Slow Cooker Hot Dog Chili Sauce

Slow Cooker hot dog chili sauce is chili specifically for hot dogs. Considered a condiment, this sweet chili combines ground beef, ketchup, onion, and simple seasonings. Sit back and let the crockpot do the work. In no time you will a delicious chili ready for spreading on hot dogs. Instructions to make this easy, hot dog chili in the Instant Pot are also included. 

Growing up I literally lived all over the country & one thing I learned is that hot dog chili varies by region. The hot dog chili sauce I had living on the East coast is different than the chili we put on our hot dogs in the South or Midwest. I spent most of my childhood bouncing around the Midwest so I grew up eating hot dog chili where the beef is boiled. Boiling the beef doesn’t work with the slow cooker or Instant Pot so this is not a traditional Midwestern style hot dog chili sauce. Still a hot dog chili sauce nonetheless.

Ingredients For Hot Dog Chili

• Ground Beef
• Onion
• Water
• Ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce (omit for Whole30)
• Seasonings: chili powder, dry mustard, salt, garlic powder 

How To Make Hot Dog Chili In The Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion & cook until the beef is no longer pink. Crumble the ground meat it cooks. Drain grease and add the mixture to the slow cooker.
2. Add all other ingredients to slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
3. Cook HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8.
4. Stir & serve on top of cooked hot dogs.

Instant Pot

1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select sauté. Once hot add oil, ground beef & onion to the pot.  Cook 5-7 minutes, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Drain fat excess fat if needed.
2. Hit cancel and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, mustard, salt, and garlic powder. 
3. Pour in 3/4 cup water and ketchup. Stir to mix well.
4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 12 minutes. When done cooking, quick release pressure. Drain excess liquid
5. Stir & serve on top of cooked hot dogs.

What Is Hot Dog Chili?

Hot dog chili sauce aka hot dog chili aka hot dog sauce is literally chili specifically made to be put on hot dogs. As I previously mentioned, hot dog chili sauce will differ depending on the region of the country. Thick or chunky, beans or bean-free, boiled ground beef or pan-fried….there are tons of variations out there. This is my slow cooker/Instant Pot version. It’s not too thick but not too chunky. It’s bean-free and the beef is browned with the onion before it slow cooks with simple chili seasonings, water, and ketchup. The addition of ketchup is one of the main differences between hot dog chili sauce and regular soup chili. 

Browning The Meat

Browning the meat is easy with the Instant Pot because of it’s sauté function. Should you brown your ground meat before adding it to the slow cooker? That’s up to you. I always brown my ground meat beforehand when slow cooking so I can drain the excess grease out. There’s nothing I hate more than an extra greasy chili sauce. Having said that, if you are using a very lean ground beef, you may find that you don’t need brown it before adding it to the slow cooker.

FAQs & Tips

• Store leftover chili sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or the freezer for 4-6 months.
• For this chili to be Whole30 compatible, omit the Worcestershire sauce.
• Tomato sauce is a good substitute for the ketchup. It will also make the chili less sweet. 
• Did you know you can make hot dogs in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or air fryer?
• I use a 3.5-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Feeding a larger crowd? Double the recipe!

Serve This With

• Slow Cooker Hot Dogs

• Air Fryer Hot Dogs

• Air Fryer Chili Cheese Dogs

Slow Cooker Hot Dog Chili Sauce

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Slow Cooker hot dog chili sauce is chili specifically for hot dogs. Considered a condiment, this sweet chili combines ground beef, ketchup, onion, and simple seasonings. Sit back and let the crockpot do the work. In no time you will a delicious chili ready for spreading on hot dogs. Instructions to make this easy, hot dog chili in the Instant Pot are also included.

• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 hours
• Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 ounces ketchup or tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water for slow cooker, 3/4 cup for Instant Pot
• 1/3 cup onion, diced finely
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon mustard (dry mustard or yellow mustard)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon oil

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Instructions

Slow Cooker

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion & cook until the beef is no longer pink. Crumble the ground meat it cooks. Drain grease and add the mixture to the slow cooker.
2. Add all other ingredients to slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
3. Cook HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8.
4. Stir & serve on top of cooked hot dogs.

Instant Pot

1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select sauté. Once hot add oil, ground beef & onion to the pot.  Cook 5-7 minutes, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Drain fat excess fat if needed.
2. Hit cancel and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, mustard, salt, and garlic powder.
3. Pour in 3/4 cup water and ketchup. Stir to mix well.
4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 12 minutes. When done cooking, quick release pressure. Drain excess liquid
5. Stir & serve on top of cooked hot dogs.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 65
• Sugar: 0.9 g
• Sodium: 261 mg
• Fat: 2.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 2 g
• Fiber: 0.7 g
• Protein: 8.8 g
• Cholesterol: 22.6 mg

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