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Home » Recipes » Soups » Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili

By: Liz  /  Published: October 24, 2021  /  Updated: October 24, 2021  /   Leave a comment

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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!

cincinnati chili 5 way on table with extra toppings

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

labeled ingredients for cincy chili with Mueller's pasta
  • 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.

boiling hamburger meat
boiled hamburger meat

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.

browning onions and garlic
add tomato paste to onions and garlic

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.

add tomato paste to hamburger broth mixture
adding spices for cincinnati chili

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.

spoonful of 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. 

Cincinnati chili sauce on table in back of bowl of spaghetti noodles

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.
Cincinnati chili sauce, spaghetti and topping choices on table with Walmart bag and Mueller's Pasta box

Recipe FAQ

What’s different about Cincinnati Chili?

The biggest difference is in how the meat is cooked, but the sauce is thinner and it’s made with an unusual blend of spices that includes cinnamon and chocolate.

How do you serve Cincinnati Chili?

It’s served over hot spaghetti pasta with your choice of traditional toppings: cheese, onions, kidney beans and oyster crackers.

Cincinnati chili in bowl with topping options on table and Mueller's box

Related Recipes

  • Deluxe Pizza Spaghetti
  • Spicy Spaghetti Pie
  • Spicy Chicken Spaghetti
  • Slow Cooker Spaghetti Noodle Soup with Meatballs
cincinnati chili 5 way on table with extra toppings
cincinnati chili 5 way on table with extra toppings

Cincinnati Chili

Liz – Eat Move Make
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.
5 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 569 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz Mueller’s® Spaghetti Pasta uncooked
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • ½ yellow onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 6- oz cans tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 oz grated unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions
 

  • 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. 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 so the fat rises 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.
  • Step 5: Prepare the Mueller’s® Pasta according to box directions.
  • Step 6: Spoon chili over hot, cooked spaghetti pasta and add your choice of toppings: cheese, onions, warmed red kidney beans. Serve with oyster crackers.

Notes

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.
OTHER NOTES
  • Allow enough time to cool the beef mixture so you can skim the fat off before continuing the recipe. This could be done in the morning or the night before.
  • Use a potato masher or fork to press the meat against the sides of the pan as it boils, breaking it up into tiny crumbles. Unlike most beef dishes, you don’t want chunks. 
  • Nutrition does not account for optional toppings of cheese, raw onions, kidney beans, or oyster crackers.
All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only and nutrition may vary according to exact products and the online nutrition calculator being used. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on EatMoveMake.com should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition

Calories: 569kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 31gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1336mgPotassium: 948mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1380IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Liz

Liz is a midwestern mom gone southern (accent in transition). She lives in North Carolina and loves cooking, baking, traveling, movies, crafts, hot and cold tea, wine, pizza and the occasional nap. She also revels in the fact she's a crazy cat lady.

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I’m Liz! Thank you for visiting Eat Move Make. Here you will find a collection of easy & delicious year-round recipes, seasonal ideas, and DIY craft inspiration. Visit my About Me page for more of my story.

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