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    Cincinnati Chili

    January 2, 2025

    Warmly spiced and totally unique, our authentic Cincinnati chili recipe tastes as close as we can get to the famous Skyline original recipe without hopping a flight to Ohio.

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    a bowl of Cincinnati chili served on spaghetti noodles topped with shredded cheese, kidney beans and oyster crackers
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Cincinnati chili — which originated at the Skyline diner in (you guessed it) Cincinnati, Ohio in the late 1940s — is in a category all its own. This beefy, classic Cincinnati chili recipe features loads of spices (and a secret ingredient) and is delicious served in the famous Cincinnati chili way: ladled over a big plate of spaghetti, and topped with onions and lots of shredded cheddar cheese. At Skyline restaurants (there are lots of them now), Cincinnati chili served this way is called the “three way” — more on other authentic ways to serve Cincinnati chili later! For more chili ideas, try our Award-Winning Chili, or our easy Simple Chili recipe.

    ground beef, stock, onion, garlic, tomatoes, Worcestershire, spices, chocolate, vinegar, cheese and spaghetti in prep bowls

    Cincinnati Chili Ingredients

    • Ground beef: We love a 90/10 ground beef for Cincinnati chili, because this chili recipe is so much about savory, meaty, spicy flavors, and not so much about having a ton of richness.

    • Onions and garlic: So far, so classic.

    • Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes and tomato paste. The founder of the Skyline was a Greek man, and many of the (delicious!) add-ins that make Cincinnati chili unique can be traced back to his Mediterranean palate. We love to double down on tomatoes because it adds so much deep, savory flavor.

    • Worcestershire sauce: Another favorite ingredient of ours, this stuff is pronounced “wooster” sauce, in case you stumble over this long, funny word.

    • Spices: Chili powder, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves.

    • The secret ingredient: Unsweetened chocolate. Adding chocolate is optional for two reasons! First, because it’s actually probably not an authentic ingredient in the original Skyline chili recipe. It’s impossible to know for sure, because the OG family recipe is kept in a lock box in a bank and is still a secret — ours is a copycat Cincinnati chili recipe, in other words our best guess! But the inclusion of chocolate has at least become a popular ‘secret’ ingredient guess on the part of many, many people who’ve attempted to make homemade Cincinnati chili. It’s fun and adds a little something extra, but it’s also possible that it strikes you as weird to add chocolate to beef chili, and if so, it’s fine to leave it out.

    • Cider vinegar: Just a little kick at the end to balance out all the sweet, warm spices.

    Ground beef being cooked in a soup pot with water
    ground beef, stock, onion, garlic, tomatoes, Worcestershire and spices being added together in a soup pot
    ground beef, stock, onion, garlic, tomatoes, Worcestershire and spices being cooked in a soup pot
    Apple cider vinegar and chocolate being stirred in to a pot of Cincinnati chili and stirred with a wooden spoon

    How to Make Cincinnati Chili, Step-By-Step

    1. Simmer the beef in water or stock.

    2. Add the onions, tomatoes, and seasonings.

    3. Simmer in a large pot or Dutch oven for about two hours.

    4. Cook spaghetti (in perfectly salted water) if you want to serve the chili in the most authentic way!

    5. Stir in vinegar and chocolate to finish the chili.

    6. Serve! You can serve it in bowls as-is, or try one of Skyline’s six famous ways to serve it!

    a pot of Cincinnati Chili made with ground beef, onion, garlic, tomatoes, spices, Worcestershire and unsweetened chocolate
    a bowl of Cincinnati chili served on spaghetti noodles topped with cheese, beans and oyster crackers surrounded by toppings

    6 Ways Serve Cincinnati Chili

    • 2-Way Chili is just the Cincinnati chili + spaghetti

    • 3-Way Chili is spaghetti + chili + a mound of cheddar cheese

    • 4-Way Chili is spaghetti + chili + cheddar cheese + onions or kidney beans.

    • 5-Way Chili is spaghetti + chili + cheddar + onions + beans.

    • 6-Way Chili is spaghetti, chili, cheddar, onions, beans + oyster crackers! Phew!

    • One more way! If you’re keeping it low-carb, try serving it over Spaghetti Squash instead of spaghetti noodles.

    a bowl of Cincinnati chili served on spaghetti noodles topped with cheese, kidney beans and crackers surrounded by toppings
    a bowl of Cincinnati chili served on spaghetti noodles topped with cheese, kidney beans and crackers surrounded by toppings

    More Chili Recipes To Try

    How’d It Turn Out?

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper, and we’d love to hear what you think of this recipe in the comments below. Happy cooking!

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    Cincinnati Chili

    January 2, 2025

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  2 hrs 15 min
    • Calories:  265
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    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds 90/10 ground beef
    • 2 cups water or chicken stock, plus more if needed
    • 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons chili powder, plus more to taste
    • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
    • Freshly cracked black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
    • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (optional)

    For serving (optional)

    • 16 ounces spaghetti, cooked
    • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
    • 1 cup dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 cup oyster crackers

    Method

    1. Place the ground beef in a large pot or Dutch oven. Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

      Ground beef being cooked in a soup pot with water

    2. Stir in the onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt, and pepper and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water as necessary, until the chili reaches your desired thickness, 2 to 3 hours. Stir in the vinegar and chocolate, if using, and adjust the seasoning to taste.

      a pot of Cincinnati Chili made with ground beef, onion, garlic, tomatoes, spices, Worcestershire and unsweetened chocolate

    3. Divide the cooked spaghetti between bowls and ladle the chili over top. Serve topped with cheddar cheese, onions, beans, and oyster crackers if using.

      a bowl of Cincinnati chili served on spaghetti noodles topped with cheese, beans and oyster crackers surrounded by toppings

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 265
    • Protein 26 g
    • Carbohydrates 14 g
    • Total Fat 12 g
    • Dietary Fiber 4 g
    • Cholesterol 74 mg
    • sodium 858 mg
    • Total Sugars 3 g

    Cincinnati Chili

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