What Ree Drummond Does To Make Her Chili Dogs Even Better

Food Network star Ree Drummond has a knack for sharing classic recipes that are easy to prepare, serve, and enjoy. While her creamy potato soup and oven-baked mac and cheese are obvious favorites, there's a good reason why many home chefs equally adore Drummond's recipe for chili dogs. Why? Instead of topping hot dogs with spicy slow cooker beef chili made with peppers, diced tomatoes, and black beans, Drummond prepares a smooth chili with a more stable consistency.

While Ree Drummond's secret to perfectly smooth mashed potatoes involves incorporating more ingredients, like cream cheese and heavy cream, she purposely excludes extra ingredients in her chili for chili dogs. Drummond achieves the perfect balance of textures by preparing a simple yet flavorful chili with no beans. Her bean-less chili acts as more of a sauce than a chunky stew, which adheres better to freshly cooked hot dogs. That cohesive texture helps the chili cling evenly to the bun rather than sliding off in messy chunks, ensuring each bite delivers a smooth, uniform layer.

In order to make Drummond's balanced chili, don't use too many vegetables, and prepare an even base with ingredients like canned tomato sauce, ketchup, and mustard. Finely dice some raw onion and garlic, and break up your ground beef into fine crumbles with a wooden spoon. Fortunately, there are a few worthwhile ways to upgrade and serve Ree Drummond's chili dogs come mealtime.

There are plenty of ways to upgrade Ree Drummond's chili mixture without turning it into a chunky, drippy mess. For one, try incorporating some beef broth, lager, and one chipotle chili pepper in adobo. Especially for chili that packs a punch, reach for this spicy ingredient. Better yet, pair chilis in adobo with a bit of dark brown sugar for a sweet and spicy kick. You can also play around with your seasonings and incorporate extra smoky flavor with smoked paprika, garlic or onion powder, and hot sauce.

Besides enhancing your chili with a bit of extra heat, pan-fry your hot dogs in a cast-iron skillet for added color and texture, or grill them for more of a charred flavor. Lastly, toast your buns before filling them so your sauce-like chili doesn't soak through the bread. When it comes time for toppings — another chili dog component that tends to get messy — try putting your shredded cheddar, diced white onion, and chopped pickles beneath the hot dog wiener rather than on top. Finally, you can pop your chili dogs under the broiler for a few minutes for an extra hot meal.

While preparing and assembling chili dogs may seem like a tedious process, Drummond offers a brilliant way to streamline preparation. Simply prepare your chili ahead of time, and once cooled, freeze 2-cup portions in freeze-safe plastic bags. This way, you can have delicious chili dogs whenever the mood strikes.