Chili & Coleslaw Hot Dog - Recipe

One of L.A.'s most popular sandwiches is the #19 from Langer's Deli,  which is stacked with pastrami, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw. If they can put coleslaw on a Pastrami Sandwich, then I'm going to put it on a Hot Dog...with Chili, too! My Chili & Coleslaw Hot Dog is outrageously scrumptious. In these Dog Days of Summer, cool it down with crunchy Coleslaw.

Also called a Slaw Dog, they are popular in West Virginia and North Carolina. And they're made with two types of coleslaw dressing: either mayo or a more sour vinegar version. My version is the creamy mayo Coleslaw.

I like greasy Chili on my wieners, and a pile of cool Coleslaw brings it over the top. In my video, I finish it up with a squeeze of mustard. 

I use Chili from the can, no beans, and it's not too expensive. A typical can has 4 to 6 servings on typical hot dogs, depending on how loaded you make them. I have a Homemade Beef Chili Recipe a click away here.

I'm not particular about brands of canned chili. Sometimes they are watery and sometimes thick. Just add water or simmer to thicken. The beef canned chili I've tried is made with ground meat. I've tasted poultry and vegan chili, and they're pretty good. 

I make batches of Coleslaw and usually have leftovers, so it was natural to use it up on my hot dogs. If the addition of Chili is too much for you, then leave it out.

Coleslaw is easy to make if you have Packaged Coleslaw that's raw, shredded, and ready to use. The typical package includes green and purple cabbage, plus shredded carrots. 

     

Add mayonnaise, and you have a creamy  Easy Coleslaw. I usually leave out salt, but add plenty of ground black pepper. It's okay to use your favorite Coleslaw Recipe.

My Easy Coleslaw Recipe is at the end of the video, or you can click here to see my blog post with photo illustrations and recipe text. 

Most Hot Dog ingredients are still a decent deal. Even chain supermarket grocers have sales on tube steaks. Since I usually steam or grill the hot dog buns, even discount "day-old buns" are tasty -  when done my way.

I like to steam my wieners, but you can grill or fry them. I also steam the hot dog buns for a minute, but do watch carefully as the bun can get soggy really fast. (Because I often buy day-old buns, they can be dry, so a little steaming brings them back, softly.)

To assemble, just top a bun and cooked hot dog with a pile of warm Chili and cool Coleslaw. You can add any additional toppings like mustard and pickle relish.

These days it's easy to make vegan versions using tofu dogs and vegan chili, so everyone can join in. 

The whiplash from meaty hot Chili, and cool Coleslaw, makes this hot dog recipe a tasty winner. Any time you make Coleslaw, save a bit for my latest hot dog recipe. 

Try serving  Chili & Coleslaw Hot Dogs some sports game day and see if your guests give you a high five - I think the odds are in your favor!

Hot Dog with Chili & Coleslaw - Video             Play it here. The video runs for 3 minutes and 6 seconds. 

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients

• Hot Dog - Any type, like beef, pork, poultry, or vegan. 
• Hot Dog Bun - I like to steam mine. Okay to grill or serve right from the bag.
• Chili - I use chili from the can, no beans. My Homemade Beef Chili Recipe is here. I've also tried tasty vegan chili.
• Coleslaw - About 2 heaping tablespoons per hot dog, or enough to top a hot dog.

Directions

I place a steamer basket in a pot with an inch or so of water. Add the wiener(s) and bring the water to a low simmer, then cover the pot. I like to steam mine until plump, about 5 minutes. If you are steaming a lot, then check the water level to refill as needed. 

A rice cooker, with water added, works quite well. The normal rice cooking cycle lasts about 25 minutes - for hot dogs in the rice steamer basket, reduce time to 10 minutes, or until the weiners are plump.

Heat the canned chili in a pot until hot. Depending on the brand of chili, sometimes it's too watery, so I simmer the chili to a gravy consistency, and sometimes the chili is too thick, so I add a little water to thin the thick, meaty, gravy.

I like Coleslaw with mayo, but you can make it your way. Some recipes call for a vinegar-based coleslaw. Keep Coleslaw chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

I also steam hot dog buns until pillowy and soft. I put a bun or two right on top of my steamed hot dogs, cover the pot, and steam the bun for a minute or so. A quick toasting softens them quite nicely, too.

Assemble the Hot Dog, and top it with a couple of tablespoons of Chili and Coleslaw. I added Mustard, too.

Easy Coleslaw Recipe

Ingredients

1 Package Cabbage & Carrot - shredded. About 14 ounces or 6 cups (loosely packed.)

Mayonnaise - 1/4 cup. Regular, lite, or vegan. Okay to add a tablespoon at a time to reach desired creaminess.

Black Pepper - about a teaspoon of black pepper. I like an extra pepper taste. Okay to add some salt, too. I find mayo is salty enough

.

*Recipes with real mayo should be kept refrigerated until ready to serve. Do not leave Coleslaw in direct sunlight.

Directions

Add a 14-ounce package of shredded cabbage and carrot to a large bowl. Okay to make a 1/2 recipe, since the average Coleslaw Package has a lot of shredded cabbage and carrot. 

I start with a quarter cup of mayo and mix well. Okay to add a tablespoon of mayo at a time to reach desired creaminess. 

Finally, season with pepper. Add a little at a time and taste the Coleslaw. A  tablespoon of pepper is about right. I do like extra fresh ground black pepper. Okay to add or leave out salt -- mayo is salty enough for me.

Finally, mix well. Taste and add more pepper or mayo if needed.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. If you make it a day ahead, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of fresh mayo, to bring Coleslaw back to normal creaminess. Once mayo is mixed into Coleslaw, it will break down a bit overnight and may sweat out some water; do drain if needed.

Chili & Kraut Dog - Video Recipe

A Chili &Kraut Dog and it may be my favorite. I don't always have canned chili in the cupboard, but when I do I open a jar of sauerkraut and build this overloaded dog. The combo of pungent meaty chili and puckering sauerkraut can be too much for some, but not for me.

*If you just want to cut to the chase and watch my video of a Chili & Kraut Dog, just scroll down to the end of this post to play it.

The good thing about sauerkraut is that it lasts forever when bought in a can or jar. And once opened and stored in the refrigerator, it has a long shelf-life. I've kept sauerkraut for more than 2 months in the fridge! It's hard to tell when it goes bad, as it's so sour.

And to add sour to sour, I like mustard too! With a soft neutral bun and a beefy hot dog, it's a delicious combo of flavors I never get bored with.

Sauerkraut doesn't show up at my local 99c only Store every day, so when it does, I usually get a few cans or jars to keep in the cupboard. I can't tell the difference between sauerkraut that is jarred or canned. I guess the salty brine overpowers any difference between cabbage and sauerkraut recipes.

My girlfriend spent time in Germany, so she likes her sauerkraut heated up - I don't mind it right out of the can and at room temperature. I think we can both agree to drain and shake out the kraut before piling it on the wiener.

I've made Hot Dogs with all kinds of canned chili, from name-brand Hormel to brands I've never heard of like Hartford House...and they are all just fine by me. In the South, my Mom tops her Chili-Cheese Enchiladas with Wolf Brand Chili.

Canned chilis should mainly be flavored with chili powder. These days, it's usually a mix of meats like pork and chicken, but mainly beef. I've grown used to canned chili and actually like the flavor.

The main problem is the texture that is often crumbly from ground meat, not stringy like a saucy pulled pork, which I prefer - hey, you get what you pay for!

In the last couple of years, I started making my own Homemade Beef Chili, and you can click on the recipe name to see recipe directions and photo illustrations, or just watch my recipe video below.

I use the cheapest cut of beef, called the shank. It's one tough steak, but after 2 or 3 hours of simmering in spices and tomato sauce, it becomes fall-apart tender and extra flavorful. Try slow-cooking with beef shank sometimes, as it's even cheaper than hamburger these days.

Can you top your Hot Dog with a can of Chili with Beans? Sure, I have in desperate times.

These days, it is easy to make vegan versions using tofu dogs and vegan chili, so everyone can join in the summertime patio Hot Dog partying.

 And the main ingredients of a Hot Dog are cheap, of course, but that's not the only reason to like them. They are just a satisfying combination of flavors that you can build any way you like.

A package of Hot Dog Buns for about a buck? Check. I prefer regular white flour buns, but I often find whole wheat buns on sale too -- it's all good. And any grocery store carries them for barely a buck per 8-count package.

Meaty tube steak for a buck? If you know where to look and don't mind if they are a mix of beef, chicken, and pork. I always find them on sale at my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree.

There is a texture taste difference - I find the typically mixed meat wieners a bit softer when you bite into them and with a milder meaty taste, while an all-beef wiener has more snap and a thicker texture and an intense beef flavor. Depending on how my pocketbook is feeling, I can work with any type of tube steak.

Do you like your weenies steamed, sauteed, or grilled? I find it easiest to just steam mine in a pot with a basket and covered until they are hot and plump. This way, you can walk away and get all the fixing ready while they cook - when you steam them, you don't have to worry about burnt weenies.

How about the Hot Dog Buns? Well, at the last minute, I will throw in a couple of buns on top of my steaming wieners, cover, and give them a minute to soften. This works especially well if the buns are old and hard.

You do have to watch steaming buns as they can become soggy, although you can always let a soggy bun dry out for a couple of minutes if necessary.

 If I am barbequing, then I will grill the wieners and add the buns at the finish line - same with sauteing in a frying pan on a stovetop.

I always find jars and squeeze bottles of mustard for a buck, even Grey Poupon!

So, how do you like to make yours? Leave a comment and let's compare wiener...recipes. Ha, ha, I couldn't resist. And check back for more simply delicious and cheap Hot Dogs. So load up the steamer basket or fire up the grill and get to cooking one of my yummy Hot Dog recipes.

Chili & Kraut Dog - VIDEO

Play it here. The video runs 2 minutes, 22 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

The Hot Dogs of Summer - Relish Dog with Mustard

It's summertime and the time is right for Hot Dogs. My Hot Dog Series covers all the greatest hits including  Kraut Dog, Mustard & Relish Dog, Chili Dog, plus the killer combos of Kraut & Chili Dog, Slaw & Chili Dog, and Relish & Chili Dog. Now that's a mouthful and they are all cheap of course. So keep checking back here for all the yummy recipes served with tasty text and scrumptious photos!

Okay let's be frank, anyone can make these, and maybe this Series is just a celebration of  America's favorite frankfurter or a reminder of the joys of dining simply.

Click on any photo to see larger.

A Relish Dog with Mustard is the easiest to make. The only work is opening a tight pickle relish lid. I often have to use a bottle opener to break the seal -- as it's often too hard to just twist off. 

And you can't get much cheaper than a Hot Dog with Relish. I can always find Pickle Relish for a buck  at my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree.

Now, do you like sweet or unsweetened Dill Pickle Relish? I lean to the sweetened version as a contrast to sour mustard. 

They're all kinds of mustard to choose, everything from classic yellow to Grey Poupon Dijon, and spicy to extra-sour seed popping stoneground. I feel lucky to have all these types again at my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree. And what's great about mustard it lasts almost forever stored in the fridge.

This may seem nit-picky but I like my mustard against the tube steak, not the bun, and finally topped with relish. Of course, any order of condiment to bun and wiener will work.

So check out my video below to see how I do it, from steaming weenie to squirting mustard!

These days it easy to make vegan versions using tofu dogs and vegan chili, so everyone can join in summertime patio Hot Dog partying.

 And the main ingredients of a Hot Dog are cheap of course, but that's not the only reason to like them. They are just a satisfying combination of flavors that you can build any way you like.

A package of Hot Dog Buns for about a buck? Check. I prefer regular white flour buns, but I often find whole wheat bun on sale too -- it's all good.

Meaty tube steak for a buck? If you know where to look and don't mind if they are a mix of beef, chicken, and pork. I always find them on sale at my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree.

I mean, there is a texture taste difference - I find the typically mixed meat wieners a bit softer when you bite into them and with a milder meaty taste, while an all-beef wiener has more snap and thicker texture and an intense beef flavor. Depending on how my pocketbook is feeling I can work with any type of Hot Dog wieners.

Do you like your weenies steamed, sauteed, or grilled? I find it easiest to just steam mine in a pot with a basket and covered until they are hot and plump. This way you can walk away and get all the fixing ready while they cook - when you steam them you don't have to worry about burnt weenies.

How about the Hot Dog Buns? Well, at the last minute I will throw in a couple of buns on top of my steaming wieners, cover and give them a minute to soften. This works especially well if the buns are old and hard.

You do have to watch steaming buns as they can become soggy, although you can always let a soggy bun dry out for a couple of minutes if necessary.

 If I am barbequing then I will grill the wieners and add the buns at the finish line - same with sauteing in a frying pan on a stovetop.

I like Hot Dogs dress simply with mustard and sweet or sour pickle relish. I always can find jars for a buck.

So, how do you like to make yours? Leave a comment and let's compare wiener...recipes. Ha, ha, I couldn't resist. And check back for more simply delicious and cheap Hot Dogs. So load up the steamer basket or fire up the grill and get to cooking one of my yummy Hot Dog recipes.