Chili Cheese Dogs With Chili That Stays On the Bun

It is 6:20 on a Tuesday, the day was longer than it had any right to be, and you want dinner that asks nothing of you and gives everything back, which is more than we can say for most people. This chili cheese dogs recipe is 22 minutes of browned beef, charred hot dogs and a toasted bun, and it is built for the kind of night when you want comfort and zero small talk.

Eight dogs, one pan of chili, and not a single fork required.

The chili is the whole personality here: ground beef, onion, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and tomato sauce, simmered until it holds together. The dogs get charred on a grill or in a pan, the buns get toasted, and everything gets stacked with cheddar and a little diced onion. It serves four, with two dogs each, and it will be gone before the dishes are.

How to make it

1. Dice 0.25 cup onion. In a saucepan over medium heat, brown 0.5 lbs ground beef for 5 minutes. Drain excess grease, then add the diced onion, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in one 8 oz can tomato sauce and simmer the chili for 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
3. While the chili simmers, grill or pan-fry 8 beef hot dogs for about 5 minutes until charred and heated through.
4. Toast 8 hot dog buns on the grill or under the broiler until lightly golden.
5. Place each hot dog in a toasted bun and ladle chili over the top. Sprinkle with 0.5 cups shredded cheddar and diced onion.
6. Serve with yellow mustard and 2 fresh jalapeños on the side.

Notes

Cooked leftovers keep three to four days refrigerated, per USDA FSIS. Store the chili separately from the dogs and the buns, because a bun that sits in chili overnight has made a decision you cannot undo.

The chili reheats well and, for many people, tastes a little deeper on day two. Warm it in a saucepan with a splash of water if it has tightened in the fridge. It also freezes in a container, so a double batch is a reasonable plan if you know a second night like this one is coming.

Browning the beef the full five minutes matters. You are looking for real color and little crisp edges, not gray crumbles. Cook it until there is no pink left; ground beef is safe at an internal temperature of 160°F, per USDA. Then drain the fat before the spices go in, because a puddle of grease will slick the whole chili and slide it off the bun.

Toasted buns are not a garnish in any chili cheese dogs recipe worth making. The grill or the broiler browns the cut sides so that they hold chili without turning to paste. If you skip that step, you will be eating this with a fork and some regret.

Here is the SwipeCart bit: this is the dish you swipe right on when the week has been too much, and then the agent puts the beef, the buns and the tomato sauce in your Kroger or Walmart cart so the only decision left tonight is how many jalapeños.

Swaps that actually work

The chili is the point of this chili cheese dogs recipe, so leave the method alone: brown, drain, spice, simmer. Everything else can move.

Ground turkey works in place of the beef; cook it through to 165°F and it will be a little leaner. Chicken or pork hot dogs work if you do not eat beef. If you cannot find all-beef dogs, buy the ones you would eat plain, because the dog is a big part of the flavor.

Shredded cheddar can become pepper jack for heat, or a slice of American melted over the chili for the diner effect. White onion works as well as yellow for the diced topping. Fresh jalapeños can become pickled ones from a jar, or you can skip them for anyone at the table who will not thank you.

The swap that costs you the dish is thin chili. If you swap in a different sauce, such as salsa or a watery pasta sauce, the chili will not thicken in the time given. Stick with tomato sauce.

Yellow mustard on the side is not optional for some people. Put it on the table and let everyone decide. The same goes for the fresh jalapeños: set them out in a little pile, because the people who want them will want a lot, and the people who do not will quietly step around them.

If it goes wrong

The chili is runny. It has not simmered long enough, or the lid was on. Take the lid off, turn the heat to medium, and cook another few minutes, stirring, until a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a clear trail.

It is greasy. The fat was not drained after browning. Spoon off what you can with a large spoon now, and next time tip the pan and drain before the spices go in.

It is bland. Almost always salt. Season the chili at the end of the simmer, taste, and add another pinch. A spoonful of mustard stirred through also wakes it up.

The bun fell apart. It was not toasted, or it sat. Toast the cut sides until lightly golden, build the dogs one at a time, and serve them right away.

What to serve with it

The default is a pile of napkins and a stack of paper plates, because the point of this dinner is skipping the dishes. The better version is something crisp and cold on the side, like coleslaw or a bowl of pickles, to cut through the richness. If there are cucumbers in the fridge, slice them with salt and a splash of vinegar and call it a salad.

Does it work as lunch? The chili does. Reheat it, spoon it over a baked potato or a bowl of rice, and add the cheese on top.

Why this one earns its place

Some nights you want to cook a real dinner, and some nights you want chili cheese dogs. Both are valid, and only one of them is ready in 22 minutes. It is a recipe that does not try to impress anyone, which is oddly what makes it impressive when you serve it. Put four plates on the table, watch the first bite land, and notice how quiet everyone gets.

Keep this chili cheese dogs recipe in the back pocket for game nights, hungry kids and the Friday you cannot face a menu. More like it: beef chili for the full bowl, black bean nachos for a loaded plate with a vegetarian lean, and quick weeknight dinner ideas for the next time you need something fast.

More like this: all American recipes in Crave Corner.