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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Cincinnati Chili

    January 31, 2022 • Updated: February 1, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Easy to make and freezer-friendly, Cincinnati Chili is unique Midwest favorite with Mediterranean flare. It makes a delicious, satisfying meal (and is also one of the best chili dog toppings ever)! ⁠

    Close-up of chili and spaghetti on a white plate, topped with onions and cheese.
    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love this Recipe
    • What Goes into this Recipe
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Tips & FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Cincinnati Chili (Skyline Copycat Recipe)

    Why You Will Love this Recipe

    If you are used to making Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex chili, a few of the ingredients in this recipe may surprise you. With roots in Macedonian cooking, the flavor profile of Cincinnati chili more closely resembles Mediterranean, Greek, and Indian foods than it does American chili. (It may even remind you a bit of Mexican molé.) 

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

    Cincinnati chili is traditionally served over spaghetti noodles, but it makes an outstanding meat sauce for homemade Coney Islands, too.

    What Goes into this Recipe

    For the Chili, you will need: 

    Ingredients for Cincinnati chili displayed in bowls on old baking sheet.

    Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

    • Ground beef: We use 85-90% lean ground beef: any leaner and the chili end up tasting bland.
      • By draining the cooked meat in a colander before proceeding, this recipe gets rid of some of the extra fat from the ground beef without stripping it of all flavor.
      • You can sub in ground turkey; but if you do, add an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. We don't recommend ground chicken for this recipe.
    • Beef broth: You can substitute in chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even water. (Beef broth brings to most flavor to the table.)
    • Onions: We use yellow onions to make the chili and sweet onions for chopping for the topping.
      • Yellow onions ironically have more natural sugar than sweet onions, which cooks down into the meat sauce. "Sweet" onions have a higher water content, are taste milder and sweeter when eaten raw.
    • Cocoa powder: You can substitute half of an unsweetened baking chocolate square (1 ounce) for the cocoa powder.
    • Cayenne: You can use ¼ - 1 teaspoon hot paprika or ½ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes in place of the cayenne. (If you don't like much spice, you can just leave it out.)

    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.

    How to Make this Recipe

    Not only does this recipe have a unique list of ingredients, but it employs an unusual technique for cooking the meat as well.

    (1) Break up the ground beef into a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy stock pot. Pour in 2 cups of beef broth.

    (2) Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the ground beef into fine pieces as it cooks.

    Drain cooked beef in a colander. DO NOT RINSE. 

    Collage (1) Fresh ground beef distributed on bottom of large cast iron skillet, and (2) beef cooked in skillet.

    (3) Pour the drained meat into cast iron Dutch oven or heavy stock pot.

    Add onions, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, cayenne (or hot paprika), salt, cumin, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.

    (4) Stir in 2 cups of water and the remaining 2 cups of beef broth.

    Collage: Top view of spices and other ingredients in large enamel Dutch oven.

    (5) Simmer over LOW-LOW heat, stirring at least every 15 minutes, for about 3 hours. Add more water if needed to keep chili from burning. Season to taste.

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

    Top view of chili cooking in large enamel cast iron Dutch oven.

    (6) About 20 minutes before you plan to serve the chili, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

    Lightly salt the water and add the thin spaghetti. Cook according to the package directions until al dente.

    Drain the cooked spaghetti noodles.

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve prepared chili over cooked spaghetti noodles.

    Top with grated cheese, chopped onions, and beans.

    5-Way Cincinnati chili with spaghetti, chili, cheese, onions, oyster crackers and Franks.

    Tips & FAQs

    This is a great Make-ahead meal. (Chili always tastes even better the next day!)

    Cincinnati chili also makes an amazing coney sauce for homemade chili dogs, and it's great on fries and baked potatoes, too.

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

    What are Cincinnati chili "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 (The Works) = spaghetti + chili + cheese + onions + beans

    Some people (like Mr B!) even top off their Ways – with oyster crackers and hot sauce.

    Can you freeze Cincinnati chili?


    Absolutely! Cincinnati chili freezes very well. Cool completely and portion into freezer safe containers, or vacuum-seal it in freezer bags.

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

    Can you make Cincinnati chili in a slow cooker?

    This recipe is super easy to make in a slow cooker! Cook and drain the meat as directed, then load it along with all of the chili ingredients into a slow cooker. Get it a stir and cook on High for 3-4 hours, or LOW for 6-7 hours.

    Chili and spaghetti, with fork on side of plate. White napkin on blue background.

    Related Recipes

    • Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
    • Em's Sweet & Spicy Black Beans with Bacon
    • Sweet & Spicy Grilled Buffalo Wings
    • Calypso Mango Chili (Award Winner!)

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    5 from 4 votes

    Cincinnati Chili (Skyline Copycat Recipe)

    This unique, warmly spiced chili is traditionally served over spaghetti noodles; a combination that is surprisingly delicious. 
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Low Lactose
    Prep Time:30 minutes
    Cook Time:3 hours
    Total Time:3 hours 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 300kcal
    Author: Renee
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    Equipment

    • 1 enamel Dutch oven or slow cooker

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    Chili Ingredients
    • 2 pounds lean ground beef
    • 1 quart beef broth divided
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 large yellow onions finely chopped
    • 15 ounces canned tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 4 tablespoons chili powder
    • 2½ tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ⅛ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    Serve Over:
    • 16 ounces thin spaghetti noodles
    On the Side:
    • cooked small red beans or kidney beans
    • grated sharp cheddar
    • chopped sweet onions
    • oyster crackers

    Instructions

    Prepare Chili:

    • Break up the ground beef into a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy stock pot. Pour in 2 cups of beef broth.
      Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the ground beef into fine pieces as it cooks.
      Drain cooked beef in a colander to remove some of the fat. DO NOT RINSE.
    • Pour the drained meat into cast iron Dutch oven or heavy stock pot.
      Add onions, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, cayenne (or hot paprika), salt, cumin, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
      Stir in 2 cups of water and the remaining 2 cups of beef broth. 
    • Simmer over LOW-LOW heat, stirring about every 10-15 minutes, for about 3 hours.
      Add more water if needed to keep chili from burning.
    • About 20 minutes before you plan to serve the chili, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
      Lightly salt the water and add the thin spaghetti.
      Cook according to the package until al dente.
      Drain and set aside.

    Serving Suggestions:

    • Serve chili mixture over cooked spaghetti noodles.
      Top with your choice of beans, grated cheese, chopped onions, and oyster crackers.

    Notes

    Slow Cooker Directions: Cook and drain the meat as directed, then load it, along with all of the chili ingredients, into a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5 hours. 
    Ways to Serve Cincinnati Chili: 
    • 2-way = spaghetti + chili
    • 3-way = spaghetti + chili + cheese
    • 4-way = spaghetti + chili + cheese + onions 
    • 5-way (The Works) = spaghetti + chili + cheese + onions + beans
    Nutrition facts include values for Chili only. They do not include information for spaghetti noodles or toppings. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1763mg | Potassium: 1102mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1933IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 6mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

    More Main Dish Recipes

    • Thanksgiving Roast Stuffed Pumpkin
    • Chicken Pillows
    • Easy Spaghetti Pie
    • Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
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    About Renée B.

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

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    1. Natalie says

      February 06, 2022 at 10:30 pm

      5 stars
      This chili looks absolutely delicious my mouth is watering! So comforting and perfect for a hearty dinner ♥

      Reply
    2. Tara says

      February 06, 2022 at 6:14 pm

      5 stars
      Oooh, it has been way too long since I have had Cincinnati Chili! Yours looks so good! I love all that flavor and so much cheese on top.

      Reply
    3. Pavani says

      February 06, 2022 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      We love a good chili and this sounds absolutely amazing with the addition of spices. Cannot wait to try the recipe for my family. Thank you for sharing this.

      Reply
    4. Anjali says

      February 06, 2022 at 3:36 pm

      5 stars
      This chili is so hearty, flavorful and satisfying!! Made it for our family dinner tonight and everyone loved it!

      Reply
    5. Don Taulbee says

      February 03, 2022 at 10:10 am

      I grew up on Cincinnati chili and Skyline is the worst of all the chili's sold in Cincinnati. Until you try most of them, don't proclaim one as the best. Besides, taste is a subjective matter.

      Reply
      • Renée says

        February 03, 2022 at 10:27 am

        We appreciate your informed perspective, Don, and you are absolutely right: chili, (Cincinnati or otherwise) is definitely a matter of taste, and taste is subjective.

        (You may want to recheck the post though: I never proclaimed any of them "the best.")

        Reply
    6. Renée ♥ says

      November 01, 2017 at 12:11 pm

      Lightened and over spaghetti squash, it's definitely not Skyline, but it is delicious nonetheless. (As a food blogger yourself, I'm sure that you know sometimes comments don't always read the way they were intended, so I'm taking this one with a smile.) Have a lovely day, Heather.

      Reply

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