Beef chili is served over spaghetti and topped with beans, cheese and onion in this traditional Cincinnati Chili Recipe.
I can bet that if you ask most kids what their favorite food is, you won’t get many that say chili. Well, my girl is absolutely in love with chili. It’s the funniest thing. She could care less about chicken nuggets or cupcakes or peanut butter sandwiches. Give this girl a big bowl of chili and she is one happy child. (If only she could teach her ways to my boys!!)
So with her in mind, I decided that it was about time I tried a Cincinnati Chili Recipe. I’ve had just about every version of chili under the sun, and while I had heard of Cincinnati Chili, I had never actually tried it.
And that brings me to my first question:
Is Cincinnati Chili Really Chili?
Upon first glance, you might think that it is. 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. But I’m ok with that, because we fell in love with this recipe!
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.
Ingredients in Cincinnati Chili
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.
This recipe is made with ground beef that you blanch first, which removes most of the fat without taking away all of the flavor. And then you have other typical ingredients, like onions, garlic, tomato sauce, broth, vinegar and brown sugar.
The way I have written up this Cincinnati Chili Recipe is what they would call Five-Way, aka with all of the good stuff. Two way would be just the chili and spaghetti, three way adds cheddar cheese to the top. Four way is the spaghetti, chili, cheese, and your choice of beans or onions, and Five Way is with both the beans and the onions.
Cincinnati Chili is also usually served with oyster crackers and hot sauce.
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 Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Beef chili is served over spaghetti and topped with beans, cheese and onion in this traditional Cincinnati Chili Recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons table salt, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds 80% lean ground chuck
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 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
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- hot sauce (optional)
- 1 pound spaghetti, cooked, drained and then tossed with 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed and warmed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
Instructions
- Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the ground beef and stir vigorously, separating the beef into strands. Foam will rise from the beef to the top of the water (this takes about 30 seconds), and just before the water boils, drain the beef into a strainer and set aside.
- Rinse and dry the saucepan, and place the pan over medium heat. Add the oil, and when it is warm, add the onions. Cook until the onions are softened and slightly brown on the edges, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the chili powder, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, black pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stirring constantly, stir for 1 minute, until very fragrant. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, water, vinegar and brown sugar, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the ground beef and turn the heat to high. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili is bright red and slightly thickened. Season with salt and hot sauce to taste.
- To serve, divide the buttered spaghetti into individual bowls. Top with the chili, beans, cheese and onions. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
slightly adapted from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.
Nutrition
- Calories: 745
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 883 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Cholesterol: 107 mg
Keywords: Cincinnati Chili
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.