Here's a batch of chili cheese dogs that are perfect to cook for a crowd and wow them. Have this game day dish on the table in 1 hour - quick and easy!
If you love this hot dog casserole, there are more one pot or dish recipes where that came from. Try this Cabbage Cheese Bake, Cabbage Roll Soup, or Creamy Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake.
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🛒Ingredients
- Ground meat: Use a beef and pork mix as it has more flavor than just beef. Choose lean meats so you don't have to drain away excess fat. This prevents the homemade chili dogs from turning greasy.
- Hot dogs: Buy high-quality dogs and check the label for "Uncured" or "No added nitrates."
- Spices: Add as much or as little as you like to this chili dog recipe.
- Chili: follow the chili recipe to make a thick, sweet, and spicy chili or another good chili recipe.
- Cheese: Monterey jack, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, or pepper jack cheese will give this recipe a gooey cheese layer.
- Toppings: Go wild with toppings of your choice. Check out our suggestions further down.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
🥘 How To Make Chili Cheese Dogs Step By Step
- Make the chili to start—heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add ground meat and cook until browned.
- Drain excess fat and wipe skillet if needed.
- Stir in ketchup, mustard, tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, paprika, chili, cumin, and cayenne until the meat is coated.
- Simmer mixture on low heat until thickened (15-30 minutes).
- Grill hot dogs and toast each bun.
- Transfer hot dogs to a baking dish, and add chili generously.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake until melted (about 5 minutes).
- Add desired toppings and serve warm.
Rita's Tip
The recipe yields about 7 hot dogs. Adjust the hot dog quantity based on desired toppings. If using a smaller baking dish than 9x13, bake extras separately. A 9x13 dish should comfortably fit seven hot dogs.
📋Tips
- Tip 1. Grill the hot dogs and get them a little charred for better flavor. If you're in a rush, try pan-frying, microwaving, or boiling the dogs.
- Tip 2. Add a spoonful of sugar, ketchup, or barbecue sauce if using sweet chili. Keep in mind that ketchup contains sugar anyway. Taste the chili a few times and increase the sweetness if needed.
- Tip 3. After cooking the meat, remember to drain the excess fat. Failing to do so will result in slightly greasy chili. The fat content of ground meat also depends on the type of meat. Choose lean ground beef and pork to prevent too much fat and grease.
- Tip 4. To prevent too much mess (these chili cheese dogs are very messy to eat!), wrap each hot dog before placing them in the casserole and bake as instructed. Also, don't overload the chili, or the casserole will get soggy.
🍴Tools You'll Need
🍱Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Keep leftover baked chili dogs covered in the refrigerator. Remember to cool them completely before storing them in the fridge for safe food handling.
- 🥶Freezing. Ready-made hot dogs don't freeze very well. However, the can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, place frozen chili dog casserole into the fridge to thaw overnight.
- 🔥To Reheat. Reheat them in an oven at a medium heat until warmed through.
What To Serve With Chili Cheese Dogs
- Use different condiments: Try mustard, ketchup, spicy red sauce, barbeque, pickles, relish, or garlic chili sauce. These are optional but will give even more flavor. Drizzle a little sauce on top of the dogs before adding chili, or serve separately on the table next to the chili cheese dogs.
- Want to go crazy? Add some chopped chorizo, pepperoni or crispy cooked bacon on top.
- Want an even thicker chili with extra protein? Add one 15-oz can of dark beans towards the end of cooking.
- Toppings: Use finely diced white onion, crumbled feta or cotija cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and a little dried oregano. Try sliced or diced fresh or pickled jalapenos, hot peppers, pickles, diced tomatoes, sauerkraut, diced tomatoes, coleslaw, and diced sweet onions.
More Easy One Pot and Casserole Recipes
- Baked Pasta With Pepperoni - kid's favorite pasta!
- Creamy Tomato Tuna Pasta Bake
- Easy Chicken Pasta Bake With Alfredo Sauce - simple ingredients. The best recipe for creamy pasta bake that can be customized.
📖Recipe
Chili Cheese Dogs (Oven Or Grill!)
Try this Chili Cheese Dog Casserole - the dogs are loaded and happen to be perfect for game day. Buns get filled with flavorful chili and baked with melty cheese. Dial the heat up or down depending on whether you're feeding kids.
Ingredients
Chili
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- A pinch of salt or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup chicken or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Hot Dogs
- 7 Hot dogs
- 7 Hot dog buns
- 1 ½ cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
Toppings:
- Finely diced red onion, , crumbled feta or cotija cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 375°F. Spray some cooking oil on a baking dish and set it aside.
- Next, in a big frying pan, heat up some olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and cook it until it turns brown, making sure to break it apart as it cooks.
- Once the meat is cooked, pour off any extra fat and use paper towels to wipe the pan if needed.
- Now, add in the ketchup, mustard, tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, paprika, chili, cumin, and cayenne to the meat. Stir everything together until the meat is all coated.
- Turn down the heat and let it simmer for a while, maybe 15 to 30 minutes, until it gets thicker.
- While that's simmering, you can grill the hot dogs and toast the buns.
- When everything is ready, put the hot dogs into the baking dish and spoon some of the meat mixture generously on each one. Sprinkle cheese all over them and bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Finally, add any extra toppings you like and serve the hot dogs while they're still warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Makes about 7 hot dogs. Depending on how many toppings you want to add you may want to increase or decrease the hot dog amount and make even 8 for example. I used a slightly smaller baking dish than 9x13 and hence it is only 5, the rest I baked separately later to keep them fresh. In a 9x13 dish, you should be able to squeeze in 7 easily.
Nutrition
Calories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 29gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 1091mgPotassium: 669mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 930IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 288mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
🤷Frequently Asked Questons
What is the difference between hot dog sauce and chili?
Hot dog sauce is often specifically made to go on top of hot dogs. It's usually thicker and smoother in texture compared to chili, which tends to be chunkier with beans and sometimes other vegetables like peppers and onions. Chili also typically has a stronger flavor profile with spices.
How can I thicken the sauce?
To thicken hot dog chili, cook it for longer and on a slow heat. The more it simmers, the thicker and more flavorful it becomes.
What are the best hot dogs to buy?
Depending on your location, there will be plenty of hot dog varieties. Check the ingredients on each package; only a few added ingredients exist. For example, go for more high-quality meat, like Angus hot dogs. I’d also suggest trying beef or mixed meat franks and ensuring they are labeled as "Uncured" or "No added nitrates."
Can I use canned chili in this recipe?
Yes, canned chili is okay to use. Add spices and flavorings to elevate the taste
Jonathan
These chili cheese dogs were a hit last night. Crazy good and we made them extra spicy!
Rita
Hi Jonathan, thank you so much, glad you liked them!