Monday, July 9, 2018

How to Make West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce Recipe


I don't think I've ever been more excited to share a recipe with you.  If you've been following me for any amount of time you'll know that I'm a proud West Virginia girl.  West Virginians get a lot of flack, but anyone who's ever come here will tell you that you'll never find more honest and genuine people than here in my beloved state.  That same thing rings true in our food, it's honest and genuine.  No frills or fuss needed and this WV Hot Dog Sauce Recipe is the perfect example of that.  


Birthed out of our "pot luck" traditions in the 1920's, West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce demonstrates beautifully how we turn simple ingredients into something really special and I can't wait to share my family's recipe with you so...

Let's Get Started!


West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce is not a chili or a red sauce, but something in the middle.  Every family has their own way of making it, and everyone's momma's is the best. To make my family's West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce you're going to need a few simple ingredients.


  • 1lb Ground Chuck
  • 2-3 c Water
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika (I like to used smoked, but it's not necessary.)
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Minced Onions
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
  • Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 c Ketchup
  • 1/4 c Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 c Worcestershire Sauce


To get things started you'll need to place the ground chuck into a sauce pan.


Next cover the beef with cold water.


Using a spatula break up the meat in the water.



Bring the meat and water to a boil, making sure all the meat is broken up into small pieces. Once it has come to a rolling boil, lower to a simmer.


While your meat is simmering away in the pan, you can add the spices.


Stir everything together and let the meat and spiced simmer, uncovered, for an hour and a half.


After your hour and a half simmer, you're going to mix together the ketchup and brown sugar in a small dish.


Next add the Worcestershire sauce and mix it in as well.


Add to the meat and spice mixture on the stove, and stir until everything is combined.


Simmer, uncovered, for another 30 minutes and taste for seasoning.


And there you have it!  This West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce may not look like a lot, but this is absolute Red Gold!  It will take your hot dog from average to out of this world in 2 tablespoons!


 But if you REALLY want to take things to another lever I recommend whipping up a West Virginia Slaw Dog!  So the next time you're hosting a BBQ or just grilling on a Saturday, whip of a batch of my family's West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce!  You won't regret it.  I would also love to hear how YOUR family make their sauce so let me know in the comments below.  And as always...

Happy Eating, Happy Reading, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~




38 comments:

  1. I thought this was way too sweet, a lot sweeter than the hot dog sauce i like. I was disappointed.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that. Like with any recipe, it is designed to the creators preference. You can always adjust to your liking. :)

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    2. I totally agree with UNKNOWN!!! I have what I consider to be the very best for years, "YANN'S"...It's hard to beat or even duplicate unless you get the recipe right from Russel but I doubt he would ever give it up!1 What a shame because if he ever did, it would be the "NATIONAL HOT DOG SAUCE OF AMERICA"!!!

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    3. I found this to be the case as well I have made it several times, eliminating more sugar each time and it's never enough I'm going to try again and leave it out all together

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  2. Definitely not how WV hotdog sauce is made.

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    1. Well, to each their own. :) Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. This is also how to prepare the meat for Cincinnati chili. You use 93/7 ground steak, refrigerate overnight, remove fat from top, then reheat. Frying the meat will not give you the consistency of hot dog sauce. This is the correct way to prepare meat for hot dog sauce. Would love to know the recipe for Stewart's 'onion' sauce. Brings back memories. Your recipe is delicious, thank you!

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  3. I love this sauce recipe! I live near WV and agree...We don't do chili or red sauce it is in between. Appreciate you sharing your family recipe!

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    1. Awww thanks Stephanie! I know we all make it a little different, but this is the recipe I grew up on and we sure like it a lot! This and pepperoni rolls we take very seriously. lol Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  4. A fellow WV girl.. just tried this recipe... super picky sauce People in this house. We loved it!! Thanks for sharing. Will be a keeper!!! Letssss Gooooo.

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    1. MOUNTAINEERS!!!! That's SO awesome!!! Blue and Gold FOREVER!!!!

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  5. You boil the ground beef instead of browning it and draining off the grease? What happens to all the grease?

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    1. Hey Diane! It just adds flavor to the sauce, but if you are concerned you can buy a lean ground beef.

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  6. This sauce is great. When you taste it alone, it seems a little sweet but when you put it on your hot dog with slaw, all the flavors combined are wonderful. It's just like I remember slaw dogs in WV as a kid. Awesome!

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    1. Aww yay! I'm so glad to hear that! We West Virginians take our sauce and slaw dogs VERY seriously!

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  7. This sauce came out great. Very good recipe. Can you freeze some for later use?

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    1. Freeze what? No left ovwrs at my house. It was too good lol

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    2. Kevin you can 100% freeze this recipe!

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  8. Omg best sauce ever!!! Thank you. Ill always make it this way and never buy canned again!

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    1. LOL Angela, same and thank you for such a lovely comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the sauce.

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  9. I had the absolute joy and pleasure to live in West Virginia for 18 months about 13 years ago. Some of the best years of my life! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I won't eat hotdogs any other way now ❤ West Virginia stole my heart and now I am back in Canada and I crave me some West Virginia slaw dogs, pepperoni rolls and Tudors Biscuits and gravey 😋 thanks love for sharing!

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    1. Awww that is so amazing! There is no place like WV and I'm so glad you can carry a piece of it with you. Have you seen the recipe on here for the pepperoni rolls?

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  10. Great sauce recipe. Thankyou!!

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  11. This WV boy remembers this sauce from Stewart’s and Frostop drive ins! Cooking a batch right now as a special request for my daughter’s 28th birthday!

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    1. I love that! I love how food can take us back to happy places and moments!

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  12. Replies
    1. I use the pre-shredded bag of slaw mix and add a little mayo, sugar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Always to taste.

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  13. I am not sure if I have commented on this West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce, but it bears repeating. This has become a family favorite for putting over our spicy hot dogs. The flavors compliment completely. I am so glad I found this recipe. At first I was put off by boiling and simmering raw ground chuck. I was used to browning it. I was so glad I tried it. The texture you get using this method is quite different from browning. I have placed this recipe in our family favorite cookbook. Thank you for sharing.

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  14. Grew up in West Virginia and this is just like what my mom makes... I've asked her for the recipe but she just eyeballs it all and makes it from memory like her mom taught her. So glad I was able to find this! I live in Australia now and all our friends here are obsessed with this hot dog sauce. Its a nice step up form the plain ketchup and mustard they are used to having on their sausages here.

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  15. I made this today & it was a hit! (I did reduce the brown sugar & added a bit more red pepper flakes & a dash of cayenne pepper.) It's delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  16. I come from Weirton, WV and there used to be a place there called Frank's Restaurant. They served atomic red hots and french burgers. They both came with this amazing atomic hot dog sauce. Is your hot dog sauce hot and spicy?

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  17. This hot dog sauce is the Bomb!! I love it, & I'm from Virginia..haha. I made this, & plan on making a double batch in a few weeks, just hubby & me, so, I freeze in portions for the two of us, & maybe it'll last a couple of months. Thanks so much!!

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  18. I love the look of this hotdog sauce!! I will be making it next week and I have a question... do you think I could can this in my pressure canner? I would love to make jam jar sizes as Christmas gifts. Thank you for your time.

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    1. i have made hot dog sauce and pressure canned it before. it turns out okay.

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    2. I've canned it in a pressure cooker /canner, it cans well.

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  19. This is a great recipe. I’ve made it several times and my WV wife feels as if it is the perfect WV recipe.

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  20. I had never heard of this sauce prior to a couple days ago (I grew up in Ohio but we settled in Virginia). It sounded so good I bought the necessary ingredients & it’s simmering right now. I can’t wait!

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