A Michigan Hot Dog features a meaty, beanless chili that is ladled on top of an all-beef hot dog. This is a great recipe for parties, tailgates, or even dinner!

When I saw the theme for this week’s #SundaySupper ‘All American Burgers & Dogs’ I knew I wanted to make one of my family’s favorites, chili dogs.  But how do I set myself apart from all other chili dogs out there?  Delving into foodie research I came across the most perfect dish……the Michigan hot dog.  A hot dog with beanless chili that is named after my beloved home state?  Yes!

But I’ll be honest…I didn’t even know what a Michigan hot dog was!  However, I found this fabulous article, Hot Dog of the Week: Decoding the “Michigan Dog” of New York State by Serious Eats.  It set me straight.  Real straight.  Do you see the title?  That’s right, the Michigan hot dog is a staple of NEW YORK!?!  However, it originated in Michigan, be it almost 100 years ago, so I am staking a claim and feel safe to celebrate this chili dog as one of Michigan’s own.

Now you’ll say ‘Erin. You didn’t even know what a Michigan hot dog was. How are you going to even know if you did it right?’  For this, I trusted my husband’s taste buds since he has had them so he was my guide to whether they were close or not {PS. They were!}.

I decided to go with a slight vinegar-based sauce. I LOVE vinegar (my favorite BBQ sauce is vinegar-based too) and in doing my research it said that the sauce could be vinegar-based. Or may contain cabbage. Or water from the cleanest Lake in Michigan. Or secret saliva from a wolverine. You get the fact that I’m joking but finding a truly original recipe was very hard so I improvised! I also used Nathan’s hot dogs as an homage to New York. Now let’s get started.

How to make Michigan Hot Dogs:

Prepare your hot dogs the usual way you would. I steam mine in the rice cooker.

Now time to make the chili.  Add the beef, onions, and all the spices right on the top.

When the burger cooked it set the spices right into the meat. It’s my favorite way to cook beef.

Once the beef is cooked through add the tomato sauce, vinegar, and ketchup to the pan.  Do not drain the beef.  Stir to combine.

Put a medium simmer for around 5 minutes.  It does not take long to thicken up.

Now assemble your Michigan hot dog and add chili to the top along with mustard and the rest of your raw onion to the top.

If you’re looking to further your regional hot dog experience check out my Memphis Hot Dogs.

And here you are….

From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!

This Sunday is All American Burgers & Dogs.  I want to thank our host Christie of A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.  Putting on these events takes a lot of work and you made it look easy.  Check out all these other recipes that will have you cooking some great food all summer long.

All American Burgers & Dogs

• BLT Burgers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Bourbon BBQ Bacon Burger Sliders by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Bourbon Onion Bacon Dog by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Chicago Style Hot Dog by The Culinary Compass
• Copycat Guberburgers by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Idaho Dogs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Philly Cheesesteak Dog by Palatable Pastime
• Pimento Cheese Burger by Magnolia Days
• Southern Seasoned Beef Burger by April Go Lightly
• The Best Ever Bacon, Egg and Cheese Burger by The Chef Next Door
• The SmashBurger by Monica’s Table
• Whiskey Burgers by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Cluck Burgers

• Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chicken Parmesan Burgers by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Chicken Satay Burger with Peanut Sauce by Baking Sense
• Chicken Tikka Burgers by Sunday Supper Movement
• Miso Glazed Chicken Burgers by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Worldly Burgers & Dogs

• Blue Cheese Burger with Fig Jam by Garden Matter
• Caprese Burgers by The Redhead Baker
• Cheddar Stuffed Taco Burger by My Life Cookbook
• Dominican Chimichurri Burgers by The Crumby Cupcake
• Guacamole Cilantro Lime Cheeseburger by Life Tastes Good
• Hot Dog Maki Roll by kimchi MOM
• Meatball Parmesan Burgers by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Portuguese Hamburger by Family Foodie
• Salchipapas (Peruvian Sausages and Potatoes) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Smoky Sliders with Chipotle Mayo by Cooking on the Ranch
• Spicy Shishito Dog by Brunch-n-Bites

Where’s the Beef Burgers

• Baby Back Rib Burger by The Freshman Cook
• Brown Rice & Lamb Burgers with Spinach by Wholistic Woman
• Fish Taco Burgers by Pies and Plots
• Greek Lamb Burgers with Blistered Tomatoes and Tzatziki Spread by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Miso Tuna Burgers by Caroline’s Cooking
• The Perfect Lentil Burger by Food Lust People Love

Where’s the Bun Burger

• California Burger Bowl by Simple and Savory
• Cheeseburger Salad by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

Dessert Burger

• Gluten Free Dessert Hamburgers by Gluten Free Crumbley

How to

• How to make Salmon Burgers with Mango Salsa by Asian In America
• How to Pan-fry Bratwurst by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• The Ultimate #SundaySupper Hamburger and Hotdog Wine Pairing Guide by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupperHashtag and remember remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

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Originally published in July of 2016. Updated photos & recipe September of 2020.