Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

cincinnati chili

(3 ratings)
momtooo avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Linda P
@momtooo
Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati is known for chili. It's different chili than from other parts of the country.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This is not your typical Tex Mex chili. They do it differently in Ohio and this is pretty authentic Cincinnati chili. Adding cocoa, allspice, and cinnamon to typical chili spices sets this apart. It looks like your typical chili with meat and big chunks of onion, but after one bite you know the difference. At first, you taste the chili and cumin. As the chili lingers in your mouth, there's a hint of chocolate and cinnamon. Serve over spaghetti and choose your favorite way to enjoy this hearty chili.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(3 ratings)
yield 6 to 8
prep time 10 Min
cook time 1 Hr 30 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For cincinnati chili

  • 1
    large onion chopped
  • 1 lb
    extra-lean ground beef
  • 1
    clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp
    chili powder
  • 1 tsp
    ground allspice
  • 1 tsp
    ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp
    red (cayenne) pepper
  • 1/2 tsp
    teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 can
    tomato sauce, (15 oz)
  • 1 Tbsp
    Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp
    cider vinegar
  • 1/2 c
    water
  • 1 pkg
    uncooked dried spaghetti pasta (16 oz)

How To Make cincinnati chili

  • Onion, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder cooking in a pan.
    1
    In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté onion, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked.
  • Adding spices to the beef.
    2
    Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate.
  • Tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water added to the beef.
    3
    Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water.
  • Everything simmering on the stove.
    4
    Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.
  • Chili removed from the heat.
    5
    Remove from heat.
  • Chili on top of spaghetti.
    6
    Toppings (how Cincinnati eats chili): 2-Way = spaghetti w/chili
  • Chili on top of spaghetti with cheese.
    7
    3-Way = spaghetti, chili, shredded cheddar cheese on top
  • Chili on top of spaghetti with kidney beans and cheese.
    8
    4-Way = spaghetti, chili, onions or red kidney beans, shredded cheddar cheese on top
  • Chili on top of spaghetti with cheese, kidney beans, and onion.
    9
    5-way = spaghetti, chili, onions, red kidney beans, shredded cheddar cheese on top
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT