Woooo hooooo! The leaves are changing, the temps are cooler, scarves are out and……it's football season! Whether you are enjoying the game at home with family and friends or engaging in full on tailgating, this hot dog chili recipe will please a crowd.
This is a Hot Dog Recipe that you can make ahead and freeze. It easily heats up in a crock pot for warming. I heated mine up in a mini dip sized crock pot. We have an outlet adapter for the car so I was able to keep it warming on the way to Clemson.
The recipe that I use has evolved over the years so much so that I do not remember the original source. Most of it came from my father who used to own a country store/lunch counter.
It is an easy recipe where you have most ingredients on hand….big plus!!
Hot Dog Chili
2017-12-26 13:17:03
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of ground beef
- 2-3/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (more if you want spicy)
- 3 cups of water
- 1-1/2 cups ketchup
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1-1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a stock pot, place your ground beef. I cover the ground beef with water. On medium-high heat, cook the meat until it is brown and crumbly. I like to cook it this way so that it has a very crumbly consistency. It will turn a light brown color when it is finished cooking. This will take around an hour. Drain it in a colander. This is great to drain the fat.
- Return the cooked meat to the same pot.
- Add all of the ingredients except the 3 cups of water. Mix well.
- Gradually add the 3 cups of water mixing well.
- It will look quite soupy. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour until it has thickened and most of the water has evaporated.
- Stir occasionally. This is so easy and can be cooking while you are preparing other tailgating goodies or playing on Pinterest!
Notes
- I make a big batch of this. It is no trouble, but it is one of those recipes that is easy to freeze so why not? Keep out what you need for your group and freeze the rest. I let it cool then freeze portions in quart sized bags. For example, I froze into 3 bags that would be enough for 3 meals for our family of 4. We had enough for leftover lunch on Sunday after Saturday's tailgate.
Our Southern Home https://www.oursouthernhomesc.com/
During the simmering process
I make a big batch of this. It is no trouble, but it is one of those recipes that is easy to freeze so why not? Keep out what you need for your group and freeze the rest. I let it cool then freeze portions in quart sized bags. For example, I froze into 3 bags that would be enough for 3 meals for our family of 4. We had enough for leftover lunch on Sunday after Saturday's tailgate.
You can easily make this for an even larger crowd!
~Clemson University~
Notice the hubby doesn't deck out all in orange! He is a UNC Tarheel fan. I graduated from Clemson and we are a short 20 minute drive away, so we enjoy season tickets as a family. I'm crossing my fingers that the kiddos go to Clemson!
This is the best chili I have ever cooked, love it and my family loves it , thanks a lot for the recipe
So glad to hear that! It freezes well!
Christy recently posted…Peony and Grapevine Wreath
How do I Print this recipe for Tailgate Chili Hotdogs? All of the icons for “printing”, and others, all tell you to Pin it which I have already done.
This is an old recipe on the blog before I used a recipe plug in. The recipe card has just been updated so it is now printable! Sorry for the inconvenience!
Well, I’m a Clemson graduate and Anderson native and I have found that no other place in the South has chili hot dogs like here. I am 66 years old and remember several places in Anderson that had the absolute best hot dogs anywhere. Better than Skin’s too, which are the best available now. I will try your recipe as I have been looking for that great hot dog chili myself. That stuff in a can is made to immediately throw in the trash. The best hot dog I ever ate came from a little roadside diner just before Hartwell damn. I was coming home from Ga. and saw this little place called Pete’s if I remember correctly and having not had a real hot dog living in Ga. for a while I bought a couple. A few miles down the road I turned around to buy some more. They were that good. Got home, gave my Mom a taste along with her customers (she was a hair dresser) and wound up driving the 12 miles back to get more. Lol. The place is long gone but I wish I had that guy’s recipe. Thanks for your recipe, I’ll try it out.
Thanks so much for sharing your story, Steve! I hope you enjoyed it!
Christy recently posted…Busy Night Meals
The appearance of this hot dog chili looks a lot like the chili on the hot dogs at Skins in Clemson! Just wondering about the ketchup – Skins doesn’t seem to have ketchup in the chili.
Making it now for my father-in-law’s 95th birthday! He was “Hero of the Game” at the first Clemson game last year!
Go, Tigers!
Not sure, but Skins does have great dogs!
Christy recently posted…DIY Organized Command Center
You can now rename this “2017 National Champions Clemson Tiger Chili”
Go Tigers
You are so right! What an amazing win. I’m still excited!!! I just may have to do that! Go TIGERS!!!!!
Christy recently posted…Valentine’s Day Crafts
I love chili dogs and have never really searched for a recipe to make my own, and frankly the can of it I buy from the grocery store is not that good. In addition, I rarely use a whole can for one hot dog cookout, this is a great recipe, and I love that you can freeze it. I can make up a big batch and freeze it in small batches to use at my convenience with no waste! I have pinned this and bookmarked it to my recipe folder!
I have been looking for a good chili recipe and this one looks like a good one. I will be cooking it tonight and thanks for sharing. I was also surprise that you live in the Clemson area and are a Clemson tiger. I graduated from Clemson in 72. Go tigers!
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoyed it! Go TIGERS!!!
Christy recently posted…SUMMER IN THE KITCHEN
I’m a Clemson native (went to Daniel High School in the 80’s) and now live in California’s Wine Country. I’ve been scouring the internet for a good ol’ fashioned Southern hot dog chili like I remember from Skin’s Hot Dogs in Clemson. I think it’s ironic that I found your recipe–it’s exactly like I remember AND you’re from my old stompin’ ground! Thanks for posting your recipe and pics of Death Valley. (I share your hope that my children attend Clemson when they grow up!)
I made this recipe today and I really can’t stop eating it. Great recipe and very flavorful! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks so much! Glad you loved it!!
Christy recently posted…Decorating with Plaids
Considering using your recipe to make chili for a community block party our church is doing. How many servings do you typically get out of this recipe? I will need chili for 1,000 hot dogs so I was wondering the servings so I could calculate for how much I need. Thanks!
Holy cow!!!! When I make a batch, I usually freeze 3 containers for future meals. I would say it would cover about 40 hot dogs possibly more. You are going to be busy!!! It is easy to make and transfer to a crockpot to keep warm. Any extra could be frozen. Good luck!!!
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Just made this today and it was great. Can never use canned chili again! Many thanks.
Thanks so much!!! So happy you enjoyed! ~Christy
WOW! What great chili! I have tried several different chili recipes over the years, but this one is my family’s favorite. I took it to a family gathering this past weekend and had so many compliments and recipe requests! I knew it would be good when I saw how close you lived to me. (Often there are regional differences that can make or break the way one thinks a food should taste) This one was perfect!!We are from Western NC about an hour and half away. Thank you so much for the great recipe. I’ll be looking for more on your blog!
You are so very sweet!! Thanks so much, Barbara! We just finished up what I had in the freezer! I need to make more! Sure need to add some updated photos! My pics have evolved since starting the blog 2 years ago! So happy to have a fellow Carolinian visiting my blog! ~Christy
Hi Christy! Your chili dogs look so yummy! I’m going to pin the recipe. Good luck with your new blog – you’re off to a great start. I’m pretty new myself – I understand how long it takes to get things done!
Best wishes-
Brenda
Thanks Brenda! I hope you enjoy the chili. Thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate the words of encouragement and support!!!
Hey Christy! I’ve been needing a good chili recipe! I’m pinning it so I won’t lose it. I’m hoping my oldest will go to Clemson next fall. He just turned in his application, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Hope you enjoy!!! That’s awesome about Clemson! Good luck to him!!! Go Tiger 🙂 I am hoping my son will go there as well for engineering. Thanks for stopping by~