This recipe gives you a diner-style chili dog sauce that tastes like it came from a classic American hot dog stand. It’s fast to prepare, easy to double for parties, and reheats beautifully. Serve it over hot dogs, fries, baked potatoes, or even nachos. Once you make it homemade, you may never go back to canned chili again.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced (optional for cooking)
2 cups water or beef broth
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a pot, crumble and brown the ground beef over medium heat until very fine in texture. Add diced onion if using and cook until soft.
Pour in water or broth and simmer 5 minutes, continuing to break the meat down.
Add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Stir well and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 25–35 minutes until thick and rich.
Adjust seasoning and simmer longer if needed for a thicker consistency.
Serve generously over hot dogs with chopped onions and shredded cheese.