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Jersey-Style Hot Dogs with Chili Sauce Recipe

Jersey-Style Hot Dogs with Chili Sauce

A cozy and messy take on classic hot dogs, topped with a savory chili sauce, mustard, and onions, perfect for quick dinners or entertaining.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chili Sauce
  • 1 pound ground beef (80 to 90 percent lean)
  • 1 small onion, grated or very finely minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1-2 teaspoons chili powder start with 1 and add more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar optional, helps balance
  • 3/4 cup water add more if you want it thinner
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
For Serving
  • 8 pieces hot dog buns choose steamed or toasted
  • 1 yellow mustard
  • 1 cup finely chopped onions for crunch

Method
 

Prepare the Chili Sauce
  1. In a pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat, breaking it up until no pink remains.
  2. Add the grated onion and minced garlic to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until softened.
  3. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, chili powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, sugar, water, and Worcestershire sauce.
  4. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes. If it gets too thick, add a splash more water.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and chili powder as needed.
Prepare the Hot Dogs
  1. Cook the hot dogs by simmering, grilling, or pan-searing based on your preference.
Assemble the Hot Dogs
  1. Place the hot dog in the bun, spoon over the chili sauce, drizzle with mustard, and top with chopped onions.

Notes

For a fun experience, set up a hot dog bar and let everyone build their own. The chili sauce can be made ahead of time and keeps well in the fridge.