Classic Coney Island Hotdog Sauce

This rich, savory Coney sauce is exactly what you’re craving! Iconic as the traditional topping for Coney Island hotdogs, Coney sauce is a meaty, beanless chili sauce with a unique combination of flavors and just a hint of sweetness.

This classic Coney Island sauce recipe is a savory condiment made of ground beef simmered in a mildly-spiced tomato-base. A close cousin to Cincinnati Chili sauce, Coney sauce is a variation of saltsa kima, a spicy Bolognese-style meat sauce with roots in Greece and Macedonia.

Use this easy-to-make, bean-free, chili sauce to top a classic Coney Island hotdog, dip chips, or make a Coney nacho – it is delicious on so many things!

Jump to:

• What's the Story on this Coney Sauce?
• What Makes this Coney Sauce Special
• Coney Sauce Ingredients
• How to Make this Coney Sauce Recipe
• How to Make a Coney Island Hotdog
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip
• FAQ
• More Summer Recipes
• What Goes with a Coney Island?
• Coney Island Hotdog Sauce
• Food safety

What's the Story on this Coney Sauce?

When I was a kid, there used to be an A&W Drive-in about half a mile away from our house (it's a Vietnamese Pho place now). When the late summer got too hot, Dad would drive me up and treat us to a frosty cold mug of root beer or a root beer float.

Once in a blue moon, my mom would go too, and we'd all eat dinner there; and when we did, I'd beg for a Coney Island. Mom would make a face (she hated hotdogs), Dad would laugh, and then we'd all enjoy our meal - mom with her dry cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, dad with his thick Papa burger, and me with my Coney Island hotdog.

Back then, I had a vague understanding that Coney Islands were named for the magical seaside carnival I'd seen a few times in old movies, but I never gave it much thought beyond that. While researching for this post, I was surprised to learn that the Coney dog didn't get its start on the New York boardwalk, but rather in Michigan, although there's some debate about that. In fact, the whole Coney Island hotdog story is fraught with long-standing disputed claims (much like Nashville Hot Chicken) over the who, when, and where of its creation.

I don't know who actually invented Coney sauce, or what a real Michigan Coney Island tastes like, but this A&W Coney copycat recipe brings back those days at the drive-in with Mom and Dad like they were yesterday. Hopefully, it'll bring back a few memories for you, too.

What Makes this Coney Sauce Special

This Coney sauce recipe stands out for three reasons: excellent flavor, smooth consistency, and absence of the grease layer that is so often is part of the chili dog experience.

Mediterranean Spice Blend

The rich flavor of the sauce comes from a simple but specific mix of spices with roots in Macedonian and Greek cuisine. Slow cooked with ground beef in a tomato base, the flavors meld and mature from tomato-forward to rich and savory as it simmers. Mr B tells me repeatedly that our Coney sauce is the best he's ever had.

Unique Cooking Method

The reason for the even consistency of this coney sauce is the unusual technique used for cooking the ground meat. Instead of frying, the ground beef is boiled. As the meat cooks, a potato or meat masher is used to break it up, creating even, finely-crumbled ground beef; perfect for sauces, chili, tacos, and so much more. (This is the same technique we use to make Cincinnati Chili.) Cooking the ground beef in broth or water instead of frying it allows you to break it up into fine crumbles, making for a consistently smooth sauce.

No Oily Red Layer

This cooking process also effectively eliminates the biggest complaint people seem to have about Coney Island dogs (and chili dogs in general) - the red, oily layer that floats on top of the chili sauce. The boiling method helps separate the fats from the meat, making the end result quite lean. 

I recently ran into a woman from Michigan, and I mentioned our Coney sauce recipe to her. She had such fond memories of Coneys back home, and shared that she even made her way through school working at local Coney Island Drive-ins. She was quick to mention she had no love for the "greasy red oil" that usually came with the sauce, and would avoid eating Coney dogs because of it. When I told her we had figured out a way to get rid of it and still have all the flavor, she was absolutely delighted!

Coney Sauce Ingredients

• Ground beef: We use 80-90% lean ground beef.
• Onions: We use white onions in this coney sauce recipe because they have just a bit of a bite. Sweet onions simply disappear in the mixture.
• Mustard: Use plain French's yellow mustard. Nothing fancy.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar helps to cut the natural acidity of the tomato sauce and balance the coney sauce.
• Chili powder: To make traditional coney sauce, use a regular chili powder.
• Tomato paste: Use plain tomato paste (i.e., nothing flavored with basil, oregano, etc.).
• Beef broth: Use a good quality canned or boxed beef broth, or Beef-flavored Better than Bouillon (1 tsp/cup water).
• Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt
• Celery seed
• Ground cumin
• Garlic powder
• Tabasco sauce (optional)

For Coney Island Hotdogs, you will also need:

• Hotdogs: Coney Island dogs are usually made using all-beef franks.
• Hotdog buns
• Yellow mustard: Once again, use plain French's yellow mustard.
• Chopped onions: Use white or Spanish onions.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make this Coney Sauce Recipe

(1) Using a meat masher or potato masher, break up the ground beef into a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy stock pot. Pour in 2 cups of beef broth.

(2) Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly with the meat masher to break up the ground beef into fine pieces as it cooks.

Drain the cooked beef in a colander. DO NOT RINSE. 

Draining the cooked meat in a colander before proceeding gets rid of much of the extra fat from the ground beef without stripping it of all flavor.

Pour the drained meat back into the Dutch oven. Add chopped onion, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, spice, and seasonings.

Stir the remaining 2 cups of beef broth until the mixture is consistently smooth.

Simmer over LOW-LOW heat, stirring about every 15 minutes or so, for 1-2 hours; until the sauce reaches the consistency you want. (Coney sauce is usually served somewhat thinner than chili sauce.) Season to taste.

How to Make a Coney Island Hotdog

Fry, boil, or barbecue hotdogs. Steam or toast hotdog buns.

Lay a hotdog on a bun and spoon a generous serving of Coney sauce over it.

Top with yellow mustard and chopped onions.

Eat with a knife and fork, or a sense of humor.

This recipe makes enough sauce for about a dozen hotdogs if you plan to eat your Coney Islands with your hands, or 6-8 dogs if you smother them on a plate and eat them with a fork.

Substitutions

• Ground beef: You can sub in ground turkey; but if you do, add an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. We don't recommend ground chicken for this recipe.
  • (I haven't tried this recipe yet with Beyond Meat, but I'd love to hear from a vegan or vegetarian cook who has!)
• Beef Broth: You can substitute in chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even water.
• Tomato paste: You can substitute ketchup for the tomato paste, but it will add some extra sweetness and acidity. Omit the brown sugar if you use ketchup.

Variations

White Coney: Classic Coney Island hotdogs are made with all-beef hotdogs. A white Coney is made with a white pork sausage, or a veal and pork sausage (i.e, a White Hot).

Local Variations: Much like pizza, many US cities hold claim to their own variations, or styles, of the Coney Island hotdog. These states include Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas, and of course, Michigan, which boasts a number of hyper-local styles (e.g., Flint-style, Kalamazoo-style, Detroit-style, etc.).

Equipment

Meat Masher

Use a meat masher to break up the meat. It is important for success of this Coney sauce recipe that the meat to be very finely crumbled, this inexpensive little kitchen tool will make the job 10x easier, and save your wrists, too.

Dutch Oven

When making this coney sauce recipe, I recommend using an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. 

IMHO, a good quality enameled cast iron Dutch oven is one of the best purchases you can make. My Dutch oven, along with my large enameled cast iron skillet, accounts for sixty to seventy percent of the cooking that happens in my kitchen. I recommend using an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

A Dutch oven allows you to sauté and simmer on the stovetop, and the enameled (i.e., glass) surface won't react to ingredients. A good Dutch oven promotes even heating and has great heat retention, and goes from stovetop to oven to table with ease.

Storage

Refrigerator: Coney sauce can be refrigerated in a closed container for 4-5 days.

Freezer: Coney sauce freezes very well. Cool completely and portion into freezer safe containers, or vacuum-seal it in freezer bags. Frozen sauce can be kept for up to 3 months.

To reheat, simply thaw and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Top Tip

How to Cook a Hotdog

• Stovetop: Boil hotdogs in a saucepan half filled with water for 4-6 minutes.
• Slow cooker: Cook on High for 2 hours, or Low for 3 hours. Don't overcook, or the skins will break.
• Grill: Barbecue hotdogs over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, rotating as needed.
• Smoker: Smoke hotdogs for one hour at 225°F (108°C).

The internal temperature, measured on an instant-read thermometer, should register 140°F (60°C).

FAQ

More Summer Recipes

What Goes with a Coney Island?

Pair a Coney Island hotdog with a glass of homemade lemonade and you've got yourself a match made in carnival heaven. Add chips, potato salad, and baked beans, and you've got yourself a party!

A traditional Coney dog is topped with coney sauce, onions, and mustard - period. But that doesn't mean you can't break with tradition. Here are a few more topping ideas to consider:

• Nacho cheese
• Relish
• BBQ sauce
• Grated cheese
• Bacon bits
• Chopped tomatoes
• Hot sauce
• Sauerkraut

Non-hotdog ideas for using Coney sauce:

• Coney Island spaghetti (like Cincinnati Chili)
• Coney Island nachos (You can't wait to make these now, can you!?)
• Coney Island poutine (Apparently this is a big deal in Saskatchewan!)
• Coney Island tacos
• Coney Island baked potatoes

Thank you for visiting the Good Hearted Woman. Remember to bookmark this site, and come back soon!

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat.
• Always wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
• Store food in suitable, covered containers.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.