Cincinnati Chili

A recipe for Cincinnati Chili! Spaghetti noodles are topped with a cinnamon and cocoa-spiced ground beef mixture, shredded cheese, and onions.

I first tried Cincinnati Chili in Northern Virginia while visiting my mother-in-law. I loved it so much and immediately started looking up how recreate it at home. This recipe is the result.

I have never been to Cincinnati to have authentic Skyline chili, but hope to visit someday! It was first created by Tom and John Kiradjieff, Macedonian immigrants, in 1922.

They later opened a chili parlor called Empress. One of their former employees, Nicholas Lambrinides, opened the Skyline Chili restaurant.

Cincinnati Chili differs from other regional variations by the seasonings (most notably cinnamon, cloves, and unsweetened cocoa) and the unique way it is served- over a bed of spaghetti!

How to serve Cincinnati Chili

There are five ways to order this chili:

• Two-way (chili over spaghetti)
• Three-way (chili over spaghetti and topped with a mountain of shredded cheese)
• Four-way (my favorite! Chili over spaghetti and topped with cheese and onions or beans)
• Five-way (chili over spaghetti and topped with cheese, onions, and beans)

It is also delicious over hot dogs with onions and cheese (Coney Dog).

A Few Tips

I usually serve the chili immediately after simmering for 3 hours, because I’m impatient. For even more flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight (or up to three days), then reheat the next day before serving.

Don’t be discouraged by the long ingredient list. It is mostly spices and pantry staples.

Chili powder is a seasoning mix with a blend of chili peppers, garlic, and other spices. I went with a store-bought brand, but Healthier Steps has a recipe for Homemade Chili Powder if you want to make your own.

This recipe has a mild heat. To boost the spice level, increase the cayenne pepper to taste.

I simmered the ground beef in a combination of water and beef stock for a little extra flavor. If not available, you can simply use 4 cups (950 milliliters) water.

Adjust the salt to taste.

The Cincinnati Chili can also be prepared in the slow cooker. Cook the beef with the water and beef stock as written in the instructions, then pour into a large slow cooker. Mix in the remaining seasonings and spices. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, then adjust seasonings to taste.

Looking for more recipes with spaghetti?

Try my:

• Spaghetti Pie
• Suugo Suqaar (Somali Pasta with Meat Sauce)
• Mushroom Garlic Spaghetti

Cincinnati Chili Recipe

Adapted from Creative Culinary

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5 from 4 votes

Cincinnati Chili

A recipe for Cincinnati Chili! Spaghetti noodles are topped with a cinnamon and cocoa-spiced ground beef mixture, shredded cheese, and onions.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword beef, cheddar, cheese, chili, Cincinnati, meat, spaghetti

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups (470 milliliters) water
• 2 cups (470 milliliters) beef stock
• 2 pounds (900 grams) ground beef
• 15 ounces (444 milliliters) tomato sauce
• 1 medium onion peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup (30 grams) chili powder (the spice mix labeled "Chili Powder," NOT ground chili peppers)
• 2 tablespoons (35 grams) tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons (12 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon (12 grams) light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Accompaniments:

• 1 pound (450 grams) spaghetti
• 1 medium onion peeled and finely diced
• 2 cups cheddar cheese finely shredded
• Oyster crackers

Instructions

• In a large pot, combine the water, beef stock, and ground beef.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into tiny pieces.
• Decrease to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chili powder, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cocoa powder, brown sugar, salt, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, cloves, and bay leaf.
• Continue to simmer over medium-low heat for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the chili becomes too thick during cooking, stir in a little more water to thin.
• Serve hot or for more flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Immediately before serving, cook the spaghetti in salted water until just tender, al dente.
• Drain, divide among bowls, and top with the hot chili, diced raw onions, shredded Cheddar cheese, and oyster crackers.