Not your traditional chili, this Cincinnati Chili, made famous by Skyline Chili in Ohio, is a spiced chili that is served over spaghetti. Serve it up one of many different ways for a flavor packed dinner.
If you are looking for comfort food, look no further than this Cincinnati Chili! For more favorite comfort foods, try this Penne Pasta Bake, these Beef Tips and Gravy, or Braised Country Style Ribs.
Is Cincinnati Chili Really Chili?
Upon first glance, you might think that Cincinnati Chili is chili in the traditional sense. A meaty sauce, filled with lots of spices. But then you serve it over spaghetti. Which is definitely not how you serve regular chili.
Instead of a bowl, you serve it on a plate. And eat it with a fork. So to that question, I’d have to answer no – this is not really chili.
Without getting into all of the history of Cincinnati Chili, this “chili” was originally created in Cincinnati by immigrants as a hot dog topping. They then started serving the chili over spaghetti, and called it chili spaghetti. It caught on and spread like wildfire, and is now known as Cincinnati Chili, and is served in chili parlors all over the city. It has even spread to restaurants outside of Cincinnati.
The most famous places to get Cincinnati Chili in Cincinnati are Skyline Restaurant and Gold Star Chili.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and amounts.
- Salt: This recipe specifically calls for table salt. If you are using sea salt or kosher salt, you may need to add little extra.
- Ground Beef: The best fat ratio for this recipe is 80/20%.
- Oil: This is just for cooking the onions, garlic, and spices.
- Onion & Garlic: These are both for flavor.
- Spices: One of the things that set this Cincinnati Chili Recipe apart from other chilis is the addition of Mediterranean spices. It has chili powder and oregano, which are to be expected, but then you add cinnamon, allspice, and cocoa powder. These spices definitely add something different and really make this chili recipe stand out. You will also add some cayenne pepper and black pepper for spice.
- Tomato Sauce: You need just plain tomato sauce – not one with any spices added.
- Broth & Water: You may wonder why this recipe calls for chicken broth instead of beef broth. While you definitely could use beef broth, I think chicken broth has more flavor.
- Cider Vinegar: The vinegar will brighten up the chili.
- Brown Sugar: This does not make the chili sweet, but helps to balance the flavors.
How to Make Cincinnati Chili
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
This recipe is very different – you will boil the ground beef to cook it. This helps the strands of the beef to separate and gives this chili a unique texture.
Bring water to a boil and salt it, then add the beef. Stir it all quickly, and the ground beef will start to separate into strands.
Break the beef up a bit, and remove it from the heat right before the water starts boiling again. Drain, and reserve the beef.
Cook the onion in the oil until it is tender. Add the garlic the last 30 seconds.
Stir in the spices and cook it all together for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, water, vinegar, and brown sugar.
Add the beef back into the pot. Cook this mixture on medium-low until it is thickened, about an hour.
How to Serve Cincinnati Chili
If you order this chili in Cincinnati, you get to decide what “way” you want it served.
- 2 way: chili over spaghetti
- 3 way: chili over spaghetti topped with cheese
- 4 way: chili over spaghetti with diced onions and cheese
- 5 way: chili over spaghetti with kidney beans, onions, and cheese
You can also add oyster crackers and hot sauce to the top of your chili.
Don’t forget that you can also serve this chili over hot dogs or baked potatoes.
Tips and Tricks
This chili is actually the best when you make it ahead of time. Refrigerate the cooked chili, then reheat the next day for even more flavor!
If serving with cheese, make sure it is finely grated. The first time I posted this recipe, I did not know this. But a big pile of finely grated cheese is definitely part of the experience!
If the sauce gets too thick as it cooks down, you can add in more broth or water.
More Spaghetti Recipes
Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini
Spaghetti Lasagna
Creamy Tomato Pasta with Shrimp
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Super Easy Spaghetti Recipe
The Best Spaghetti Sauce
Tools Used to Make this Cincinnati Chili Recipe
- I love to use my Dutch oven to make the chili. It cooks evenly and has plenty of room.
- I also like having a good pasta pot to cook the pasta in.
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Cincinnati Chili
Ingredients
Chili:
- 2 teaspoons table salt divided
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 80% lean is best
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
For serving:
- 1 pound spaghetti cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of butter
- 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese finely grated
- 1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and warmed
- 1 medium onion chopped
- Oyster crackers
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, then add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add the ground beef and stir to separate the strands. Break the meat apart as much as possible. Once the water is close to boiling again, remove from the heat and drain the beef into a strainer. Set aside.
- Rinse the pan and place it over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil, and when hot, add the onion, cooking until the onion is softened. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the chili powder, oregano, cocoa powder, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and remaining teaspoon of salt. Stir it all together and let it heat for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, the broth, water, vinegar, and brown sugar. Add the ground beef back in, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thickened, about an hour.
- Season to taste with salt and hot sauce, if desired.
Serve the chili over spaghetti:
- 2 way: chili over spaghetti
- 3 way: chili over spaghetti topped with cheese
- 4 way: chili over spaghetti with diced onions and cheese
- 5 way: chili over spaghetti with kidney beans, onions, and cheese
Mellissa Cross says
I remember when Bob’s Big Boy carried an iteration of this on their menu! I made it for my husband sans the cinnamon (which he only likes in pumpkin pie), and I used chopped white onions on mine only as well. So delish! I was blessed to get a “take care” box during lockdown from our HOA. It was an unexpected blessing that had everything except the fresh meat in it!
Dave says
Skyline chili has the beans and onions under the shredded cheese, a little different than your photo.
Debbie Votta says
Do you add 2 cups of water to the chili? I only did 1 cup, and it seems pretty thin.
Deborah says
I did use 2 cups of water, but you can definitely cut it down to 1 if you want. The longer the chili cooks, the thicker it will get.
Karly Campbell says
I’m right there with your little one on the chili- she is one smart chick! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Sarah Kleimeyer says
I have lived in Cincinnati for a long time and always on the look out for favorite recipes that keep me from having to eat out! I can’t wait to try this and see how it compares! Folks in town either like Skyline (the original) or Gold Star chili, with a few who like both!
Skyline is more of a sit-down restaurant where a waitress takes your order and brings a little bowl of oyster crackers and drinks while you wait for your order. Customize your chili like a native! A 3-way is chili, cheese and spaghetti. A 4-way is chili, cheese, spaghetti and onions OR beans. A 5-way is all five. Skyline sells some really good garlic bread that goes well with this.
But there are other ways to enjoy this chili! There is the Cheese Coney – hot dogs in a bun with a smear of mustard (or without!) and onions (if you like), topped with chili and cheese. YUM! They also sell French fries or a baked potato topped with chili, toppings to preference and cheese. I don’t find their cheese all that sharp – we use mild cheddar.
Teri Giese says
We love chili at our house! Have a HUGE collection and a board dedicated to chilis on Pinterest. Thanks for adding another one for me! Best Wishes for a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
Liz says
Yum – thank you.