Coney Island Hot Dog Chili

I woke up hungry for a chili dog. Not just any chili dog, a Coney Island style chili dog. You know, the one with the chili that is all meat and very finely chopped. Almost resembles a sloppy joe if it were not for that spicy kick. So I went on a quest for the recipe. Did I find it, nope. Did I come close to recreating it. I think so. The key was to get the meat the right consistency. Then the spices were the only other ingredient. How hard could that be. Well it took a little time, but I found a great chili recipe.

Place a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and then add the chopped onions. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until the onions turn translucent.

Then add the beef and continue to cook until the meat is fully browned.

Then remove 80-90% of the meat to a blender or food processor. Add two cups of water and blend quickly for 4-5 pulses. If you want the chili to have no lumps at all, blend all of the meat.

Pour the mixture back into the pot. Then add the remaining two cups of water. Pour in the remaining ingredients including the salt.

Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 2-3 hours before serving. As you can see from this picture and the one above, the chili really starts to thicken and cook down.

Serve it over macaroni or top your favorite hot dog for an amazing chili dog. I like to fry up some dogs and then cover them in chili and cheese.

Also try a dog with a little fresh onion, a squirt of mustard and then top with chili. Amazing!

This chili was fantastic. I ate about 6 cups of it in two days.

Doesn’t seem like much, but when you realize that I only ate it on hot dogs, it was a lot of food. I also added this chili to a box of macaroni and cheese for some amazing cheesy chili mac.

— Rex

Coney Island Hot Dog Chili

Authentic Coney Island style chili with finely ground beef, warm spices, and a spicy kick. Perfect for topping hot dogs or serving over macaroni.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
• 2 large onions chopped
• 1 small can tomato paste 6 oz
• 4 tablespoons hot chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

 

1. Place a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and then add chopped onions.
2. Season onions with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent.
3. Add ground beef and continue cooking until meat is fully browned.
4. Remove 80-90% of the meat to a blender or food processor.
5. Add two cups of water to the blender with the meat and blend for 4-5 pulses (or blend all meat if you prefer no lumps).
6. Pour the meat mixture back into the pot.
7. Add remaining two cups of water to the pot.
8. Add all remaining ingredients: tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, allspice, salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours until chili thickens and cooks down.
10. Serve over hot dogs, macaroni, or as desired.

Notes

The key to authentic Coney Island chili is getting the meat to the right finely-ground consistency. Blending some of the cooked meat with water creates the signature texture. This chili pairs perfectly with mustard and fresh onions on hot dogs, or mixed into macaroni and cheese.