The Detroit coney dog has been served at the city's coney islands for more than 100 years, and Michigan and Lions fans grew up on them. Natural-casing hot dogs go under a fine, beanless coney sauce, a stripe of yellow mustard and a pile of chopped white onion. Charcoal is out in U-M lots and on Ohio State's campus, so this one runs on propane at both ends of The Game. Lot rules are in our Michigan Stadium guide.
At the lot: Reheat the sauce on one burner and grill the dogs on the other. Homegating: Make the sauce the night before and reheat it on the stove while the dogs grill.
Home gear: a large skillet or Dutch oven, a potato masher and shallow lidded containers
Pack for the lot
- Coney sauce, cold and sealed, in the cooler
- Hot dogs, sealed, in the cooler
- Chopped onions, in the cooler
- Buns and yellow mustard
- A small pot with a lid and a spoon
- Propane grill and a full tank
- Tongs and foil for the buns
- Instant-read thermometer
- Napkins, lots of them, and a trash bag
Lot notes
- The Michigan Stadium rule: the guide's grill rule reads "No charcoal or wood in U-M lots. On the golf course, no propane under tents or canopies. At Pioneer, no open flames at all." Michigan Stadium guide. Keep the grill out from under the canopy on the golf course.
- Parked at Pioneer: no flames there, so heat the sauce to 165°F and grill the dogs at home, then carry them hot in a towel-lined empty cooler and eat within 2 hours.
- The Game in Columbus: at Ohio Stadium, propane grills are fine but charcoal is banned on campus, so the same propane setup works on the road.
- Holding hot: keep the sauce covered on low at 140°F or above and stir it now and then. Once it's off the heat, eat within 2 hours, or 1 hour over 90°F, and toss the rest.
- Onions cold: chopped onions stay in the cooler at 40°F or below between rounds.
- Cleanup: scrape leftover sauce into a sealed container and get it on ice, or toss it if it's been out past the 2-hour mark. Let the grill cool before it goes back in the truck.
Can you make coney sauce ahead?
Yes, and it's better that way. Make it up to 3 days ahead, cool it fast in shallow containers and keep it in the fridge. Reheat it to 165°F at the lot, with a splash of broth or water if it's thick.
What's the difference between a Detroit and a Flint coney?
A Detroit coney has a loose, saucy beef topping. A Flint coney's topping is dry and crumbly, more like a loose meat than a sauce. For Flint style, leave out the saltines and cook the sauce down until almost all the liquid is gone.
Is a Detroit coney the same as a Cincinnati coney?
No. A Cincinnati coney uses the city's cinnamon-and-clove chili and a pile of shredded cheddar. A Detroit coney has no cheese, just a cumin-and-chili beef sauce, mustard and onion. For the Ohio version, see our Cincinnati chili.
How many coney dogs do you need for 20 people?
Plan on 2 each, so 40. Make 1⅔ batches: about 3½ lb of ground beef, 3⅓ cups of broth, 10 saltines and the spices scaled the same way, plus 40 hot dogs, 40 buns and 3 or 4 onions. Grill the dogs in rounds.
Can you grill at Michigan Stadium?
With propane, yes. The guide's grill rule reads "No charcoal or wood in U-M lots. On the golf course, no propane under tents or canopies. At Pioneer, no open flames at all." Check which lot you're in before you pack.