This is my family's favorite hotdog sauce. It originates from West Virginia. We like it with a bite, but you can adjust it to your taste. We top the hotdogs with ketchup, mustard, the hotdog sauce, and finally some chopped onions...YUM!  This recipe makes enough for freezing and using later.

Heavenly Hot Dog Sauce

beef

water

tomato sauce

ketchup

salt

pepper

white sugar

chili powder

red pepper flakes

Crumble ground beef into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in water, and mash ground beef thoroughly with a potato masher. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, sugar, and chili powder; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, 60 to 90 minutes, until the sauce reaches a medium consistency that is not too soupy.


I made this for my son's 13 birthday party. My mom is the best hot dog chili maker all she had to say about this is that this was the best she had ever had! Coming from my mom that is wonderful. She is picky about everything she eats. Thanks for such a great recipe. I will make this over and over.

I thought this recipe was pretty good. I added some stuff to it.  I sauted med onion and sm green pepper, then added 1 1/2 tbs cumin, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tbs spanish paprika.  Over all, with everything I added to it, made it even better.

I made this recipe this morning for a chili dog dinner tonight. I thought it was a little bland, I used some leftover chicken stock (beef would have worked great too)instead of water, and also added several Tablespoons of tomato paste. I browned the meat along with a 1/2 chopped large onion and 1/2 green pepper, added it along with the spices and other ingredients and blended it using the pulse method on my blender several times to chop everything up smaller but not to liquidify it. I also added several Tablespoons of paprika to perk it up-This was delicious!

Reminds me of B&amp;L, Lupo's, Yann's, T&amp;L hotdogs back home in Fairmont, WV! The best hotdogs anywhere!

This was very good, I made mine in the crockpot and added dehydrated onion. I cooked it on high about 4 hours stirring occasionally. Everyone loved it! This is a keeper.Note: When cooking in crockpot use very lean beef otherwise it will be quite greasy, or you will just have to skim the fat off.

The cooking technique makes this chili the PERFECT consistency! It would also work well for preparing taco filling.

I strongly recommend the addition of 2 T. cumin to give it real chili flavor. 1 T. each of onion and garlic powder are also nice additions.

Thanks for the super recipe!!!!



this is so much easier than browning the meat.  i just throw it in a dutch oven and let it cook, stirring occasionally.  i add some cayenne pepper for a kick and delete the white sugar.  i think a small squirt of french's yellow mustard is a must.  and you have to have cole slaw on the dog for an authentic west virginia hot dog.  for the anatomy of a west virginia hot dog check out...wvhotdogs.com

My kids wanted hot dogs after school so I made two of the hot dog sauce recipes from the site to try out.  It was decided that we liked the taste of this sauce best.  The chili powder and a "pinch" of cayenne really add a nice flavor. This also takes great on nachos with melted shredded cheese.  Will make again!

When I lived in the midwest I loved having a coney dog from Dog 'n Suds.  They don't exist in my hometown anymore and I've been searching for a recipe that is close to their sauce taste.  This was a winner.  Not exactly but pretty close.  We enjoyed our treat of coney's with this sauce.

I liked this recipe better than any I have tried.  I would like to find something with a little more kick but love the consistency of this sauce, not to thick or thin.  Thanks.

I LOVE THIS RECIPE! This is almost my recipe except to kick it up I add a few dashes of hot sauce and one dash of vinegar to cut the tomato sauce a little. I use brown sugar rather than white and I add extra according to taste - some of my family likes it a little sweeter, so I make it all different ways!i also add a tablespoon of mustard and one whole diced onion! I use more chili powder than this recipe as we like ours a little "bolder". I use only McCormicks Chili powder as I do not get the same results with every powder. HAPPY COOKING AND ENJOY THOSE DOGS!

Ok,  my favorite meal is a good hotdog, this chili recipe rocks!!! I did use the beef stock and canned tomatoes! incredible recipe!

I thought this was a decent basic recipe for Hot Dog sauce.  It is a sauce, not a chili as some reviewers seemed to be looking for more of a chili flavor.   My batch turned out well, the texture and consistency was perfect and I substituted BEER for the water. This gave a sweet, deep flavor to the meat.  I added a little more cumin, chili powder, salt and used ground red pepper for more of a bite.   I will make this again and saute some onions first.  I think a tbls or two of tomato paste could also help make this a little thicker for those who found it too thin.

i agree with how you make the chili by not browning the meat. too many big chunks of meat. i too am from WV and have had many good hot dogs there. people in the north or anywhere else does not know what a good WV hotdog is. Don't forget the cole slaw, made very simply, mayo, vinegar &amp; sugar. Great on BBQ sandwiches too.

Just like I remember! My mom's side of the family is from WV and I stayed with my grandparents every summer for 14 years. This is exactly like the "Sauce Dogs" we ordered then. I'm so glad I found this and was able to share it with my husband and kids. Everyone really enjoyed it once I explained that it isn't a chili at all. It is a sauce. And it's perfect. Thanks for sharing and bringing back the memories!

I had never made chili without beans but since I needed to make it for a school function, this recipe seemed the best. The method was claimed by the reviewers as the best so this one is the one I chose. All the comments from parents and students was that it was so.oo..ooo good! I did follow some reviewer recommedations like I added cumin and onion powder. I did not buy the more expensive lean ground beef but I did this. I drained the browned meat and while adding the rest of the ingredients I put the fat/broth mixture into a cup and cooled it in the freezer. Once it cooled, it was easy to throw away the fat and I re-added the broth to the chili. I did have to uncover and keep simmering for an extra half an hour.Thanks for the recipe and thanks for all the reviews.

Amazing!  I am from WV, and grew up with hot dogs with chili and slaw.  Unfortunately, my mom passed away before I could write down how she made her hot dog chili.  This comes really close in flavor.  The one thing I do remember is that she put a little mustard in the sauce, so I did this too.  Again, it is very close to how I remember my mom's chili.  Thanks for posting it!

Other than cutting the recipe in half, I followed the directions to the letter. I found that the flavors combined well. My only problem with it, is very minor. I think that the amount of sugar was still a tad to much. My wife could not taste the sweetness in the sauce but I could and to me it was just a tad to sweet. I am not a fan of sweet and savory in the same dish which is probably why I could really taste so much of the sweetness. Other that that, I could not in good faith give this less than 4 stars but because I know its my own issue with sweet and savory dishes that I still give this a 5 star rating! It does require some sugar but that will be for me to experiment with for my taste! Great job on the recipe!

A keeper! Really good as written, but we like stuff really spicy so I made the following changes &amp; additions: increase ketchup from 1/3c. to 1/2c., increase chili powder from 1T. to 1/3c., add 2T. fresh minced garlic, add 1T. garlic powder, add 1T. italian seasoning, and add 1t. ground red pepper. There was plenty to go around and more for freezing. Freezing didn't hurt the flavor profile or texture.

One of the best base recipes for hour dog chili. I put minced onions and green peppers in with ground beef while browning. Also used a lot more chili powder (not sure how much, just added until it tasted the way I wanted). Being a WV girl though I loved the final product! Paired with Grandma's Sweet Slaw found on this site it get much better!!

I have tried many of the recipes out there and have enjoyed most of them. This  recipe is however my hands down favorite. Remember this freezes well. 5 stars all the way!

I served this for my daughters 9th birthday party. A lot of kids ate it and the parents went WILD over it. Two people asked me for the recipe. A few people just scooped it with potato chips and one just ate a sauce dog (sauce on a bun). I doubled the liquid ( it takes a while to cook down but I liked it with more sauce).I used chicken broth instead of water and didn't use any hot pepper. I will make a big batch and freeze in smaller containers so we can always have it on hand. Good Good Good

If you're expecting chili, its not - but this is a really terrific hot dog sauce!!!  I did saute some onion and garlic and added that - I will definitely make again!!!

I made this today according to the recipe and it was very bland. After I tasted it, I added a few ingredients to give it the taste I had expected, based off of another recipe I looked up on the Internet today. . I added Worcestshire sauce, white vinegar, dry mustard, additional chili powder, garlic, and dehydrated onion. All of this I added a little at a time, tasting after each addition. I also browned the beef before adding anything.  Sorry to give it such a low rating, but the recipe, as is, is missing something &amp; required too much "doctoring."

This was very well received at the community BBQ/potluck I took it to yesterday.  I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, so I added a couple Tbs of beef flavored Better Than Bouillon to make up for the lack of flavor.  Also, I discovered that I only had about 1 teaspoon of chili powder, so I added a chipotle bouillon cube.  This made it too spicy for the kids that would be attending the BBQ, so I added about 3 Tbs of tomato paste.....PERFECTION!  I'll definitely make this again.  UPDATE:  I made this again, using ground beef this time.  We didn't care for it as much as we did when I made it with the turkey, but it was still good.  I ended up with about half of the recipe left over, so the next night I mixed it with some cooked rice and made stuffed bell peppers.  It was REALLY good that way!!

I am a WV girl living in southern Maryland.  This is the only hot dog sauce I will eat!!  I LOVE it!!!  You can't buy hot dogs with this type of sauce around here, so this is a summer favorite for my family.

exactly what I was looking for - Unfortunately, I ran out of tomato sauce in the pantry, so I used a little condensed tomato soup and eliminated the sugar - just as good I'm sure!

The first time I made this recipe, it was dry.  I reread the recipe and it never said, "brown the beef"  nor "cook the beef" - it only said "crumble the beef."  So I figured the raw beef simmered in the liquid.  After 90 minutes, it's still raw.  Going back to my original assumption of browning the beef then simmering it in the sauce, this recipe is dry and sauceless.  If you like beef on your hot dog, give it a try.  If you like "hot dog sauce" pass it over and save your 2.5 lbs of beef for another recipe.

Just because the cook's description mentions home (WV) I wanted to give it 5 starts.  Just kidding but really this is good stuff, like another reviewer mentioned it a lot like Yann's in Fairmont.

Very good, thank you for the recipe.  I was tired of using regular chili on hot dogs and wanted something different.  This was it.  Love it.

Very good! We liked! I didn't put sausages into the hot-dog, just like that was perfect. And at lunch time, the day after, I put some melted cheese in it (white cheddar), it was even better.

As usual, my best measure is: " Does all the family like that? " And the answer is yes, so, it passes our test! :-)

this recipe is really good. it was a hit with the whole family. However i did have to modify it a bit. I added a Tbsp each of garlic and onion powder, and about the same with Mustard. But i was told to keep this recipe because they all want it again!

Really yummy!  As written the sauce was a bit bland.  I added more ketchup and tomato sauce, and some paprika, onion powder, Worcestershire, and a pinch of cumin.  We served these with coleslaw under the sauce.  WOW!  So delicious!

This was just like the hotdog sauces found in my home town and surrounding area.  I added a little more red pepper and chili powder because I like it spicy.  Will definitely make again and again!

This is very good, the only sauce I ever use on hot dogs.  I have tweaked it some over time to give it a little more kick, although it is still very good, 5 star rating without the tweaks.  I use beef broth instead of water.  I also shake in some paprika and onion powder. DELICIOUS!

Very good recipie...I live in WV and happened across this looking for a good chili recipie!  I cooked the meat and then put it in a blender to make it very, very finely chopped and it was a great texture!  I have served it at 2 cookouts and gotten rave reviews both times!

Made a few hours before a football party and kept warm in crockpot. Intended it to be for chilidogs but a lot of people ate it plain too. No complaints, no leftovers. Very easy to make.

I loved this recipe.  I ended up adding more of the tomato sauce.  It just did not look like there was much in it,I thought it needed to be more "red" looking!! I think I added 1 cup.  I could eat it with a spoon.  Very Good!!

Not enough sauce in this sauce as written.  Had to use a whole can of tomato sauce instead of 1/2 cup and it needed more.   I added probably 3 tablespoons of chili powder and 1 tsp of dried minced garlic.  It was still bland but that is okay for a chili sauce.  Without the extra sauce and chili powder it would be just like topping your hot dog with ground beef.  I probably will not make again as it seems a waste of 2 1/2 pounds of hamburger.

Eleven years later I made it again; with a more mature palate I don't think this recipe is 5 stars. I think it's a solid three. I won't make it again, but I think it is a great recipe for a beginner cook to try. 11/18/2008 I was looking for a diner-style chilli recipe to make chilli cheese fries and this was PERFECT

Used it today as part of my Independence Party and it was a hit!

Very good.  Add 1 can tomato paste and 1 tsp of salt in the last 30 minutes to give it a slightly more tomato taste.  Kids loved it.

Best ever...Have made this quite a few times and always try something different each time...But I always add garlic powder and onion powder and use beer instead of water!!! Whole family loves this and I use my slow cooker everytime....start it b4 bed and by the morning its done:)

very bland. i dont give to many bad ratings but there is noway i would try this again :-(

I grew up on midwestern "Spanish Hot Dogs," and even worked at B&amp;K Root Beer making hot dogs in my youth.  This is an excellent sauce, perhaps the best I've had!  Wolf Brand??...I don't think so!!

I made this making a few changes.  Instead of water I used V8 juice which made it more flavorable and richer, I also added some granulated onion and granulated garlic.  Kids loved it

really great. used homemade ketchup, honey, and used it on chili dog casserole II. kids top fav

Great hot dog sauce recipe!  I'll be making this again!  

I really like this recipe. I did cook the ground beef and let simmer as stated. After that, it wasn't the consistency that I wanted so I put it  through my mini-blender. After I made hot dog chili baby food, I put it in my small slow cooker until husband came home. Used this with "Restaurant-Style Coleslaw I" to make West Virginia Dogs. Delish!

This was okay.It tasted like spicy Sloppy Joe. I sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top.

i made this chilli for our hotdog dinner tonite...soooo good...perfect consistancy and flavor...i added a few drops of hot sauce in place of the crushed red pepper...this recipe is a keeper!!

As my gal Rachael would say, "Yum-O!!!!!" I added a bit more Chili Pepper Flakes for a bit more heat, but the sauce was perfect!  I live in Clarksburg, WV and this is as close as you can get to those hot dog places (T&amp;L, etc.) A definate staple for any household with kids! I couldn't keep my hubby away from it - he even made nachos with it the next day. The first batch only lasted two days - will be making it tomorrow for our hot dog roast over the firepit with the neighbors!  Thanks SO UCH for the fab recipe!!! (It's hanging on my fridge so it is always handy!!!) 

This recipe is amost identical to my grandmother's (from WV)!  I make it often.  Her recipe didn't include the tomatoe sauce but did include 1T of yellow mustard.  Try it!

I added a LOT of spices to make this tasty, but it in the end it was just that.

Really nice texture to it. I made exactly as is, but I didn't put enough crushed red pepper in it. I would probably use about a tsp. When I make it again I'm going to add a can of green chillies to it.

I found this hot dog sauce to be a good base for what I wanted. I only used half the sugar, which I will completely omit next time. I also added a bit of cumin and onion powder to taste.

This is what hot dog sauce is in WV. Of course there is a lot of variations, mine included onion powder, garlic powder, cumin seed and chipotle chili powder. Throw some chopped onions, jalapenos, and nacho or shredded cheese on the dog with it . You'll never want to eat a boring hot dog again.

Without a doubt the best hotdog sauce I have ever tasted. Just the right amount of spice and even a little kick with the chili flakes. Does make alot of sauce but freezes easily for the next time.

This was ok at best . Made way way more than I could use. I would recommended making 1/4 a batch or at most 1/2 for a normal size family we have 4 ppl.

This hot dog sauce is great!  As per other reviews I halved the recipe.  I also added 1 Tbs. cumin, 1 tsp. onion powder and 1 tsp. garlic powder.  I'm glad I found a great sauce recipe - just in time for summer!

This wasn't bad but wasn't anything exceptional either.  Too sweet for our family's taste.  Edit: 5 years later I'd forgotten I made this before and tried it again.  It took a lot of tweaking to be decent- heavier seasoning, more ketchup (mostly for consistency)...I definitely stand by my previous 3 star rating.

Better than your best can chili. We ate this out of the bowl, it actually tasted better than using as a hot dog sauce.

I changed this to 3 servings since I had 1/2 lb of hamburger to use up.  This was not what I expected.  It was like taco meat up on a hotdog.  I wanted more of a saucey chili sauce but this wasn't it.  Sorry, we just didn't care for it.  And, it made us burp after.. not a good thing.

This was wonderful chili for my hot dog and I am very picky about my chili.

It truly is a great hot dog sauce. I did leave out the red pepper and added a bit more chili powder. It is a Happy Hubby recipe : )

Loved this! I decided to make this at the last minute and the only burger I had were frozen patties.  Thawed and cooked them in the water, then tossed the rather chunky burger into my food processor, great texture.  Anyway I added Cumin after reading another reviewers suggestion and this stuff is fantastic!  It's a keeper, I won't be trying any other hot dog sauce recipes.

I'd never made hot dog chili before, so this recipe looked like a good place to start.  The results were great, so I don't plan to going back to canned chili any time soon!  I didn't have tomato sauce, so I used tomato paste with a little extra water.  I also sauted onions along with the ground beef.  Green peppers would also be a nice addition, but my kids are too picky for that.  I reduced the chili powder by a third, and wish I'd added even less.  The sugar added a subtle sweetness, which was really nice.  I will make this recipe again, but I will reduce the chili powder and add a little garlic powder to suit my family's taste.    

i will make this on occasion a am used to a more greaser sauce but not bad

Eh- This was okay but nothing that I would ever want to make again.  I even added more seasoning but it was okay for its purpose.  

Very good Hot Dog Sauce, a little finer in texture then you regular canned stuff but a great taste.  I liked it alot and it made alot too, for the next day. A+

This was delicious. I have made this twice. The last time I made it I used a total of 2 cups of tomato sauce. I left out the water and ketchup. It made it a little simpler and didn't really change the flavor. I also added 1/2 tbs Garlic Powder. My husband says it puts canned hot dog sauce to shame. Also, I freeze the leftovers. 1 cup of sauce is perfect for four hot dogs.

I made this for my boyfriend for the first time and he loved it...Thank you so much I will never go back to chili in a can

This is sooo yummy!! Can be adjusted to you tastes. I cooked then added to slow cooker to keep warm. I couldnt stop eating with tortilla chips. Its addicting. Leftovers the next day for nachos are great too!

This recipe is good. Thought I used tomato sauce, but grabbed my spaghetti sauce instead and it turned out just fine.Also added cumin and added crushed red pepper, for a hotter sauce. 

My family really liked this.  I will make this again.  I mixed the leftovers with melted velveeta to make cheese sauce for nachoes which was very good too.  

Served this to neighbors at a bbq and everyone enjoyed it, including my picky husband! I doubled both the tomato sauce and chili powder.  I also used some stock rather than water.

I will definitely be making this again. I only gave this 4 stars because it is bland as is. I added paprika and cumin and kept playing around with the other ingredients listed to bring it up to a nice flavor. The recipe as is is a good base but you need to add more spices gradually as it cooks until you find the taste that suits you.

I added a can tomato paste and onion powder. Brown sugar instead of white and garlic powder as well. I will make it again:)  thank you!

A very tasty hot dog sauce.  I use about 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and top mine with some caramelized onions.  It's cool to see so many fellow West Virginians here.  Go 'Eers!

Delicious!   I used lean turkey, trying not  to eat as much red meat per week as we used to..This sauce is yummy..I added 2 tsp Cumin, a touch more of all the spices (red pepperflakes and chili powder) making it a bit spicey but we like it like that!

This was excellent...exactly what I wanted...a simple Hot Dog Chili Sauce. Only a few modifications due to taste: no sugar, and addition of finely diced onion to brown with beef. also a few dashes of mustard and hot sauce. I "made up" each hot dog in advance. bun, wiener, heavenly sauce, mustard - wrapped in wax paper. when ready to eat, we just nuked them for a bit. SO GOOD...soft buns and gooey, but not too messy! Thanks for the recipe!

I also thought it was a really good base.  Was pleased with the texture of the meat, but needed more spice.  Added some tomato paste, chipotle chile powder, cumin, finely chopped onion, garlic powder, and chipotle tabasco.  Spice it up to your preference, but my family likes sauces with a "kick", even my 8 yr old.  Sauce received rave reviews at our barbecue with the additional spices. I found that it didn't need an hour to cook to a thick consistency...would have needed to add additional stock or water if I'd cooked it that long.

That's it!  The first bite reminded me of setting at Yann's counter eating 2 dogs with everything, hot, and a chocolate milk.

it was really good.  we put fritos and cheese on our dogs.  kids loved it

This was my first attempt at making chili sauce for hot dogs, so I followed the instructions exactly.  This was perfect, and everybody wanted more.  I wouldn't make any changes.  

It was just okay.  It wasn't all that much better than the can stuff.  

We rented a hot dog cart for our daughter's graduation party and this recipe was a great topping for our dogs. Thank you!

Husband loved this more than I did. I added a wee bit of garlic powder. With some cheese, diced onion, and yellow mustard, this made a pretty substantial hot dog. Would be nice with a slice of bacon too. Thanks!

This chili recipe is so good. I omited the red pepper flakes and added onions and garlic powder. It was wonderful.

Delicious.   Used broth instead of water,  added paprika.  Family loved it.

This recipe is so easy and delicious.  I'll be making it again for July 4th.Thank you!!!

Ok-decent flavor. I think I'm just a chili dog kinda gal, not coney. Glad I tried it though!

This is awesome!  I'm from Oklahoma, so I haven't had the "coney dog" or any other specialty dog, but this is the best hot dog I've ever put in my mouth!

heavenly hot dog sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hours, 30 minutes

Total: 1 hours, 40 minutes

Servings: 12

Author : LEMASTERS16

Ingredients

Instructions

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