National Chili Dog Day Date in the current year: July 25, 2024

A chili dog is a variation of the hot dog topped with chili con carne or a similar meat sauce. There are many regional variations of the chili dog with specific names throughout the United States. All of them consist of hot dog on a bun topped with a meat sauce, but there are differences in types of hot dogs and/or buns used for the dish, sauce ingredients, and additional toppings.

The Coney Island hot dog, for example, originated in the Midwestern United States in the early 1900s. It was developed by Greek and Macedonian immigrants, who topped a Vienna sausage in a bun with a beef sauce.

The Coney Island hot dog is particularly popular in Michigan, where it is available in several variations: Detroit style (with a bean-less chili sauce), Flint style (with ground beef heart), and Jackson style (with spiced ground beef or beef heart, diced or chopped onions and mustard). The dish is also popular in Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Texas.

A variation of the Coney Island hot dog named the cheese coney is popular in Greater Cincinnati. It consists of a hot dog in a bun topped with Cincinnati chili (a Mediterranean-style meat sauce that includes ground beef, tomato paste and spices), mustard, onions, and cheese. Interestingly, Cincinnati chili was originally developed as a hot dog topping, but now it is used in other dishes as well.

The hot wiener, also known as the New York System wiener, is a staple in Rhode Island restaurants. It consists of a small and thin wiener made of a mixture of beef, veal and pork. The wiener is served in a steamed bun and topped with a seasoned meat sauce that always includes celery salt, yellow mustard, and chopped onions.

The Michigan hot dog, also known as simply michigan (without capitalization), is a specialty in the city of Plattsburgh, New York. It consists of a beef hot dog served in a steam bun and topped with a meaty sauce called michigan sauce. Interestingly, there is no definitive recipe for the michigan sauce. Some variations of the sauce are tomato-based, while others are made without tomatoes.

The Carolina style hot dog is topped with chili, cole slaw, onions, and sometimes mustard instead of or in addition to cole slaw. Finally, the half-smoke is a specialty in Washington, D. C. It is made with a smoked sausage that is usually half-beef and half-pork, topped with chili sauce, onion, and herbs.

How to celebrate National Chili Dog Day? Of course by biting into a juicy, spicy chili dog. You can get it at your favorite food cart, food truck or restaurant, or make a batch of chili dogs at home and share them with your family and friends. If you’re in a mood for a party, invite your friends over for a chili dog cook-off and have fun figuring out whose chili dogs taste the best. And don’t forget to spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #NationalChiliDogDay.