Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce
This easy Coney Island hot dog sauce is packed with flavor! Made with ground beef, hot dogs, spices, and a trick for the perfect texture. Great make-ahead recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb hot dogs chopped finely
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3 Tbsp cumin or chili powder or taco seasoning
- 3 Tbsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp chili powder omit if already using it above
- 2 cups water
- Crumbled saltine crackers optional, for thickening
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan, combine the ground beef, chopped hot dogs, diced onion, and all seasonings. Pour in the water and stir to combine.
- Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Let it simmer until the meat is fully cooked and the mixture becomes dry and crumbly. This usually takes 25–30 minutes.
- If the mixture is still too wet, crumble a few saltine crackers into the pan and stir—this will help absorb excess liquid and thicken the sauce.
- For best flavor, let the sauce cool and refrigerate overnight. Reheat the next day in a frying pan until warmed through. The flavor intensifies beautifully!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Make it mild or spicy: Choose your favorite seasoning blend—cumin offers warmth, chili powder gives it a little heat, and taco seasoning adds a Tex-Mex twist.
- Thickening tip: Crumbled saltines work great to soak up excess moisture without changing the flavor.
- Make-ahead tip: This sauce tastes even better the next day! Perfect for parties or meal prep.