You can’t go wrong with chili cheese dogs for easy summer dinners, tailgating or barbecues. Homemade chili served up on hot dogs in just 30 minutes!
Don’t chili cheese dogs just scream summer? It’s the meaty main course that will prove you’re a rockstar in the kitchen with a side of fun!
Goodness, do I LOVE chili cheese dogs! They are one of my favorite guilty pleasures because eating them reminds me of vacations in Cape May. Trip after trip, lunch on the beach is always from Hot Dog Tommy’s.
Tommy’s is literary a hole in the wall! It’s a to-go counter with all the street food indulgences of the beach, like frozen cokes, loaded mashed potatoes, and hot dogs topped with anything you can imagine. But the chili cheese dog is my standard order.
Sadly, I don’t have any beach excursions on my calendar so making chili cheese dogs at home will have to suffice. And boy do I need the day-dreaming distraction! We’re having the weirdest weather right now….like a monsoon in May and our Victorian fixer upper is literally leaking everywhere!
Jefferson County is flooding and so is everything within 30 miles of us. Can you believe we’re expecting another 2-5 inches of rain? Couldn’t leave if I wanted to…because buckets and buckets of water! But hot dogs I can do.
Luckily, this is a 30 minute recipe! And I don’t mean open a can of chili quick…. it’s homemade chili made with ground beef and fresh veggies….which is why this recipe is so awesome!
It’s also really flexible because there’s enough chili to make 24 hot dogs… perfect for barbecues, tailgating or kids parties… but it’s also fun for easy weeknight dinners. You can always freeze the leftover chili for the future when you only have 10 minutes to get dinner on the table rather than 30. We’ve all been there, right?
Tips and tricks for making chili cheese dogs
- We used a package of McCormick’s chili seasoning which cuts down on time and ingredients, but you can use any seasoning mix you like. We found the mix to be rather mild so we added some extra hot chili powder from Penzeys for the first recipe test.
- The second time we didn’t seed to jalapenos to give the chili more kick but you could use hot chili powder too.
- Garnishing the chili dogs with fresh hot chile slices will please the heat lovers in your clan.
- We’ve topped our chili dogs with grated cheddar cheese. I like cheddar because the sharp flavor stands up to the richness of the chili. But you can use other cheeses like monteray jack or pepper jack.
This chili cheese dog recipe really hit the spot! They are messy, cheesy, delicious as the toppings drip down your hands and face. Totally summer food!
We served our hot dogs with fries, but tortilla chips and Lauren’s black bean salsa or our cherry tomato pico de gallo would be great too!
This corn and basil pasta salad from Foodal is also on point! Or, if you want a traditional picnic side, our colorful potato salad is so delicious!
But I think I’ll skip the side next time and have another chili cheese dog? Hahaha! They are THAT GOOD!
Chili Cheese Dogs Recipe
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 1 green pepper , diced
- 2 large jalapenos , diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 package chili seasoning
- 1 can lentils
- 1 can tomato paste
Hot Dogs
- 24 hot dog buns
- 24 hot dogs
- 3 cups cheddar cheese , grated
Instructions
Chili
- Preheat the oven broiler.
- In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.
- Add onions, green pepper and jalapenos and cook for a couple minutes.
- Add in beef, breaking up beef as you cook it.
- Once the ground beef is broken up, add the chili seasoning, lentils and tomato paste.
- If the mixture looks dry add 1/2 cup a water.
- Bring to a boil, stirring often.
- Cook until the beef is cooked and the vegetables are tender, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Hot Dogs
- When the chili is almost done, place the hot dogs on cookie sheet and broil for about 5 minutes.
- Place hot dogs in buns and top with chili and shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
- This recipe is also great with grilled hot dogs!
- We used McCormick chili seasoning
Nutrition
Love this easy recipe? Check out our other main course recipes and weeknight recipes!
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Christine @ Happy Veggie Kitchen says
Oh wow! These look absolutely fantastic and such an awesome spread in 30 minutes is pure magic. I will be sharing this recipe with anyone looking for an easy recipes for entertaining this summer!
Vintage Kitty says
Glad you like it. I hope your friends enjoy it as much as I do!
Tammy says
You have some amazing shots here! My mouth is watering!! Believe it or not, I’ve never had a chili cheese dog but it’s something I know need to try! :D
Vintage Kitty says
You’ve been missing out Tracy! Make yourself some!
Carrie says
These look…..AMAZING!! What the perfect weekend treat with friends, and great with some beers I’m sure! Thanks for sharing, look forward to making these!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Carrie! Yes, this is a great, casual dinner you can definitely share! Enjoy!
Kelly Anthony says
Chili dogs are my kryptonite! How you can say no to one is completely beyond me ;) And this recipe is so perfect for a quick fix summer dinner! Grown-ups and kids would love this!
Vintage Kitty says
Me too Kelly! I can attest that kids and adults love ’em!
Anna says
What a great idea! My other half would absolutely love these chili hot dogs, can’t wait to share this recipe with him! So great for the bbq season too!
Vintage Kitty says
Yes, the men folk love hot dogs don’t they? It’s a struggle to get my hubby in and out of Costco without him wanting one!
Anne Lawton says
mmm! I love chili dogs and these look so good and perfect for summer entertaining. Thanks for sharing!
Vintage Kitty says
You’re welcome Anne!
Natalie says
These will be perfect for my next GOT watching party. I’m having some guests coming up and I can’t wait to surprise them with this recipe. Looks fantastic!!!
Vintage Kitty says
Have to admit, I’ve missed the whole GOT fever. But I’d say that our sausage hand pies might be a little more historically accurate. But whatever makes ya happy!
Linda says
I’m a fan of a chili dog and adding cheese makes this even tastes better, especially on a rainy day. Comforting, filling, and delicious!
Nicole says
These are perfect! Especially around the start of football season! My family would love these.
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Can you believe that I have never had a chili cheese dog before in my life?? This needs to change ASAP, because these look amazing!!