Coney Island Hot Dogs are a popular type of chili hot dog in the Midwest. They're slathered with chili sauce and topped with mustard, onions, and sometimes jalapeno or cheddar cheese. In my opinion, they taste very similar to a sloppy joe, but way better because you have a big fat hot dog to go with it as well.
If you want to learn more about the history of Coney Island hot dogs, I recommend checking out this Wikipedia article. Its history actually runs pretty deep. Essentially, in the early 1900s, many people from Europe immigrated to the United States, and they began selling specialty hot dogs, each with their own style of meat sauce and toppings.
One of the first and most famous hot dog stands was started by a Polish immigrant named Nathan Handwerker. His hot dog stand was located in Coney Island. His hot dogs were so popular that it's believed that the term "Coney" actually derived from his hot dogs.
Ingredients
For all you visual learners, here is a picture of all the ingredients you need. Just a heads up, I initially added flour to the chili sauce but realized afterward that it was not needed. I added it because I hoped it would thicken the sauce (which it did), but ultimately, I found it left a floury/mealy taste which I did not like. Unfortunately, I did not want to retake the ingredient photo, so it's in the picture but not in the actual recipe.
What hot dog to use?
My favorite hot dogs to use are either beef or Polish hot dogs from Costco. They are super big and beefy. Plus, after learning that one of the first Coney hot dog sellers was Polish, it makes me think Polish dogs would taste the best :^). But, of course, you can use any type of hot dog you want. I'm actually using some chicken hot dogs I got from Walmart because they were super cheap.
Reducing the chili sauce
After you add the beef broth, the chili sauce will be very wet. You need to simmer the sauce for about 15-20 minutes to cook off the extra liquid. This will thicken the sauce and also concentrate the flavor. After simmering, taste the sauce, and add more seasonings if needed.
For the beef broth, I mixed Better than bouillon roasted beef base with water. If I find the chili lacks flavor, I usually add more beef base rather than salt because it will taste better.
๐ Recipe
Coney Island Hot Dogs
Ingredients
For the chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ยฝ pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 cup beef broth
- ยฝ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
For serving
Instructions
For the chili sauce
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onions and cook for 7-8 minutes until the beef is no longer pink.
- Add the minced garlic and chili powder and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. The liquid should reduce by about 30%.
For assembling the hot dogs
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the hot dogs until heated through, then remove the pot from the heat. Let the hot dogs sit in the water to stay warm.
- Heat up the buns in the oven, microwave, or air-fryer until soft and warm.
- For each hot dog, place a bun on a plate, ladle with the chili sauce, and add chopped onions and mustard. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply