Cincinnati Chili

This Cincinnati Chili recipe post is sponsored by Mueller’s® Pasta and all opinions are my own.

Cincinnati Chili is a uniquely spiced slow-simmered beef chili served over hot spaghetti pasta with your choice of toppings: cheese, onions, beans, and oyster crackers.

If you’ve never tried Cincinnati Chili, you’ve been missing out! It’s nothing like traditional chili and that’s definitely not a bad thing. It’s just a different thing – an extremely delicious different thing!

Why This Recipe Works

Trying regional specialties is always fun and leads to great dinner table conversation, but more importantly, the flavorful and unique sauce gets you out of your comfort zone and out of a cooking rut. It’s a great pasta night twist and incredibly delicious!

Ingredient Notes

• Ground beef – I usually use an 85/15 blend but you could also use 80/20.
• Spaghetti – Cincinnati Chili is always served over spaghetti, so you’ll need spaghetti pasta (not thin spaghetti). And remember, not all pasta is created equal. I buy Mueller’s® Spaghetti at Walmart because it’s just wheat and water – real, simple ingredients.
• Spices – There are some pretty non-traditional spices used in Cincinnati Chili, but you probably have all of them in your pantry already.
• Chocolate – Whaaaat? Yep, you don’t need much but the flavor adds something special to Cincinnati Chili, trust me. Look for unsweetened baking chocolate
• Beef broth – If you don’t have beef broth (or beef bouillon to make it), you could use water or chicken broth, but I really like the deep flavor that beef broth provides.

Directions

The key to an authentic Cincinnati Chili recipe is in the way the ground beef is cooked. Instead of browning it in a skillet, it’s boiled.

**Flashback to childhood lunchroom “hamburgers” suspended in unknown liquid before being slapped on a bun and onto your plastic lunch tray.**

Stay with me here.

In my recipe, we’re cooking it in beef broth, so think of it as a soup.

Boom.

All better.

Step 1: Bring the beef broth to a boil in a large stockpot, then break the ground beef into pieces and add it to the broth. Use a potato masher or fork to press the meat against the sides of the pan, breaking it up into tiny crumbles. Unlike most beef dishes, we don’t want chunks.

Let the ground beef boil for about 30 minutes, remove from heat and let cool slightly before putting in fridge for several hours or overnight. We want the fat to rise to the surface. When it’s cold, skim the fat layer off with a spoon.

Step 2: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for several minutes until soft and fragrant. Add garlic; cook another minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for a minute or two.

Step 3: Meanwhile, bring the stockpot of meat and broth to a boil. Stir in the cooked onions, garlic and tomato paste mixture to the broth along with Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, chocolate and spices.

Step 4: Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 1 1/2 hours. The sauce will reduce and thicken to a spaghetti sauce consistency.

And that folks, is a gooooood Cincinnati Chili sauce.

Step 5: Prepare the pasta according to box directions. Again, I use Mueller’s® Spaghetti for the perfect pasta. Its versatility inspires me to create meals I’m proud to serve, and this is definitely one of them. 

Serving Options

• 2-Way: Chili served over hot spaghetti pasta.
• 3-Way: Chili served over hot spaghetti with finely shredded cheddar cheese.
• 4-Way: Chili served over hot spaghetti with chopped onions and finely shredded cheddar cheese.
• 5-Way: Chili served over hot spaghetti with warmed red kidney beans, chopped onions, and finely shredded cheddar cheese.

Recipe FAQ

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