THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

Hot Dog Chili Base

12-serving no-bean beef chili — thick enough to stay on a hot dog. One cook covers a chili dog dinner plus a later chili mac / baked-potato / fries night.

YIELD12 servings
TOTAL TIME5 min prep + 25 min cook
COOK METHODSee method
EST. / SERVING~175 cal | ~22g protein

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 lb 93/7 grass-fed ground beef
  • 3 tbsp Spiceology Beef-Infused BBQ Rub (or use the alternative seasoning blend below)
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Ingredients — continued

  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken bone broth
  • Salt, to taste after reducing

Allergens: mustard, fish (Worcestershire commonly contains anchovies), possible soy.

You want one cook that anchors two comfort-food dinners without cooking twice. 2 lb of 93/7 ground beef browns into 12 thick, no-bean chili servings in ~30 min. Use 6 tonight on chili dogs; freeze or fridge the other 6 for chili mac, baked potatoes, or fries later in the week.

Method

  1. 1.BROWN THE BEEF. Add 2 lb 93/7 ground beef to a wide hot pan and break into small crumbles as it browns.
  2. 2.SEASON. 3 tbsp Spiceology Beef-Infused BBQ Rub. Or, if using the alternative, add 2 tsp each of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir to coat.
  3. 3.DIJON + WORCESTERSHIRE. 1 tbsp Dijon mustard + 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir into the beef.
  4. 4.TOMATO PASTE. 6 oz. Stir until the paste coats the beef evenly.
  5. 5.BONE BROTH. 1 cup chicken bone broth. Combine thoroughly.
  6. 6.REDUCE. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the visible liquid is gone and the chili is thick and spoonable. Taste. Add salt only if needed — the rub already carries salt.
  7. 7.DIVIDE. 12 equal servings. Use 1 serving per hot dog. Refrigerate or freeze the rest promptly (within 2 hours per USDA leftovers guidance).

SPLIT PLATE SERVING

Adult: Serve the adult portion as described above.

Kid: Serve the kid portion as described above.

If something fails

Chili is soupy / liquid still visible: Didn't reduce enough. Uncover, medium-high heat, stir until the visible liquid is gone. This is the difference between chili that stays on a dog and chili that soaks a bun.

Chili is too salty: You salted before reducing. As liquid evaporates, salt concentrates. Taste and add salt only AFTER the reduce step is done.

Flavor is flat / one-note: The alternative seasoning blend is milder than the Spiceology rub. Add another 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or 1 tsp Worcestershire for depth. Or a pinch of brown sugar to lift the tomato without going sweet.

Beef is greasy at the bottom of the pan: 93/7 grass-fed should render minimal fat. If there's pooled grease, spoon it off before adding the tomato paste. 80/20 or fattier ground beef WILL be greasy — trim to 90/10 or leaner.

Chili scorched on the bottom: Reduce heat during the final reduce step. Medium (not medium-high) for the last 5 min. Stir more frequently as the liquid drops.

Storage and reheating

Store: Cool promptly in shallow airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking (per USDA leftovers guidance). Divide into 12 servings for portioned reheat.

Reheat: Reheat to 165°F. Covered saucepan on medium 3-5 min for a few servings; loosen with a tablespoon of broth if it thickened in the fridge.

Lasts: 3-4 days fridge. 3-4 months freezer for best quality.

Estimated nutrition

~175 cal | ~22g protein.

Per-serving (~175 cal / 22g protein / 8g fat / 3g carbs) computed from 2 lb 93/7 grass-fed ground beef (~1600 cal / 240P raw → similar cooked with fat loss) + 6 oz tomato paste (~150 cal / 8P) + 1 cup bone broth (~35 cal / 9P) + Dijon + Worcestershire + rub (negligible cal, ~5 cal total) ÷ 12 servings ≈ 175 / 22. Estimated because grass-fed 93/7 macros vary by batch and the exact reduce point changes per-serving weight. Verify labels before publishing as macro-accurate.

thesplitplate.com/cookbook/hot-dog-chili-base

Hot Dog Chili Base
Split Cook Method™Base

Hot Dog Chili Base

12-serving no-bean beef chili — thick enough to stay on a hot dog. One cook covers a chili dog dinner plus a later chili mac / baked-potato / fries night.

Make this when

You want one cook that anchors two comfort-food dinners without cooking twice. 2 lb of 93/7 ground beef browns into 12 thick, no-bean chili servings in ~30 min. Use 6 tonight on chili dogs; freeze or fridge the other 6 for chili mac, baked potatoes, or fries later in the week.

Total time
5 min prep + 25 min cook
Yield
12 servings
Protein / serving
~22g
Cal / serving
~175
Allergens and safety

Contains: mustard, fish (Worcestershire commonly contains anchovies), possible soy

Packaged ingredients change formulas — check the label on what's actually in your kitchen.

Flavor target

Thick spoonable chili with no visible standing liquid — thick enough to sit on a hot dog bun without soaking it. Beef-forward, smoky-savory backbone from the BBQ rub, tangy lift from Dijon + Worcestershire, tomato depth without acid dominance. NOT soupy. NOT sweet.

Ingredients

Batch cookYields 12 servings — quantities below are the full batch.

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1
    BROWN THE BEEF

    Add 2 lb 93/7 ground beef to a wide hot pan and break into small crumbles as it browns.

  2. 2
    SEASON

    3 tbsp Spiceology Beef-Infused BBQ Rub. Or, if using the alternative, add 2 tsp each of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir to coat.

  3. 3
    DIJON + WORCESTERSHIRE

    1 tbsp Dijon mustard + 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir into the beef.

  4. 4
    TOMATO PASTE

    6 oz. Stir until the paste coats the beef evenly.

  5. 5
    BONE BROTH

    1 cup chicken bone broth. Combine thoroughly.

  6. 6
    REDUCE

    Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the visible liquid is gone and the chili is thick and spoonable. Taste. Add salt only if needed — the rub already carries salt.

  7. 7
    DIVIDE

    12 equal servings. Use 1 serving per hot dog. Refrigerate or freeze the rest promptly (within 2 hours per USDA leftovers guidance).

Adult plate | Kid plate

Adult plate

Adult

Use freely — 1 serving per dog on the Chili Hot Dogs plate, or stack 2 servings for chili mac, chili cheese fries, or a loaded baked potato. Season with more salt at the plate if desired.

Kid plate

Kid

Kids get 1 serving in a well on the deconstructed chili dog tray — they choose to build the dog, dip the dog, or eat the components separately. No spice edge (the rub is smoky, not hot), but taste before serving if you're unsure — some rubs vary by batch.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Storage: Cool promptly in shallow airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking (per USDA leftovers guidance). Divide into 12 servings for portioned reheat.

Reheat: Reheat to 165°F. Covered saucepan on medium 3-5 min for a few servings; loosen with a tablespoon of broth if it thickened in the fridge.

Lasts: 3-4 days fridge. 3-4 months freezer for best quality.

Brands I use

Spiceology
Beef-Infused BBQ Rub (~15 cal per tbsp)
Beef-forward smoky rub. No filler, no fake smoke. The alternative blend (paprika + garlic + onion + salt) works but is milder — this rub is why the chili tastes like restaurant chili instead of ground beef with tomato paste.
Kirkland
Kirkland
Organic Chicken Bone Broth (32 oz cartons)
1 cup here builds body without weighing the chili down. Bone broth adds background savory depth that water can't. 6-packs at Costco.
Chili Hot Dogs
The parent recipe (recipe 51 — Split Plate)
This chili base was built for chili dog night. Recipe 51 uses 6 of the 12 servings; the remaining 6 chain into chili mac / baked potatoes / fries / bowls / another chili dog dinner.
#Chili Hot Dogs (recipe 51 — uses 6 servings)#Chili mac and cheese#Chili cheese fries#Loaded baked potatoes#Rice or grain bowls#Another chili dog dinner (repeat 6 servings)