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.

When I think of the boardwalk or the State Fair, I always imagine biting into a snappy hot dog covered in chili sauce, cheese, and onions.

Of course, it’s also got to be dripping with homemade cheese sauce and topped with jalapenos and diced white onions. 

And that makes the best Coney Island Style Hot Dog.

What type of hot dog should you use for a Classic Coney Island Dog?

As I said, I like a “snappy” hot dog. And by that, I mean a hot dog that has a good snap to the outer casing when you bite into it.

Because the Classic Coney Island Hot Dog is covered in the deep delicious sauce and lots of toppings,  you have to have a hot dog that will stand up to all the toppings and give it that perfect snap.

I find that most of the Kosher-type hot dogs that you can buy at most grocery stores have the best “snappy” casing. 

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

In fact, you might even catch yourself eating it right out of the skillet while it simmers.

I know this for a fact because I caught my son eating it out of the pan when I stepped away from the stove. Now that’s the type of testimonial that I’ll take any day.

What’s the difference between Coney Island hot dog sauce and chili?

That’s a good question and there’s a lot of differing opinions, but the way that most people think is that it’s all about the beans…without beans or with beans.

Coney Island Sause 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

How do you assemble the hot dog?

There is a method to how you build the ingredients on this Classic Coney Island Hot Dog.

1. Start with a top split bun which is 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, lay the 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 the Coney Island Sauce.
4. Finally, top it with diced onions and pickled jalapeno.

And there you have it – a fantastic hot dog that puts a smile on everyone’s face.

Here are some great cocktails to go with the 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

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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 Chili:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion - diced
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 TBS brown sugar
• 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 2-4 TBS 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 TBS yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 8- ounces of shredded medium cheddar cheese
• 1 cup half-n-half
• 1 TBS 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