If You Know, You Know.
Where I’m from in upstate New York, Michigan sauce is serious business.
And I mean serious.
Everyone has a recipe. Everyone’s family has been making theirs forever. Everyone has one ingredient they insist absolutely must be included.
And—somehow—everyone is completely certain that theirs is the best.
Which is adorable.
Because mine is the best.
I don’t make the rules.
Well… actually, this is my recipe page, so I guess technically I do make the rules.
If you’re not from upstate New York, there’s also a decent chance you’ve made it this far wondering what the hell a Michigan even is.
Allow me to introduce you.
Take a hot dog. Put it on a warm bun. Cover it in this rich, spicy, slow-cooked meat sauce. Then bury the whole thing under finely chopped white onions and lots of yellow mustard.
And if you really want to commit, put that Michigan sauce on a Garbage Plate.
The Garbage Plate originated in Rochester, but growing up in Plattsburgh, they were absolutely part of our food culture too.
The basic idea is beautifully unhinged: some combination of fries or home fries, macaroni salad and/or baked beans, piled on with burgers, hot dogs or another protein, then absolutely smothered in meat sauce, chopped onions and mustard.
If you’re not from Upstate New York, I realize I’ve probably lost you entirely.
But if you know, you know
Now back to the sauce.
Everybody Does It Differently
This is where things get controversial.
Some people use ketchup. Some don’t. Some use Frank’s. Some swear by another hot sauce. Some leave hot sauce out completely. Some add brown sugar. Some call that an abomination.
Some brown their beef first.
Some boil it.
Some put the beef into the slow cooker raw and let everything cook together.
And every one of those people will happily explain why you’re doing it wrong.
This is how I make Michigan sauce… but technically, it wasn’t mine first.
This One Is Uncle KiKi’s
And Uncle KiKi took his Michigans very seriously.
He would spend hours in the kitchen working on his sauce, tweaking this, changing that, adding a little more of something and probably refusing to tell you exactly how much.
The funny part is that he made it a little differently every time.
He was always chasing the perfect Michigan sauce.
And somewhere along the way, this became the version that stuck with us.
Beef. Tomato. Cumin. Chili powder. Mustard. Frank’s. Just enough brown sugar to round everything out.
So yes, you can change it.
You can leave out the Frank’s. You can use ketchup. You can cook the beef however your grandmother insists is the only acceptable way.
I’m not coming to your house to stop you.
But then you’re making your Michigan sauce.
This is Uncle KiKi’s.
And his is the best.
Again, I don’t make the rules.
Except apparently I do.
Uncle KiKi’s Michigan Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking it into very fine crumbles as it browns. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.
- Add the tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, tomato paste, yellow mustard, Frank’s RedHot, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir really well until everything is evenly combined.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, stirring occasionally if you’re around.
- The sauce should become thick, rich, and spoonable rather than soupy.
- Give it a taste before serving and adjust the salt if needed.
- For the classic experience, spoon Michigan sauce generously over a hot dog on a warm bun and bury it under finely chopped white onion and yellow mustard.
- Napkins are not optional.
Notes
I brown my ground beef first and break it into really fine crumbles. Michigan sauce should be spoonable and almost melt into the hot dog—not have giant hamburger chunks sitting on top. If your beef is particularly fatty, drain off the excess grease before adding it to the slow cooker. Yes, I use Frank’s.
I use Frank’s RedHot Original, and ¼ cup sounds like a lot more heat than it actually brings to a big batch of sauce. For me, it’s as much about the tang and flavor as the spice. If you’re sensitive to heat, you can start with less and add more to taste. And yes, there’s brown sugar.
One tablespoon isn’t here to make the sauce sweet. It rounds out the acidity from the tomato, mustard, and hot sauce. Some Michigan recipes don’t use it. Mine does. Let the crockpot do its job.
Four hours on LOW gives everything time to come together. This is one of those sauces that gets better after it’s had some time to sit and think about what it’s done. It might be even better tomorrow.
Like chili, Michigan sauce is fantastic after a night in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container, then reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Freezer friendly.
This freezes beautifully. Let the sauce cool completely, portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat when the Michigan craving strikes. The classic Michigan:
Warm bun + hot dog + a generous amount of Michigan sauce + finely chopped white onion + yellow mustard. Don’t be shy with the onions. Not from Upstate New York?
You absolutely don’t need to limit this to hot dogs. Put it over fries, baked potatoes, burgers, tots, or make yourself a trash plate and fully commit to the experience. A note about authenticity:
There are approximately a million opinions about the “correct” way to make Michigan sauce. Some recipes boil the beef, some brown it, some cook it directly in the sauce; ingredients vary from family to family. This is my Uncle KiKi’s version. You are welcome to modify it. Just know that somewhere in Upstate New York, someone will probably have an opinion about it. That’s part of the experience.
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