Chili Cheese Dogs

Why This Chili Cheese Dogs Works

As the onion and garlic cook in the oil, they soften and lose their sharp bite. They start to taste a little sweeter and mix into the oil, so that oil coats the beef later. When the ground beef goes in, it browns instead of steaming, since most of the extra fat is cooked off and drained. Browning gives the beef a firmer texture, so it doesn’t feel mushy once the tomato sauce is added.

Once the beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin go into the pan, everything simmers together and thickens. The beans soak up some of the sauce, and the tomato sauce slowly tightens up, so the chili clings to the hot dogs instead of running off. While the hot dogs heat, they stay juicy inside, then the hot chili goes over them and sinks into the buns a bit, softening them. At the end, a quick blast under the broiler melts the cheddar so it flows into the chili and around the hot dog, holding the toppings in place and giving each bite a stretchy, cheesy top.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the beef stay greasy by not draining the fat leaves the chili heavy and slick. The extra oil floats on top instead of mixing in, so the chili slides off the hot dog and soaks the bun in grease instead of clinging to it.

Adding the chili powder and cumin before the beef is browned can cause the spices to burn on the bottom of the pan. Burned spices turn the whole chili harsh and bitter, and the sauce can look dull and muddy instead of rich and smooth.

Rushing the simmer time means the chili stays thin and loose. The beans don’t soften into the sauce, the liquid doesn’t reduce, and the topping runs straight off the hot dog and makes the bun soggy.

Putting the assembled chili dogs too close to the broiler or leaving them in too long often scorches the buns before the cheese has a chance to melt evenly. The top turns black and dry while the inside of the bun stays soft and pale.