The secret to authentic Coney Island hot dog sauce isn’t what you put into the pan—it’s how you cook it! Instead of frying the ground beef, we are using a traditional Greek-American diner method that gives the meat its signature, ultra-fine texture.
If you are tired of the same old backyard barbecue toppings, this nostalgic, deeply flavorful meat sauce is exactly what you need to resurrect a classic. This recipe features a unique blend of warm spices, including a secret touch of cinnamon and chili powder, that perfectly replicates the famous diners of the Midwest and New York.
Let us know in the comments: Have you ever tried authentic Coney Island sauce? How close did we get to your favorite diner’s recipe?
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🥣 INGREDIENTS LIST
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• 2 lbs Ground Beef (90/10 lean preferred)
• 1 large Onion (finely diced)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 ½ cups Water (critical for texture!)
• ⅔ cup Ketchup
• 3 tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Celery Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• ½ tsp Cinnamon (don’t skip this!)
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
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00:00 – Introduction to Coney Island Sauce
00:34 – How to finely dice the onion
01:23 – Sweating the onions in butter
02:22 – The water trick: Why we don’t fry the beef
03:37 – Adding the secret spice blend & sauces
05:04 – Simmering for perfect consistency
06:28 – Removing excess fat & final texture check
07:18 – The taste test payoff!
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25 Comments
I worked at a Frostop drive-in. They put barbecue sauce, ketchup, a little bit of mustard, Worcestershire sauce and some brown sugar in their Coney sauce along with salt and pepper. They cooked the meat with dehydrated onions in a old-fashioned electric pot that reminds me of a crockpot, but it was all metal.. they made the best Coney dogs always put onion and relish on the top and cheese, sliced cheese
I find it very hard to believe this sauce is any good if you have not made it in 15 years, sorry.
Hmm wonder if it’s close to Jays recipe. I’m from Youngstown Ohio where famous jays hot dogs come from.
I’m gonna make yours. Thanks for sharing!! Happy 4th!!!
My parents loved a place they called “dirty John’s” in glens falls NY. They i 😊some before it all went away.
SO good!
I think I may know why you're having problems with views. Your download link wants to download an app to my computer.
No Way
I wish you would have told us how (and when) you acquired this recipe.
Real Coney Dogs are not from Coney Island. They're from Greek restaurants and were invented in Michigan.
Here in Flint Michigan, our authentic coney sauce also has beef heart in the recipe.
A true coney has ground beef hearts.
Add one can of refried beans and It'll be Detroit style coney. Otherwise this is just Sloppy Joe…
I live at Eden Supportive Living in North Aurora, Illinois. The Jack Asses will not provide, any range tops! My I use, my Electric Skillet?
I've always wished I could find a good chili sauce for hot dogs. This may be it. I'm going to try it. Thanks form NC.
Authentic Coney Island meat sauce is made from beef heart, not regular ground beef. And if you can use Kogel hot dogs, made in Michigan, even better.
I say you can save yourself a little bit of labor by using dried minced onion. There's enough liquid in the sauce to reconstitute them and once they are rehydrated and plumped-up, you can't tell the difference between them and fresh onions. Also I use a hand mixer to blend the water, dried onion and spices into the ground beef; it gives the same texture but with less effort.
If you want real authentic coney sauce then you need to use beef hearts instead of ground beef, also you need to use kidney suet. Much better flavor and it holds a lot longer than with ground beef which will get mushy after a while.
Cinnamon is the secret weapon!
What’s amusing is the misnomer in calling this “Coney Island” hot dog sauce. You’d be hard pressed to find this anywhere in Coney Island but the people in Michigan and the rust belt didn’t know any better and Coney Island sounds more appealing than Michigan sauce.
THIS is 100 !!!!
Nathans hot dogs was sold…. think to Smithfield….. yuck
I understand Taco Bell boils/simmers their taco meat as well… the texture makes all of the difference
Hot dog? They call them " GLIZZIES " now, which is STUPID
Rochester NY,
This hot sauce is at every long time hot dog/burger joint here, Nick Tahou's, Don and Bobs, Vic and Irvs, Schallers, each has its own spice variation and has been around since the 1940's
Best on a Zweigles pop open, (natural casing) hotdog, be it texas, or a local favorite white hot,
(Pork), Mmmmmm
Hamburger, onions and lard. When the hamburger is done, add your spice mixture with 4 cups of water.. cooks for 2-3 hrs. Original Coney sauce. ❤
Plus when the Warriors make it back from NYC you will sell out!
GREAT VIDEO 🎉THANKS YOU GOODNESS DAPHNE COTTON ALWAYS 💜 AWESOME