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Homemade Chili Cheese Dogs with Real Cowboy Chili
Sep 3, 2025
Printable recipe below! Time for some campfire cookin'! 🔥 We've got some delicious chili dogs, a perfect outdoor cooking meal. This is an easy recipe for the whole family. Nothing beats a beef hot dog with chili on a campfire! Used in this video: Bertha wood stove https://shorturl.at/5fwEj Hash knive : https://www.kentrollins.com/shop Smokey Woods BBQ wood https://smokeywoodsbbq.com/ Kent's Chili Seasoning : https://www.kentrollins.com/shop DJI Mic 2 https://amzn.to/4ewAHAw Cowboy Hat: Chazhatz.com For more suggested products seen in our videos click here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/cowboykentrollins ====================== Printable Recipe: https://kentrollins.com/ultimate-chili-cheese-dog/ ====================== Check out our BEST SELLING cookbooks. Get your copy here: https://www.kentrollins.com/shop
View Video Transcript
0:00
Lou, I've been thinking really serious
0:01
because I've been hungry. How about we
0:03
make some chili cheese dogs? And I even
0:06
have the chili.
0:11
Okay, Lou, I get it. We'll make homemade
0:14
chili.
0:16
[Music]
0:52
Whether you're inside, out in the
0:54
backyard, or on the range, we're fixing
0:57
to whip up some classic chili cheese
0:59
dogs. We're not just making a hot dog.
1:02
We're serving up a legend with a whole
1:04
lot of chili.
1:15
Fitting to be showtime.
1:17
Oh, it is good to be back at the wagon
1:19
again. Pines is good, cool weather, and
1:22
the green grass. It is a great day. But
1:24
be sure before we even start, go ahead
1:26
and give us a thumbs up, a like, and
1:27
don't forget to subscribe if you're not.
1:29
What are we talking about today? One of
1:31
my most dectable dishes, and I grew up
1:33
on it as well, and that is a chili dog.
1:36
Different than a hot dog. I never had a
1:39
hot dog growing up. It had chili on it
1:41
all the time. That's the way you're
1:43
supposed to eat them. And we're going to
1:44
make one today where you probably won't
1:47
even need a napkin. It ain't going to
1:48
run down your shirt or nothing. But the
1:50
important thing you got to remember is
1:52
don't go to the store and buy a can of
1:54
chili and just dump it out there. No,
1:56
we're talking about just making a
1:58
simple, easy chili to put over these hot
2:00
dogs to make it the best chili dog you
2:03
ever seen. This pot is trained better
2:05
than my dogs. Now, I'm going to tell it
2:08
to sit and then I'm going to tell it to
2:10
jump.
2:11
Sit. Get ready for it. Jump. You see
2:15
that? That is a train pot to cook in.
2:20
[Music]
2:39
Well, started out with a pound and a
2:41
half of 80/20 ground chuck. Not much
2:45
grease in there. And some of that I need
2:47
for flavor anyway. But I need to give it
2:49
just a little drink of beef broth. And
2:52
if we need to add more to it, we can
2:54
later. But now is the time to season.
2:58
Now, I'm wishing you'd be using our
3:01
chili seasoning. It's got everything in
3:04
it you need. But I have two brands that
3:06
I really like before I made this. One of
3:08
them was McCormick and the other was
3:10
Williams. So, you use what you have on
3:13
hand. I'm going to give it a generous
3:15
shake in here.
3:18
But to really bring out that true
3:20
authentic chili flavor that I want on
3:22
this chili dog, I'm going to add just a
3:24
little bit more dried oregano.
3:28
Not much.
3:30
And a little bit of cumin. Now, this has
3:32
it in there, but I want to enhance that
3:35
flavor just a little bit more. So, in it
3:38
goes. Oo, that fell out of the bottle
3:42
pretty quick. So, we'll know it's in
3:43
there. Give it a stir.
3:47
Simmering right along it is. Next thing,
3:50
chipotle salsa. If you can find it, just
3:53
get the adobo sauce. But I have tasted
3:55
this and
3:59
it is right on the money, too. Depending
4:01
on your heat level as to how much you
4:03
want to add. This is going to bring you
4:04
some smokiness, but also a little touch
4:07
of heat there.
4:10
We're going to let that simmer here just
4:11
a minutes where all them flavors get to
4:13
going again. And then what? Something to
4:16
keep that chili from running out both
4:17
ends while you're trying to take a bite.
4:18
What is it? It is a binding agent.
4:20
You're going to have to wait and see.
4:22
Hey, y'all might have missed it. Big
4:23
news. New show on the Outdoor Channel.
4:26
The Castiron Cowboy. We go to different
4:28
ranches all across the United States
4:30
highlighting the way they raise beef and
4:32
how me and Shan cook it. We hope y'all
4:34
tune in. It's going to be a special
4:36
time. It is. Now, let me take you back
4:38
for a minute. Chili dogs date back to
4:40
the early 1900s when Greek and
4:43
Macedonian immigrants landed in the
4:45
cities like Detroit, Cincinnati, and New
4:48
York. And these folks brought with them
4:50
oldworld spices and flavor. They started
4:53
slinging hot dogs from street carts and
4:55
little diners. But not just plain hot
4:57
dogs. They ladled on a spiced meat sauce
5:00
that was full of flavor. Typically made
5:02
with ground beef, tomato, cinnamon, and
5:05
allspice. They called it a coney dog in
5:07
Detroit. a nod to the location of the
5:10
hot dog creation. And over in Ohio, it
5:13
turned into the Cincinnati chili dog,
5:15
often layered with onions, mustard, and
5:18
cheese. Now, as the chili dog traveled
5:20
west, it changed. Folks in Texas and
5:23
Southwest weren't looking for dyogs or
5:26
sweet spice. They wanted bold, smoky,
5:29
meaty chili. And that's when the chili
5:31
cheese dog we know today got its start.
5:34
From baseball parks to roadside diners,
5:37
this fella become an icon. Part of an
5:39
American dream. Park cowboy, grit and
5:42
all comfort.
5:45
[Music]
5:54
Now, you seen me put two cups of cheese
5:56
in there. What's a cheese for? A binding
6:00
agent. But I got a little carried away
6:02
with the broth when I put it in here.
6:05
So, we gonna drain a little of that out
6:06
of there because the secret really to
6:08
these and the success is not having it
6:12
drip all over you. So, I'm going to get
6:15
rid of this excess. You're wondering to
6:17
yourself, if you put that beef broth in
6:19
there and then you dipped it out, well,
6:20
as that continued to cook, I had more
6:22
grease than what I thought was going to
6:23
come out of that 80/20 ground chuck. So,
6:26
the beef broth really is to just give it
6:28
a little more flavor, too. Now, I'm
6:29
going to slide this over here on the
6:30
warm side of Bertha. And when it cools
6:33
just a minute, I'm going to dip that
6:34
spatula in there and show you the
6:36
thickness that we're wanting. So, here
6:38
it goes. Got a quick question for y'all.
6:41
You know, seen a lot of folks that will
6:43
put a little cocoa in their chili. Some
6:46
even put some cinnamon in it. I've even
6:48
known people to put beer in it. I don't.
6:51
But what do you put in your chili when
6:53
you're making it? Leave me a comment.
6:54
Let me know.
6:56
[Music]
7:04
[Applause]
7:10
Well, let's talk about hot dogs. Now,
7:13
for years and years, I bought probably
7:15
the cheapest thing I could find, 18
7:17
cents a pack at times, you know, and
7:19
then I graduated on up a little more,
7:21
and it's probably costing a dollar and a
7:22
half at the time. But then I'm thinking
7:24
as my pallet grew and I sophisticated in
7:27
the food world, I'm thinking I'm going
7:29
all beef. I raise beef. I'm gonna get me
7:31
some all beef franks and I buy two
7:33
brands that I really like the most. One
7:36
of them is Nathan's and the other is
7:38
Hebrew National. Now, I never really
7:41
fixed hardly just a plain hot dog in my
7:44
life. It always had chili on it. That's
7:46
the way we eat it at home. But my
7:48
youngest son, Jeff, he would take just
7:50
the bun and the chili and lay it on
7:53
there. There was never no Frank, no hot
7:55
dog, no nothing. He said he didn't like
7:56
them. But he loved chili and the bun.
7:59
I've seen him eat eight buns at one
8:01
setting cuz he really loved the way it
8:03
was. But me, I'm going to stick to them
8:05
Nathan's or that Hebrew National. Get me
8:07
some beef. Number one tip I got for you
8:10
when you making a good chili dog or a
8:12
hot dog for some of y'all that don't
8:13
know no better. It would be what? buy
8:16
all beef franks. You look at the label
8:19
when you're reading them and you'll see
8:20
the chicken, pork, turkey, tennis shoes,
8:24
basketballs. No, get all beef franks.
8:27
That's what you want to get. And the
8:28
number two tip right here I got for you.
8:31
Make sure you get the jumbos. Them
8:33
that's going to cover the bun entirely
8:35
because sometimes them things shrink and
8:37
then you just b first bite. What is it?
8:39
Just bread. No. Number three, how you
8:42
going to cook them? Now, I'm going to be
8:44
offended if you're going to say, "I'm
8:46
going to put some water on the stove and
8:48
then I'm going to throw them in there
8:49
and let them boil till they're done."
8:51
No, no, no, no. Best way you can cook
8:53
these is what? Over a grill with some
8:57
good wood smoke it is. But if you ain't
8:59
got that, I don't mind you getting a
9:01
stick and running through there and
9:02
roasting them right over the fire. That
9:04
is the next best method it is. But be
9:06
careful. Get you a green stick. A dry
9:08
brown stick will what? Burn up. Falls in
9:11
the fire. You ain't got nothing to eat.
9:13
[Music]
9:28
All right. Now, we ain't just going to
9:30
slap them right on the bun. No. But I
9:32
want you to open them buns up. They're
9:35
going to get a little suntan. Just put
9:37
them right in here to where they can
9:38
warm up just a little bit.
9:44
And at this time would be a really nice
9:46
time it would to add the onions to that
9:49
chili because I didn't want them to get
9:51
all mushy out. You know when you put
9:52
chili on a hot dog, you get that crunch.
9:54
That's what I'm after.
10:04
Give it a stir.
10:07
See what I'm talking about? What the
10:08
cheese does to it?
10:10
If it was that old greasy, runny chili
10:12
you got out of the can, it done run all
10:14
over in the floor, got on your white
10:16
shirt, your wife would be mad at you.
10:18
I'm saving your marriage right here.
10:21
You ever had a hot dog, you put it all
10:22
together, and when you go to bite it,
10:24
the bottom bust out of it? You know why?
10:27
It wasn't reinforced. That is why. Don't
10:30
do this with duct tape. Use cheese. I'm
10:33
using pepper jack. That's why we open
10:35
these up. We going to put that cheese
10:37
right in here. Hope that it melts a
10:40
little. Just lay you some down in there.
10:42
Give it a good mashing cuz that's going
10:44
to seal up the bottom of that bun.
10:46
They're going to get a little toasted
10:47
this way. That way that cheese melts.
10:50
Now, if you just have to, you can go
10:52
ahead and put you some butter in there
10:53
and then toast them that way. But I
10:55
don't think it's necessary. But this one
10:58
here has started to melt. So, I'm going
11:00
to put him right here on the warm side.
11:02
Go ahead and close him up. This one's
11:04
beginning to melt a little. I'm going to
11:06
give you another mash right in there.
11:08
Put him right over here.
11:10
Same way with this one. We're going to
11:12
spread him out a little. Put him right
11:14
over here. Hey, it's time to saddle up
11:16
the chili cheese dog horse cuz he going
11:18
to be number one at the race he is. I'm
11:20
going to get them all put together. I'll
11:22
show you what it looks like here in just
11:23
a second.
11:33
[Music]
11:55
This is a chili cheese dog. And look at
11:57
this. Do you see the chili and the
11:59
grease running off the side? No.
12:01
Wait. Give it more of a tilt.
12:04
more.
12:05
Woo!
12:06
Yes. This is what's happening right
12:08
here, folks. You top it any way you
12:09
want. I love pickled jalapenos on mine.
12:12
We put pepper jack cheese back on the
12:14
top. I've been waiting for this all day
12:16
long.
12:20
[Music]
12:25
Make you want to get the stick horse
12:26
out. Ride him around camp. Come on,
12:29
baby.
12:33
Don't get no better than that. It don't.
12:35
Had a lot of good help today. Y'all
12:36
watch hot dog eating contest? Y'all
12:39
remember the big that was on the show so
12:42
much. We love that dog. We missed him.
12:44
Know y'all do too. He could have won the
12:46
hot dog eating contest every year. So,
12:48
we're going to see how these three do
12:49
today. First contestant, Dooker. Dooker
12:53
says, "I am ready to do it." Mage,
12:58
can you stand up for it? Good boy. Lulu,
13:02
where you at? Get up here and come on.
13:05
See, this is what I'm talking about. You
13:07
always have one that thinks, "No, you're
13:09
going to bring it to me."
13:11
Folks, we hope y'all enjoyed this. Don't
13:13
forget about the new series that's out,
13:15
cast iron cowboy. And these are the
13:18
easiest things in the world to make.
13:20
Don't buy canned chili. You'll be I'll
13:23
be coming over to see you if you do. But
13:25
we want just want to thank you so much
13:27
for tuning in. We know everybody's had a
13:29
busy summer. Hey, school started. Get
13:32
them kids back in there. But when they
13:33
come home, make them a chili cheese dog.
13:35
But it is with great pride, honor, and
13:38
privilege that I tip my hat to all the
13:39
servicemen and women and all the
13:41
veterans that have kept that old flag of
13:42
flying over camp. We commend you all.
13:44
Rest of you, I'm just going to show you
13:47
it. Don't run off there. Get in here. I
13:49
can even hug you and it ain't even going
13:51
to get on your back. God bless you each
13:53
and every one. And I'll see you down the
13:54
Chili Cheese Dog Trail.
14:01
You know something I ain't figured out
14:03
when I go to the grocery store.
14:06
I buy me some of them Nathan's any kind
14:08
you don't buy and then you get the buns.
14:10
What's it say? Eight hot dog buns. 1 2 3
14:13
4 five. How come these people can't work
14:17
together? And let's make it all the
14:19
same. Put five buns in there or put
14:21
eight of them franks in there so you
14:23
don't have to be buying extra. There's a
14:25
gimmick going on somewhere.
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