Queen of Chilis (Cincinnati-Style)
Submitted by BDolphins19
Cincinnati-style chili over buttered spaghetti, topped with kidney beans, chopped onions, and a mountain of shredded cheddar. The classic 5-way Skyline-style chili from Ohio.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
45 minREADY
80 minCincinnati chili is its own animal, unrelated to Texas, Mexican, or any other regional chili. It’s served over buttered spaghetti, sweetened with chocolate and cinnamon, and finished with a shocking pile of finely shredded cheddar. The 5-way construction (spaghetti, chili, beans, onions, cheese) is the city’s signature.
The spice profile is what makes this distinctive. Allspice, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and turmeric pull the chili in a Mediterranean direction, which traces back to the dish’s invention by Macedonian-Greek immigrant restaurateurs in 1922. This is essentially a sweet-spiced meat sauce, not a Tex-Mex stew.
The critical technique is breaking the ground beef into fine crumbs as it browns, never letting it form chunks. Cincinnati chili is supposed to be smooth and saucy, with no large meat pieces. Use a fork or potato masher to keep working it as it cooks.
Unsweetened chocolate (just half an ounce, grated) is the secret ingredient. It adds depth and roundness without tasting like chocolate, similar to how it works in mole. Don’t skip it.
The overnight rest is the move every Cincinnati chili joint uses. Twenty-four hours in the fridge melds the spices and improves the flavor dramatically. Don’t serve this on day one if you can help it.
Pro Tips
- Use 80/20 ground beef chuck, leaner beef leaves the chili too dry, fattier renders too much grease
- Drain the fat thoroughly after browning, Cincinnati chili is sauce-like, not greasy
- Pat the cheese on while the chili is still hot so it melts in tangled, gooey strands
- Serve immediately, the dish is meant to be eaten the moment the cheese hits the plate
Variations
- Skip the beans for 3-way (spaghetti, chili, cheese), add only onions for 4-way (spaghetti, chili, onions, cheese)
- Drizzle with hot sauce or sprinkle with red pepper flakes for added heat
- Serve the chili as a coney sauce over hot dogs with mustard and onions for the other Cincinnati specialty
Ingredients
Directions
Chop 2 of the onions and set aside. Chop remaining onion fine.
Salt a large skillet.
Turn heat to medium and add meat, finely chopped onion, and garlic.
Break up meat with fork and cook until it is browned. Drain fat.
Add barbeque sauce and water. Bring to a boil.
Add remaining seasonings.
Cover and simmer over very low heat 30 minutes, stirring and tasting occasionally, adding tomato juice if mixture is getting too dry.
Chili is best when allowed to age overnight in refrigerator and reheated.
To construct the plate of 5-way chili, layer spaghetti on a plate (a small oval plate is traditional), top it with hot chili, then with a sparse layer of beans, then chopped onions.
Pat on plenty of cheese while chili is still hot and serve immediately, with oyster crackers on the side.
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