American
Classic Chili Dog
A crispy-seared frank buried under thick beanless chili and cheddar — maximum indulgence.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
The chili dog is the maximalist hot dog: a snappy, char-marked frank buried under thick, beanless beef chili, shredded cheddar and optional raw onion and jalapeños. Not subtle. Absolutely delicious.
The chili must be thick enough to stay on the dog and savory without overwhelming the frank — and always beanless.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
- 6 all-beef hot dogs
- 6 hot dog buns, toasted
- 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- White onion, diced
- Pickled jalapeño slices (optional)
- Yellow mustard (optional)
For the chili sauce
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Method
- 1
MAKE CHILI: Brown ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking into very fine crumbles. Drain most of the fat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, add garlic for 1 minute, then tomato paste for 2 minutes, stirring.
- 2
Add broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne and Worcestershire. Simmer uncovered on medium-low 20–25 minutes until thick and saucy — it should hold a mound on a spoon.
- 3
COOK DOGS: Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high with a touch of oil. Score each hot dog with 3–4 diagonal cuts and cook, turning, until charred in spots and crispy, about 4–5 minutes.
- 4
Toast the buns cut-side down in the same skillet.
- 5
BUILD: Dog in bun, generous ladle of chili, handful of shredded cheddar (the heat will melt it), diced onion and jalapeños. Serve immediately.
Substitutions
- Chef's Tip: The chili can be made 3–4 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen up to 3 months. It gets better with time — make a large batch for chili dogs, nachos and baked potatoes.
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