Classic Coney Island Hot Dog

The Classic Coney Island Hot Dog is a snappy hot dog with a beanless chili sauce and onions. We serve ours with a homemade cheese sauce.

What Makes The Best Coney Island Hot Dog

• Snappy hot dog -one that has firm skin or casing that snaps when you bite into it.
• Covered in chili sauce.
• Smothered in cheese.
• Topped with diced onions and jalapeno peppers.

Ingredients

What Type of Hot Dog is Best for this Recipe?

Because the Classic Coney Island Hot Dog is covered in a deep delicious sauce with lots of toppings, the hot dog needs to stand up on its own which is my I recommend Kosher-style hot dogs for this recipe.

You can’t have a classic Coney Island hot dog unless it’s drowning in a deep, rich, meaty Coney Island sauce.

What’s the Difference Between Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce and Chili?

Coney Island sauce does not have beans. It’s literally a beanless chili sauce. It also has ketchup and brown sugar in it, which are two ingredients not usually found in most chilis.

Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce Ingredients

• Ground Beef
• White Onion
• Ketchup
• Light Brown Sugar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Chili Powder
• Yellow Mustard
• Celery Seed
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and Pepper

Let’s Assemble the Coney Island Hot Dog

1. Start with a top split bun which is an untraditional bun, but I find that it works better to hold all of the ingredients. It also lets you really load the hot dog full of the good stuff.
2. Next, place a grilled hot dog in the bun.
3. Then layer it with a good helping of the cheese sauce followed by an equally large heaping of Coney Island Sauce.
4. Finally, top it with diced onions and pickled jalapeno.

Try One of these KKM Cocktails with The Classic Coney Island Hot Dog

• Spice Salty Dog
• Grapefruit Margarita
• Seabreeze Cocktail
• Lemon Berry Gin and Tonic

Classic Coney Island Hot Dog

The classic coney island hot dog is a snappy hot dog with a beanless chili sauce and onions. It’s a classic boardwalk tradition. 

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: All American

Keyword: classic hot dog, Coney Island hot dog recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8 -10 servings

Author: Laura Franco

Ingredients 

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For the Coney Island Chili Sauce

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion – diced
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2-4 tbsp chili powder depending on how hot you like your chili; you can always start with 2 and add more after tasting the final product.
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 8 ounces shredded medium cheddar cheese
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Hot Dog:

• 8-10 premium hot dogs
• 8-10 hot dog buns I use top-sliced buns
• 30 slices of pickled jalapenos

Instructions

• In a large pot, brown the ground beef (strain off any grease).
• Add three-quarters of the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes. (The remaining onion is for the topping.)
• Add all of the remaining ingredients.
•  Reduce the mixture to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

For the Cheese Sauce:

• Add mild to a stove-top pan and warm on medium heat.
• Whisk in the cornstarch.
• Add 4-ounces of the cheese and whisk until it melts.
• Add the remaining 4-ounces of cheese and continue to whisk until fully melted

For the hot dogs

• Boil or grill the hot dog.
• Gill the buns just until they start to crisp.
• Add the hot dog to the bun.
• Top the hot dog with cheese sauce, the chili, diced onions, and pickled jalapenos