Classic Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili is a unique Midwest favorite with Mediterranean flare. It is traditionally served over spaghetti noodles, and topped in a variety of Ways.

Jump to:

• What Makes Cincinnati Chili Unique
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Cincinnati Chili
• Cooking Tips & Tricks
• Substitutions & Variations
• Equipment You'll Need
• Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
• Serving Cincinnati Chili: The "Ways"
• Fun Serving Ideas & Pairings
• Classic Cincinnati Chili

What Makes Cincinnati Chili Unique

Cincinnati Chili is a Midwest classic with a surprising Mediterranean twist. Unlike Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex chili, this chili is traditionally served over spaghetti and topped in creative ways.

With roots in Macedonian cooking, Cincinnati Chili gets its unique flavor from a blend of warm spices, savory ingredients, and even a hint of chocolate - giving it a taste closer to Mediterranean, Greek, or Indian cuisine than traditional American chili. Some even say it's reminiscent of Mexican molé!

History of Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili has such a fun, flavorful story! Back in the 1920s, Macedonian and Greek immigrants brought their Mediterranean spice traditions to Cincinnati and adapted them to local tastes. The result? A chili that's smooth, a little sweet, and warmly spiced - nothing like the chunky, fiery Tex-Mex chili you might be used to.

Over the years, it became a true Cincinnati favorite, with local spots like Skyline*, Gold Star, and Empress Chili each putting their own spin on this savory-sweet classic. No matter which version you try, it's always comforting, unique, and a little bit magical.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Ground beef: We use 85-90% lean ground beef: any leaner and the chili end up tasting bland.
• Beef broth: Use boxed or canned broth, or Better than Bouillon Beef (1 teaspoon per cup water.
• Onions: We use yellow onions to make the chili and sweet onions for chopping for the topping.
• Cocoa powder: Use a good-quality baking cocoa.
• Tomato sauce
• Apple cider vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce
• Garlic
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar helps to cut the natural acidity of the tomato sauce and balance the coney sauce.
• Seasonings: Chili powder, kosher salt, cayenne
• Warm Spices: Cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, nutmeg,

For the complete Cincinnati Chili experience, you will also need: 

• Spaghetti noodles for serving chili over. We prefer thin spaghetti.
• Chili Toppings:
  • Beans: If everyone in the house loves beans, go ahead and add them right to the chili; otherwise, serve them on the side. We use small red beans.
  • Grated cheese: Traditionally served with sharp cheddar.
  • Chopped onions: Use a sweet or sweet red onion for the toppings. 
  • Oyster crackers: Crumbled Saltines also work perfectly well.

Culinary Notes

What makes Cincinnati Chili really special is its flavor - it's all about balance and warmth rather than heat. A few things that give it that signature taste:

• Spices with personality: Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg add a cozy, aromatic depth.
• A touch of chocolate: Just a little cocoa or unsweetened chocolate rounds out the flavor and tames the tomato's acidity - without making it sweet.
• Gentle heat: Chili powder and a pinch of cayenne add warmth, but the flavor is the star.
• Onion choices matter: Yellow onions cook down to sweet, savory perfection in the sauce, while raw sweet onions on top add a crisp, mild crunch.

All together, these little touches create a chili that's comforting, a little unexpected, and perfect for piling over spaghetti, hot dogs, or just about anything you can think of!

Note on Flavor: If you're familiar with Cincinnati Chili from local restaurants, you'll notice this recipe's flavor is closest to Skyline Chili. It has that signature balance of warm spices, a touch of sweetness, and just a hint of cocoa - the smooth, savory-sweet profile that makes Skyline so beloved.

How to Make Cincinnati Chili

The reason for the even consistency of this chili is the unusual technique used for cooking the ground meat. Instead of frying, the ground beef is boiled in broth. As the meat cooks, a meat masher is used to break it up, creating even, finely-crumbled ground beef. (This is the same technique we use to make Coney Island sauce.)

1. Cook the beef: Place ground beef in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven.

Add 2 cups of beef broth. Simmer over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a meat masher until finely crumbled.

2. Drain: Pour cooked beef into a colander to remove excess fat. Return meat to the pot. Do not rinse. 

3. Add flavor: Stir in onions, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, cumin, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. Add remaining broth and 2 cups water.

4. Simmer low: Cook over very low heat, stirring every 15-20 minutes, for 3 hours. Add water as needed to prevent burning. Season to taste.

When Cincinnati Chili is done simmering, it will be a little soupier than the Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex chilis you may be used to. It will thicken some over time. 

5. Cook spaghetti: About 20 minutes before serving, boil salted water and cook spaghetti al dente. Drain.

6. Serve: Spoon chili over spaghetti and add toppings as desired.

Cooking Tips & Tricks

• Boiling rather than frying the beef gives this chili its smooth, finely crumbled texture.
• Use yellow onions in the chili for natural sweetness, and sweet onions raw as a topping.
• Chili tastes even better the next day - perfect for make-ahead meals.

Substitutions & Variations

• Meat: Ground turkey works (add extra Worcestershire). Ground chicken not recommended.
• Broth: Substitute chicken or vegetable broth.
• Cocoa: You can substitute half of an unsweetened baking chocolate square (1 ounce) for the cocoa powder.
• Cayenne: Swap for ¼-1 teaspoon hot paprika or ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. (If you don't like much spice, you can just leave it out.)

There are many well-known hyper-local variations made famous by Cincinnati restaurants; including Empress Chili, Gold Star Chili, Dixie Chili, and Skyline Chili.

Coney Island Chili: Coney Island sauce has the same texture and a similar culinary pedigree as Cincinnati Chili. The spices and flavor profiles are somewhat different, but they both have that Mediterranean savory-sweet vibe, and in many cases can be used interchangeably. (Just don't mention that to anyone from Ohio or Michigan - it may cause a riot!)

Equipment You'll Need

• Meat masher: Ensures fine, even crumbles. Use a meat masher to break up the meat. It is important for success of this chili recipe that the meat to be very finely crumbled, this inexpensive little kitchen tool will make the job 10x easier - and it saves your wrists, too.
• Dutch oven (preferably enameled cast iron): Ideal for slow, even cooking. A good quality enameled cast iron Dutch oven is one of the best purchases you can make. My Dutch oven, along with my large enameled cast iron skillet, accounts for sixty to seventy percent of the cooking that happens in my kitchen.

Make-Ahead & Storage Tips

To reheat, simply thaw and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

• Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container.
• Freezes well; portion before freezing for convenience.
• Reheat on stove or microwave.

Slow cooker option: Cook and drain meat as usual, then combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on High 2-3 hours or Low 5-6 hours.

Serving Cincinnati Chili: The "Ways"

One of the other unique features of Cincinnati Chili is the toppings, or Ways, with which it is served.

• 2-way: Spaghetti + chili
• 3-way: Spaghetti + chili + cheese
• 4-way: Spaghetti + chili + cheese + onions 
• 5-way: Spaghetti + chili + cheese + onions + beans (aka The Works)

Some people (like Mr B!) even finish off their Ways with more toppings - notably, oyster crackers and hot sauce.

Fun Serving Ideas & Pairings

Cincinnati Chili is versatile and works in more ways than just spaghetti:

• Hot dogs ("Coneys")
• Baked potatoes for a hearty meal
• Nachos with cheese and jalapeños
• Tacos or taco bowls
• Rice for a simple, comforting meal
• Poutine-style fries for an indulgent twist

Want to lighten it up? Serve Cincinnati chili over cooked spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti noodles!

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