Name: Vegan Coney Chili Sauce....The Real Deal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 11 ounce bag of Beyond Beef or 1 11 ounce bag of Bocca Crumbles (Bocca is a "no fat" option, but it is a soy product), or 2 1/2 cup brown lentils or a 17.6 ounce bag of pre-pared lentils; 1 16 ounce can Muir Glen Tomato Sauce; 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard; 3 Tablespoons chili powder; 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon cumin; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

Coney Island Chili Sauce in the vegan world is an anomaly. I have seen recipe after recipe, all which generally contain beans, which isn’t a coney sauce recipe; that’s chili.

Although I love chili, when we are talking about real coney chili sauce, it is in a league all its own. Other vegan versions are made with soy crumbles or chopped up veggie burger, and it lacks the consistency of a real Coney Sauce; the thick kind that has the consistency of a gratifying sauce to top your veggie dog, or your vegan chili fries.

ALTERNATIVE MEAT PROTEIN (AKA FAKE MEAT)

Despite the recent hype and debate over alternative meats available, I don’t think eating from time to time is a problem. For those who choose not to, there are plenty of soy-based proteins like BOCCA original crumbles, which I like, or you can always use lentils in place of alternative meat.

Another great option for switching out alternative meat is mushrooms or tempeh. Both can be diced or made into a crumbled texture if preferred.

Beyond Meat, for example, is made with pea protein, is soy-free, NON-GMO, gluten-free, and has 50 percent less fat than real ground beef (which isn’t even something I would EVER consider eating).

So, I figured I would give it a try, and I picked up a bag in the freezer section of my local Whole Foods Market. Beyond Meat products are now sold at most grocery stores; I have even seen it at Target as well.

I love the pea covered bull (not cow) on the bag of Beyond Meat Crumbles, which is clever for us plant-eaters. Anyway, I decided to make my own version of Coney Island Chili Sauce, and I must say, this product was AWESOME, as was my chili sauce if I don’t say so myself.

MAGIC INGREDIENTS IN VEGAN CONEY CHILI SAUCE

Although it may seem like there are a lot of ingredients in vegan coney chili sauce, everything is probably in your pantry. The magic, however, has nothing to do with if you choose alternative meat or lentils, but the combination of spices and sauces.

For that reason, I saute the garlic and onions first. Then, I add the alternative meat or lentils (the choice is yours).

Next, simply add the rest of the spices and sauces and let it simmer into wonderful, tasty vegan coney chili sauce.

HOW TO COOK ALTERNATIVE MEAT

Similar to real ground beef, Beyond Meat Crumbles, as well as, Bocca Original Crumbles, is located in the freezer section of your local grocery store. In my store, for example, it is located in the “healthy” or plant-based section of the freezer department.

Nowadays, there are meat alternatives also in the refrigerated section, in pound packages, as well as, prepared burgers.

Cooking plant-based meat alternatives are very similar to the way you would cook ground beef. Instead of using oil or any suggested grease, as directed, I use vegetable broth in my skillet to prevent sticking.

The rest, for instance, is pretty self-explanatory. You simply brown the plant-based meat, as you would ground beef.

Again, I am personally not a big fan of alternative meat products, but I do think they are great for people transitioning to a plant-based diet, or experimenting with a different way of eating.

Also, I don’t think eating alternative meat even once in a while, is the worst thing someone can do following a plant-based diet.

To each their own, and everything in moderation, especially if you are following a healthy plant-based diet. In other words, there are way worse things you could eat.

With that being said, Beyond Meat is certainly not “healthy” by any means, it does provide an avenue for those interested in grilling burgers, or finding meat that crumbles for tacos, or chilis. Or, it simply works for those who enjoy it and choose to go that route.

LENTILS OPTION FOR VEGAN CONEY CHILI SAUCE

But, as with most of my recipes, there is another option to consider. Instead of using alternative meat, how about using lentils? For this particular vegan coney chili sauce recipe, I used Trader Joe’s pre-cooked brown lentils. Simply, replace the alternative meat with a 17.6-ounce package of pre-cooked brown lentils.

Of course, you can also make your own lentils, just make sure they aren’t overcooked, as they will cook a second time while making the vegan coney chili sauce. I recommend, for instance, cooking the lentils in the pan with the vegan coney chili sauce ingredients.

For chili fries, I bake my potato wedges or slices without oil or use my air fryer. For this particular vegan coney chili sauce recipe, I recommend my The Perfect Crispy Air-Fried Steak Fries or, if you prefer sweet potato fries, try my Skinny AF Sweet Potato Fries.

I also have another recipe for Skinny AF Loaded Chili Fries that uses regular vegan chili, with beans, as an alternative to making vegan coney sauce.

Either way, chili fries are fabulous, especially a healthy, vegan version.

Take a bite, and let me know what you think! Print this amazing Vegetarian Coney Sauce Recipe.

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12 servings