Put vegan coney chili sauce on your favorite vegan hot dog or a carrot dog. Pour it over your french fries, or use it as a dip mixed with your favorite cheese sauce recipe and serve with tortilla chips! You will love this vegan coney chili sauce recipe!
Vegan coney chili sauce in the vegan world is an anomaly. I have seen recipe after recipe, which generally contain beans, which isn't a coney sauce recipe; that's chili. However, before transitioning to a plant-based diet, my family loved a good coney dog, so I made a vegan coney chili sauce recipe that rocks!
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Although I love chili, vegan coney chili sauce is in a league all its own.
Other vegan versions are made with soy crumbles or chopped-up veggie burgers. As a result, it lacks the consistency of an authentic Coney Sauce, the thick kind that has the consistency of a gratifying sauce to top your veggie dog or your vegan chili fries.
The Fake Meat Debate
Despite the recent hype and debate over alternative meats, eating them occasionally is not a problem. There are plenty of soy-based proteins, like BOCCA original crumbles, which I like, or you can always use lentils instead of alternative meat.
Another excellent option for switching out alternative meat is mushrooms or tempeh. Chopped mushrooms or tempeh mimics lentils and alternative meat.
Beyond Meat, for example, is made with pea protein, is soy-free, NON-GMO, gluten-free, and has 50 percent less fat than ground beef (which isn't even something I would EVER consider eating).
Anyway, I decided to make vegan coney chili sauce with lentils, but if you enjoy meat alternatives, you can swap out the lentils for your favorite plant-based meat.
Vegan Hot Dog Brands
As vegan hot dogs go, they taste different due to various ingredients. The healthiest version of a vegan dog is my carrot dog's recipe. And my kids love carrot dogs.
If you are in search of store-bought vegan hot dogs, many popular brands exist:
- Field Roast Frankfurters
- The Good Frank
- LightLife Tofu Pups & Smart Dogs
- Loma Linda Big Franks
- Moving Mountains
- Tofurky Hot Dogs
Coney Chili Sauce Ingredients
Although it may seem like there are a lot of ingredients in vegan coney chili sauce, everything is probably in your pantry. However, the magic has nothing to do with choosing alternative meat or lentils but combining spices and seasonings.
- White Onion: White onion has a strong flavor, and when sauteed it softens the taste.
- Garlic: I always use fresh garlic cloves when available.
- Brown Lentils: I used steamed brown lentils from Trader Joe's.
- Tomato Sauce: I like to buy organic tomato sauce.
- Yellow Mustard: Yellow mustard has a crisp, tart-and-tangy flavor that won't be clearing anyone's sinuses with spice.
- Chili Powder: Chili powder is a seasoning blend of ground-dried chiles and other spices. Common chiles include New Mexico chiles, Ancho chiles, or Cascabel chiles. These are usually combined with cumin, oregano, and paprika. The taste varies from blend to blend.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Several studies in animals and humans have found that acetic acid and apple cider vinegar may promote fat-burning and weight loss, decrease blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and improve cholesterol levels.
- Cumin: Cumin has a slightly sweet, warming flavor with a nutty element, and these qualities mean it's often seen as a savory alternative to cinnamon.
- Cayenne Pepper: The cayenne pepper is a very hot vegetable pepper, and cayenne powder is made from ground, dried cayenne peppers.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: I like Annie's brand of vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is made from real, dehydrated garlic, which is then ground to various levels of fineness
- Onion Powder: Onion powder is a dehydrated ground onion commonly used for seasoning.
- Crushed Red Chili Flakes: A pinch of crushed red chili peppers flakes gives the sauce elevated flavor.
Coney Chili Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose Beyond Meat Crumbles, Boca Crumbles, or Impossible Meat instead of brown lentils.
- One clove of fresh garlic equals ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic powder. The exact conversion applies to dehydrated or freeze-dried garlic or even minced refrigerated garlic.
- Try canned lentils, drained or prepared dry lentils.
- Tomato paste is an excellent choice to replace tomato sauce in most recipes as it is a concentrated tomato sauce.
- Instead of yellow mustard, try using Dijon, stone ground, or flavored mustard. Dijon and stone-ground mustard will change the flavor profile but still impart the mustard taste.
- For every 1 tablespoon of chili powder, use 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and a scant ¼ teaspoon of cayenne.
- White wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar have a similar level of acidity, making for an easy swap.
- Ground coriander is a replacement for cumin. Cumin and coriander grow from a plant in the parsley, or Apiaceae, family.
- Generally, ground red pepper and red chili powder replace cayenne in recipes, which are frequently made from the same pepper. Paprika comes in various spice levels and flavors, ranging from sweet and mild to spicy and smokey.
- Soy sauce (or tamari) works surprisingly well as a Worcestershire substitute. It also has a sweetness and tanginess that matches well with the original.
Making Vegan Coney Chili Sauce
- First, saute the garlic and onions until the onions are translucent.
- Then, simmer the rest of the spices and sauces into excellent, tasty vegan coney chili sauce.
- Next, add the remaining ingredients and let the vegan coney chili sauce simmer and thicken.
Cooking Alternative Meat
- Like ground beef, Beyond Meat Crumbles and Bocca Original Crumbles are located in the freezer section of local grocery stores.
- Meat alternatives are in the refrigerated section, pound packages, or prepared burgers.
- Cooking plant-based meat alternatives are very similar to cooking ground beef.
- However, instead of using oil or any suggested grease, you can use vegetable broth in the skillet to prevent sticking as directed.
- The rest is self-explanatory. Brown the plant-based meat as you would ground beef.
Again, I am not a big fan of alternative meat products, but they are great for people transitioning to a plant-based diet or experimenting with a different way of eating.
Plant-based meats are certainly not "healthy," but they provide an avenue for those interested in grilling burgers or finding meat that crumbles for tacos or chilis. Or, they work for those who enjoy these products and choose to go that route.
Lentil Option
But, as with most of my recipes, there is another option to consider.
Instead of using alternative meat, how about using lentils? I used Trader Joe's pre-cooked brown lentils for this particular vegan coney chili sauce recipe.
Replace the alternative meat with a 17.6-ounce package of pre-cooked brown lentils.
If preparing dry lentils, avoid overcooking them so they don't fall apart when cooked a second time in the sauce.
Vegan Coney Sauce Serving Suggestions
If you're not a carrot dog fan, try vegan coney chili sauce on potatoes as a burger topping, or serve it with nachos.
For chili fries, I baked potato wedges or slices without oil or used my air fryer. For this vegan coney chili sauce recipe, I recommend my air-fried steak fries, or you can try sweet potato fries if you prefer sweet potato fries.
Chili fries are fabulous, especially a healthy, vegan version.
Recipe FAQs
A whole foods option for a hot dog is a carrot dog. However, many vegan hot dog brands are sold in stores.
Today, most vegan meat companies offer their version of a sausage or a frank, but the ingredient list has expanded far beyond tofu. Instead, manufacturers use a mix of soy and vital wheat gluten, go all-in with a chewy seitan base, or rely on veggies and beans to replicate the taste and texture of this stadium favorite.
Veggie dogs feature various ingredients to give consumers the same texture and taste as hot dogs without the terrifying mystery meat blends. Though the recipe varies between brands, most vegan dogs use an oil- or protein-based to create these alternative dogs.
Tips
- Use canned or steamed lentils as a shortcut for making cooking lentils.
- If I don't have tomato sauce, blend a can of diced tomatoes instead.
- I make a double batch of vegan coney chili sauce and freeze it in one cup of souper cubes because we eat it so often.
- The coney sauce stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week or freezes for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then reheat.
- My family likes to have a vegan hot dog bar with various toppings, such as mustard, onions, pickle relish, ketchup, pickled red onions, sauerkraut, sports peppers, mild banana peppers, and diced tomatoes.
- Other great sauce options are mustard dill sauce, mustard dipping sauce, and vegan secret sauce.
Take a bite, and let me know what you think! Then, print this fantastic vegan coney chili sauce recipe.
Other Vegan Recipes to Love
If you love vegan coney chili sauce, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Coney Chili Sauce
Ingredients
Vegan Coney Sauce
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ½ cups cooked brown lentils I used Trader Joe's steamed brown lentils or 11 ounces meat alternative crumbles.
- 16 ounces 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
Instructions
Lentils Preparation Options
- To cook the dry lentils in the same pan as the coney sauce, saute the onion and garlic; add the lentils and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 17-20 minutes. Then, follow the directions below.
- To cook dry lentils, separately, in a medium saucepan, combine the lentils and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 17 to 20 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain any excess water, let cool.
- Or use steamed or canned lentils (drained)
- If using alternative meat, cook in the pan according to the package instructions, except skip any unnecessary oil.
Making the Coney Sauce
- Place the garlic and onion in a medium-sized skillet and cook on medium until translucent.
- Add the cooked lentils (or see lentil preparation options above), or use the aternative meat and brown in the pan.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook until combined.
- Keep on heat on low until ready to serve, simmering the sauce. or cThe sauce will thciken as it cooks.
Video
Notes
- On another day, we used this one batch of sauce for chili carrot dogs and chili fries. I wished I had doubled the batch! That’s how good it is.
- For chili fries, bake or air-fry your potatoes without oil. I used potato coins for this particular recipe, cooked in a 425-degree oven for 45 minutes on a silicone mat. No oil is needed. Top with chili sauce, onions, and YUM!
- Using canned or steamed lentils is a shortcut for making cooking lentils.
- If I don't have tomato sauce, blend a can of diced tomatoes instead.
- I make a double batch of vegan coney chili sauce and freeze it in one cup of souper cubes because we often eat it.
- The coney sauce can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for up to three months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then reheat.
- My family likes to have a vegan hot dog bar with a variety of toppings, such as mustard, onions, pickle relish, ketchup, pickled red onions, sauerkraut, sports peppers, mild banana peppers, and diced tomatoes.
- Other great options are mustard dill sauce, mustard dipping sauce, and vegan secret sauce.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Tammy
There is a lot to love with this recipe. 1. Directions for using different meat sub. ingredients, 2. Common kitchen spice cabinet ingredients, 3. Easy to make, 4. Makes a healthy amount of sauce, 5. DELICIOUS! I used 1.5 packages of Trader Joe's Beefless Beef, and the recipe made enough sauce for 3 dogs and to freeze 2.5 cups. I never ate Coneys when I lived in MI - I was too picky, but my mom and sister both have fond memories of their favorite coney dogs. They LOVED this sauce. I will definitely make this again and I might try it with lentils. Thank you for creating and posting it!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Tammy. It's great to hear from you. The vegan coney sauce is on our monthly rotation. You can make it ahead and freeze it, which we do often. Try it inside a potato or on top of roasted potatoes for a delicious treat!
Carol
Very good added a little celery salt,Jessip,sugar.and a little more worchestire sauce simmered 20 mins used lightlufe ground vegan.
Thank you for recipes going to be Labor Day lunch
Liz
This is one of my favorite recipes. Easy to make, super flavorful. I freeze it in small containers so I always have some in hand for my crispy potatoes or vegan hot dogs while camping
Christine
I'm from Michigan and haven't had a Coney dog in soooooo long! This recipe was perfect! I *think* this i what I remember from when I had them last, as a kiddo! Didn't need to change a thing! Thank you. 🙂