Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Chili is a traditional Midwestern dish in which the meat sauce is slowly simmered before being served over the noodles. This chili is unlike any other!
In the city of Cincinnati, this zany but iconically American cuisine is a must-have. Serve a Greek salad and a baked potato with your meal to round it off, then finish with some homemade funnel cakes!
Cincinnati Chili
This chili is mind-blowing! The combination of varieties of foods and flavors makes this chili, unlike any other chili you’ll ever try! The chili is cooked up as a flavorful meat sauce excellent to serve over noodles or smother to hot dogs. And I enjoy eating this in a bowl much like a regular chili!
This is a particularly unique meal that will easily fit your liking. You can have this with beans, no beans, cheese, or onions.
What You Need To Make This Cincinnati Chili:
Tomato Paste: This assist in thickening the sauce and also provides a nice red, tomato base to the broth.
Water/Broth: You can use only water, but if you want to push the flavor a bit more, you can mix half each of the water and beef broth.
Ground Beef: For the chili, 80/20 is a good balance. To create a flavorful broth while simmering, you need just enough fat.
Onion: Some claim that there are no onions in the real chili, but they add a wonderful flavor. You hardly even notice the onion bits in the chili because of how finely the onion was minced.
Chili Powder: This adds a depth of flavor to the chili.
Salt: Adjust according to taste.
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice & cloves: These are what sets this chili apart from the others!
Cocoa: Required so the chili can come as close as the real Skyline Chili.
Worcestershire Sauce: You can skip this, but this adds another layer of depth to the broth of the chili.
Vinegar: This brightens up the meat sauce.
To make this recipe gluten-free (you should use these ingredients instead):
- Always check the label to ensure that the Worcestershire sauce you are buying does not contain any gluten. You can use red vinegar or balsamic vinegar combined with tamarind paste as an alternative.
- Beef broth made only with beef and water is gluten-free. However, other brands of beef broth may contain gluten-contaminating ingredients, so make it a habit to always check the ingredients when buying.
Steps To Make Cincinnati Chili
Step 1: To make the broth, combine the water/broth with tomato paste.
Step 2: Using your hands, crumble the ground beef and add them to the liquid.
Step 3: Then, toss in the rest of the ingredients.
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Cocoa powder/dark chocolate:
Salt, ground cumin, & ground nutmeg:
Worcestershire sauce:
Apple cider vinegar:
Sugar:
Step 4: Put the lid on and simmer the chili for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is cooked through. Stir and make sure the meat is completely crumbled.
Step 5: Before storing the chili in the fridge, allow it to cool completely to room temperature.
Step 6: In the next day, break up the cooled grease over the chili. Remove and discard.
Step 7: On the stovetop, bring the chili back to a simmer.
Step 8: Ladle the chili over spaghetti or serve on a hot dog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cincinnati Chili: What to Serve Alongside It
Chili is typically served up in a bowl with a side salad and oyster crackers. But to make dinner fun, try serving this over noodles or on hot dog buns.
How to store
For up to three to four days, store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
This chili also freezes well! Freeze individual portions for up to 6 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat on low heat, stirring often until completely warmed.
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Planning to try this recipe soon? Pin it for a quick find later!
Cincinnati Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef 80/20
- 4 c. water OR can do half water, half beef broth
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- ½ c. onion finely diced
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 oz. dark chocolate OR unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
Toppings:
- cheddar cheese shredded
- spaghetti noodles cooked
- onion diced
- oyster crackers
- Beans
Instructions
- Combine the water and tomato paste in a large dutch oven.
- With your fingers, crumble the meat and add them to the liquid in the pot. Then, stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- Let everything simmer over medium heat. Put the lid on and decrease the heat. Allow the chili to simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring often. As needed, skim the grease from the top.
- Take the chili off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Replace the lid and keep it in the fridge overnight to chill.
- Break up the grease on top of the chili using a spoon after the chili has cooled overnight.
- On medium heat, bring the chili back to a low simmer.
- Ladle the chili over spaghetti and serve warm. Or serve it on a hot dog. Enjoy!
Notes
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