chili thick!
Instructions
pickle relish
- Pulse all ingredients in food processor until finely mixed (or finely mince veggies on a cutting board and mix with wet ingredients and spices in a bowl).
- Let sit for a day if possible, store in a mason jar, and use within a week.
hot dog chili
- Over medium-high heat in a large heavy dutch oven or pot, add the butter, and brown the onion with sea salt, ground pepper, chili powder, granulated garlic, oregano, and cumin. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the ground beef, stir and saute until brown.
- Once the onion and ground beef are browned, add 12 ounces of beer, the salsa, and both cans of refried beans. Stir to combine.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, skim the fat off the surface with a large spoon, stirring occasionally.
- Serve the chili warm on the loaded hot dogs.
assemble chili dogs
- In each bun (toasting optional), place a grilled hot dog, homemade pickle relish, grated cheese, and green onions.
- Add any other toppings you like and enjoy!
We love this hot dog chili, so good. It has become a go to recipe in our family.