Copycat Recipe for Ben’s Chili Bowl Half Smoke

This is my take on the infamous Ben’s Chili bowl half smoke. Ben’s Chili Bowl is a legendary restaurant located in Washington, DC. I found their half smokes in my local Costco and decided to make a copycat recipe.

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Step 1

1. Heat oil and sauté garlic and onion until light golden, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, paprika,salt, and cumin. Toast the spices in with the onions and garlic stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Step 2

3. Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until evenly browned.
Stir in tomato paste, beef broth and corn meal.


Step 3

5. Reduce heat to low and simmer until very thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Grill the half smokes on both sides until brown. Add sausages to a steamed hot dog bun and top with ketchup, mustard and chili.