A silky, beefy sauce built for dripping over classic American hot dogs. What makes it special? No beans, no chunks, just finely simmered meat, a whisper of spice, and that sweet-savoury balance that defines the Coney dog.
Despite the name, Coney Island hot dogs did not originate in Coney Island, New York. Instead, they were created by Greek and Macedonian immigrants who came through Ellis Island and were inspired by the American hot dog culture they saw on Coney Island.
They later moved west, particularly to Detroit, Michigan, and opened diners where they served their own take on hot dogs. To honour the American symbol of the hot dog, they named their version “Coney Island.”
There is no actual chilli pepper or chilli powder in the original recipe as it stands. Despite the name “Coney Island Hot Dog Chilli Sauce,” it’s not chilli in the spicy or pepper-based sense.
In classic American diner tradition, especially Detroit-style Coney sauce, the word “chilli” refers to a finely textured, seasoned ground beef sauce meant for hot dogs. It’s more about savoury umami and gentle, warm spices (like cumin and allspice), rather than heat.
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Ingredients:
Beef (500g / 1.1 lb)
Onion, finely grated (100g)
Neutral oil or beef fat (30ml / 30g / 2 tbsp)
Tomato paste (30g / 2 tbsp)
Water or beef stock (250ml / 1 cup / 1 US cup / 1 UK cup)
Yellow mustard American (15ml / 1 tbsp / 1 US tbsp / 1 UK tbsp)
Worcestershire sauce (10ml / 2 tsp / 2 US tsp / 2 UK tsp)
Sugar (5g / 1 tsp / 1 US tsp / 1 UK tsp)
Salt (5g / 1 tsp / 1 US tsp / 1 UK tsp)
Ground cumin (1g / ½ tsp / ½ US tsp / ½ UK tsp)
Ground allspice (1g / ½ tsp / ½ US tsp / ½ UK tsp)
Optional: Garlic powder (½ tsp) and a pinch of cayenne for heat
#backyardchef #hotdog #coneyisland #coney #hotdogsauce
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38 Comments
👁️❤️👁️
Excellent chef … true to Detroit Michigan coney dogs…
This is the real deal folks …
Hi Rik, I think your version would taste great, but it isn't Detroit style. I've lived in Metro Detroit my whole life and am very fond of our Coney's. But our Coney's have a little more broth, twice as much cumin and about a tablespoon of chili powder for the quantity you are cooking.
Rik, can you make some more Pressure Cooker recipe videos in the future? Would love it. Just bought one and you're the only one I trust
The best Coney sauce is the Flint, Michigan sauce. Served with Kogel Vienna hot dogs, chili, mustard and onions. True Coney style. Angelo's Coney Island or the Capital Coney Island are the two restaurants to go to. Bowl of chili on the side and fries, with an icy cold Vernor's ginger ale and you are set. As they say, have you had two today.
I found an imersion blender to break up the large grind of meat. Next time I was more careful where I got the ground beef and picked a finer grind.
Hi Rik.😊
First one of those that I ever had was on Coney Island at the park. Loved it! Thanks for the memories, Rik!
It still baffles me that you don’t have more viewers! You make everything look so easy! 😊 I’ve never had a Coney Island Hotdog before and other videos I saw on how to make them looked so complicated! I’m going to try this one! But must confess I don’t have cumin and will use chili powder because I much prefer it! 😂
Thank you for all your great ideas and showing us how easy it can be to make what we have repeatedly been told are complicated recipes! You’re awesome!
As An Englishman who used to live in Warren MI (12 miles away from the centre of Detroit ) you were close but no cigar.
Coney Island chili sauce has a slightly thick sauce so that you can drizzle it over a hot dog. Your ingredients were correct though.
Most places buy in the chill sauce in frozen bricks. I know as the local Greek run diner would sell them to us. The same restaurant served it up as chili in a bowl.
I still to this day don't know as to why its referred to as coney island.
Yes to the onions, no to the american mustard.
Yo Rick, 🤣😂🤪
What is so special about Italian food if A bunch of Mexicans are cooking 🍳 it.
I didn't know i was cooking American food since im American?
😂🤣😂🤣🤪😆
We have family in North Carolina so we've used their version since the 90's after copying their recipe when on holiday!!
Nice one Rick,have to give this one a go 👍👏👌
I could eat about 70 1/2 of those. All I know is if I did I’d be miserable. Cheers Rik😊
No sugar!
Nice to watch this from east java,indonesia😍❤️👍
Awesome … I ❤ saeurcrout in mine hers in nz
Love seeing a Brit enjoy an American classic. They taste better walking around a fairground with a sunburn and aching feet. Wash it down with a frosty coke and a high calorie dessert.
Hot dog purist here..grilled hot dog..
lots of raw onion..
mustard
Chili dogs are too messy
I prefer a good chili cheese dog. No beans. Chunky white or yellow onions. Tex-Mex style chili seasonings. Soft but toasted hot dog rolls (buns). Grilled or roasted dogs instead of boiled. Salsa. Melted cheddar cheese. NO MUSTARD!
I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and we, too, have a small, family-owned chain of Coney Island hotdogs…and the family came from Greece originally, and they have friends and relatives who continue to emigrate to the U.S. who come to Tulsa to work with the family that owns the little diners. THEY ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST HOTDOGS!
Hi Rik. I’m not well, so no appetite at the moment. But this had my taste buds tingling! Another one saved. Delicious! Thank you Rik. 💕
This hot dog is great. 😋😋😋🔥👌♥
I can't speak to "Detroit style," but I grew up in Toledo, Ohio, sixty miles south of Detroit, and these look plenty authentic as the Coney dogs I still love. Nicely done.
Had to share…I watched your video while my wife was in the store yesterday. On way home, I pulled into the grocery store, so she asks what do we need, we were just here.
I quickly answered, "I need hot dogs and buns."
Cheers Rik
Here in North Carolina we also add Cole slaw to the hot dog. That's called "all the way" by the way.
They look gorgeous, Rik. I may have missed it, but did you use beef or pork hot dogs or a mixture of both?
The ONLY real coney is one from Flint Michigan , made with Kogels hotdogs and the sauce has a secret ingredient in it as well .
But Detroit style are great too !
LIKE BILLY JOEL SAYS-" I'M IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND".
SOMTIMES SOME MELTED CHEESE. CHEERS:)
Yes
This is in no way the Detroit original coney sauce or the Flint Coney sauce both of them do use a little bit of chili powder neither of them use potato you'd be chased out of town if you made it this way
Now you need Cincinnati style
Can you please tell us what kind of pan that you used for this? I've tried to find one like it and I'm not having any luck. Thank you. Great video! I'm from the Great Lakes State of Michigan and these coney dogs look fantastic!!
We call them scumdogs or shitty canoes…
love it. that meat sauce would be awesome on those sausages from a few videos back.
YOU ARE MY BEST BEST CHEF LOVE YOUR CHANNEL GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS ❤❤🎉🎉
Delicious Chilly Dogs😅❤❤❤❤❤❤
I use annatto powder instead of tomato sauce
Just made this using ground turkey followed this step by step, I got loose with the tomatoe paste seemed like the little can I opened was a little under requirements but ended up dumping most of the can in to it, I also added garlic powder totally not sorry about that otherwise pretty much as laid out and I can attest to the tastyness of this particular method. Mine turned out awesome one of the best hot dog toppings I have ever used highly recommend this recipe