Bring Coney Island To You With This Hot Dog Sauce Recipe (2024)

Southern Dinner Recipes
Lunch
Main Dishes
American Food
Southern Food

Diana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 05/23/24

Tested by

Colleen Graham

Tested byColleen Graham

Freelance writer and co*cktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 60 mins

Total: 75 mins

Servings: 12to 16 servings

What Is the Difference Between Chili Sauce and Coney Sauce?

Despite similarities among the ingredients, chili and coney sauces are actually very different. Let's start with the similarities: Beef and some of the spices and vegetables, like cumin and onions.

So what's so different? For one, texture. Coney is more of a condiment than it is a dish.Chili is thick, filling, and can stand as a main on its own; it's spoonable. Coney sauce is traditionally very thin: You should be able to drizzle it on the hot dog, and if spooned on a plate, it will spread everywhere. Chili on a plate will look like a mound, while coney on a plate will look like a mess.

Hot Dog Bun Recipe

Tips for Making Hot Dog Sauce Recipe

For a finer textured sauce, pulse the ground beefin the food processor or use a potato masher to mash the beef as you cook it.

What You'll Need to Make This Hot Dog Sauce Recipe

A Nice Skillet

A Sharp Chef's Knife

A Nifty Box Grater

"The seasoning in this sauce is fantastic. You get a hint of each spice in each bite, and it’s a great topping with the hot dog. The mustard’s zing, fresh onions, and cheese finish it off perfectly. The recipe makes a lot of sauce, so you’ll likely have leftovers unless feeding a crowd." —Colleen Graham

Bring Coney Island To You With This Hot Dog Sauce Recipe (8)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil, or any vegetable cooking oil
1 pound ground beef, preferably 85% lean
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
See Also
Copycat Lafayette Coney Island Hot Dog Chili Sauce Detroit Style Recipe - Food.com
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups water

For the Hot Dogs:

12 to 16 hot dogs
12 to 16 hot dog buns

For the Toppings:

2 large onions, finely chopped
Prepared yellow mustard, to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Beef Sauce

Gather the ingredients.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (or any vegetable cooking oil) on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add 1 pound ground beef (preferably 85% lean), stirring frequently, until well browned.
Drain liquids and juices from the skillet, but keep beef in pan.
Add 1 large onion (finely chopped), 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder,1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup tomato paste, and 2 cups water. Stir to mix thoroughly.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Continue to cook until the sauce is to your desired thickness, up to 1 hour more, but remember that coney traditionally is thin and soupy.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside.

Prepare the Hot Dogs and Buns

Gather 12 to 16 hot dogs and buns.
Grill, steam, or boil the hot dogs.
Steam or toast the buns.

Assemble the Coney Dogs

Place a cooked hot dog in a steamed or toasted hot dog bun. Top with about 2 tablespoons of sauce, or enough to cover the length of the hot dog.
Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped onion over ground beef mixture.
Drizzle mustard to your liking over the hot dog.
Top with shredded cheddarcheese, if using.
Repeat with the remaining hot dogs.

How to Store Hot Dog Sauce Recipe

Cook as many hot dogs as you need and save the leftover coney sauce for later. It will keep well when refrigerated in an airtight container for two to three days and can be frozen for two months.

Unique Hot Dog Toppings

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
430	Calories
24g	Fat
33g	Carbs
20g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12to 16
Amount per serving
Calories	430
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g	31%
Saturated Fat 9g	43%
Cholesterol 55mg	18%
Sodium 879mg	38%
Total Carbohydrate 33g	12%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 3mg	15%
Calcium 123mg	9%
Iron 4mg	21%
Potassium 416mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Ground Beef
side dish
american
birthdays

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