Chili dog is an American creation consisting of a sausage in a standard bun, topped with chili sauce and other ingredients depending on personal preferences, such as onions or cheese. The dish is often sold at numerous street stands, local eateries, and sports stadiums.

No one can really agree about the origins or the inventor of the chili dog: some claim it was invented in Texas, the chili capital, while others believe that the first chili dog was created at Art's Famous Chili Dog Stand in southern Los Angeles.

Of course, there are other theories, so some like to say it must have been invented in New York at a baseball game. Chili sauce, the key component of the dish, is also a source of great debate: should it have beans or not, and is it the only allowed topping?