Baked Chili Dogs

By Becky Hardin

Updated Jul 23, 2025

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I love that these baked chili dogs are an easy, crowd-pleasing meal made on a sheet pan! Toasted buns, grilled hot dogs, rich homemade chili, and tons of melted cheese make them the ultimate comfort food. This ultra-meaty recipe is sure to satisfy the hungriest of guests!

Easy Baked Dog Recipe Recipe

An amazing chili cheese dog can turn any frown upside down! My mom’s famous chili recipe turns out to be an amazing hot dog chili recipe. I mean, if you want to eat it all on its own, just wait until you taste it on top of a hot dog, covered in cheese!

To bean or not to bean? That is the real chili question. For me, chili always has beans. But for those of you that feel differently, you can make these dogs with chili con carne instead. Yes, my recipe also has beans (sorry, not sorry!), but you can easily omit them for that classic all-meat chili.

For even more meaty flavor, top your dogs with crumbled bacon. You could also swap out the yellow onion for red or white onion and the cheese blend for straight cheddar cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream for good measure, and you’ve got one tasty chili cheese dog!

Recipe Card

Chili Dog Recipe

4.54 from 50 votes

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 8 chili dogs

Author: Becky Hardin

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These hot dogs are topped with chili and cheese, then oven-baked to make the best chili dogs ever.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Equipment

• Baking Sheet

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil or spray
• ▢ 8 hot dog buns
• ▢ 2½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend divided
• ▢ 8 hot dogs
• ▢ 2 cups chili (click for our fave recipe!)

Optional Toppings

• ▢ ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• ▢ ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ▢ ketchup
• ▢ mustard

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Pour the olive oil into a large nonstick skillet or griddle set over medium-high heat.
  1 tbsp olive oil
• Place the hot dog buns face down on the skillet just long enough to toast them.
  8 hot dog buns
• Place the hot dog buns face up on a baking sheet with high sides or casserole dish. Sprinkle onions, cilantro, and desired amount of ketchup and mustard into each bun. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese.
  ½ cup chopped yellow onion, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, ketchup, mustard, 2½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Place a hot dog into each bun.
  8 hot dogs
• Top the hot dogs and buns generously with chili and then top with the remaining 2 cups of cheese.
  2 cups chili
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• To make them even toastier, you can remove the foil and broil for another 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn the buns.
• Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

Becky’s Tips

• If you’re not a fan of spice, use a milder chili. If you love spice, use a hotter chili and add some pickled jalapeños or banana peppers to your dogs.
• You’ll want bun-length hot dogs. I love an all-beef frank, but you can use any hot dog (or sausage– I won’t tell!) here.
• Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.

Serving: 1chili dogCalories: 441kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 21gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 1062mgPotassium: 380mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 447IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 332mgIron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Chili Dogs Step-by-Step

Toast the buns: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil into a large nonstick skillet or griddle set over medium-high heat. Place the 8 hot dog buns face down on the skillet just long enough to toast the buns.

Fill the buns: Place the hot dog buns face up on a baking sheet with high sides or a casserole dish. Sprinkle ½ cup of chopped yellow onions, ½ cup of chopped fresh cilantro, and the desired amount of ketchup and mustard into each bun. Sprinkle with ½ cup of shredded Mexican cheese.

Add the hot dogs: Place a hot dog into each bun, using 8 total.

Top the dogs: Top the hot dogs and buns generously with 2 cups of chili and then top with the remaining 2 cups of cheese.

Bake the dogs: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Broil and serve: To make them even toastier, you can remove the foil and broil for another 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn the buns. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

How to Store

If you think you’ll have leftovers, I recommend storing everything separately. The components will all keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, so assemble them starting at step 4 of the recipe when you’re ready to serve them.

I don’t recommend freezing assembled chili dogs, but you can freeze the chili for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Serving Suggestions

I feel like chili dogs pair so naturally with hearty potato wedges or tortilla chips for scooping up all that messy chili that ends up on the plate.

A side of coleslaw, an easy macaroni salad, or a classic mac and cheese would be so good! Wait, now I’m thinking about putting mac and cheese on my chili dogs… yum!

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