Prep Time:  15 mins
Cook Time:  40 mins
Total Time:  55 mins
Servings:  20

Few things please a crowd like a packed platter of delicious hot dogs — and is there a more iconic version than the Coney Island dog? This sizzling chili dog recipe comes fresh off the griddle from our pals Mark and Fey (you'll recognize that duo as Food Network's "The Grill Dads"), and it's guaranteed to turn heads and make mouths water. It's easy, it's tasty, and with all those complementary spices it gets better with every bite. Can't make it to Brooklyn yourself? Welcome to the next best thing.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Chili

  • 5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 2 ¼ cups ketchup
  • ¼ cup dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp celery salt
  • ¼ cup ancho chili powder
  • 3 Tbsp cumin
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 Tbsp Worcestershire
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • Grill Dads Red Tuxedo spice blend (or Cayenne)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the Dogs

  • 20 hot dogs, kosher
  • 20 hot dog buns
  • 5 cups shredded cheddar
  • 2 white onions, diced

Items You'll Need

Instructions

  1. First up, fire up the griddle on low, then add about half the canola oil to the cooking surface. Give the oil 1–2 minutes to appropriately heat up, then add the ground beef. Spread it out into a thin layer to begin cooking through.
  2. Brown the beef, regularly stirring — If you find the beef remains too dry, add a little more oil to help it along. Once the meat has browned, add the ketchup, then stir again to combine.
  3. Time to start having some real fun. Add your dijon mustard, brown sugar, celery salt, ancho chili powder, cumin, minced garlic, Worcestershire, and a sprinkle of Red Tuxedo (or Cayenne, if you prefer spicy).
  4. Turn the heat up to medium, then add the water. Stir thoroughly to combine your chili, and single out any clumps of ground beef to break apart. We want to make it as easy as possible to add heaping spoonfuls of chili to those dogs.
  5. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until reduced to a nice, thick consistency. Give it a try (go on, we won’t tell anyone), then add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Once the flavor’s just right, move the chili to a slow cooker or chafing dish to keep it warm. Wipe down the griddle surface before moving onto cooking the hot dogs, then add more oil if necessary.
  7. Heat up the griddle on medium heat again. Griddle up your hotdogs, turning them once a minute for best results (then again, that’s one every 5 seconds) or once every other minute — the idea here is to cook them consistently. You’re looking for the casings to hold a nice char and start to split, which will take about 3 ½–4 ½ minutes.
  8. You’re done! Stage those hot dogs in their buns — either topping them yourself with chili, cheese, and onion, or letting your party do it themselves to taste. Enjoy!