Summer grilling brings hotdogs and hotdogs are best topped with chili. This easy hot dog chili recipe is made with perfectly seasoned savory beef.
It’s a combination of Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, ketchup, and tomato sauce and the easiest way to upgrade that plain hot dog to a festive feast!
We love it for grilling and also for Baked Coney Island Hot Dogs.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 (10 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- 1/2 cup canned kidney beans, without liquid (optional)
How to Make Homemade Hot Dog Chili
In a large saucepan combine the water and the ground beef.
Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, break apart the ground beef.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients: ketchup, chili powder, tomato sauce, ground black pepper, onion powder, salt, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Add kidney beans here, if using.
Add ketchup mixture to ground beef and stir to combine.
Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, the mixture should be slightly thickened and ground beef fully cooked.
Serve immediately.

Easy Hot Dog Chili
Hotdogs are best topped with chili. This easy hot dog chili recipe is made with perfectly seasoned savory beef.
Ingredients
- • 1 pound ground beef
- • 1/3 cup water
- • 1/2 cup ketchup
- • 1/2 (10 ounce) can tomato sauce
- • 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- • 1/2 teaspoon salt
- • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- • 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
- • Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan combine the water and the ground beef.
- Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, break apart the ground beef.
- In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, chili powder, tomato sauce, ground black pepper, onion powder, salt,
sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. - Add ketchup mixture to ground beef and stir to combine.
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, the mixture should be slightly thickened and
ground beef fully cooked.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 438mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g
The Nutritional Information may not be accurate. This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.