It's Chocolate Week! What's chili doing here? Well, this is Cincinnati chili - a blend of cinnamon, hot pepper, cumin, and, yes, chocolate. It's not a gimmick or a mole-wannabe. Cincy chili is rich treat all its own...
Recipe: Cincinnati Chili
When made well it has a smoky, elusive blend of flavors. Cinnamon and cocoa play supporting roles, lifting the other flavors and bringing out the taste of the meat. It's addictive, and usually it's eaten over spaghetti. Those Ohioans love their chili - apparently there are more chili parlors in Cincinnati than any other American city! (Move over Texas...)
The combination of spaghetti and chili without beans may be sacrilegious to those with other notions of chili, but this is worth a try on its own merits. It's also a quick and filling weeknight dinner.
Our recipe departs from some authentic elements (there is, of course, much debate over what constitutes truly authentic Cincinnati chili). Many traditional recipes don't brown the meat - they boil or simmer it instead. We like the browned, deep flavor though.
Also, to experience this truly, you have to try it all five ways:
• Two-way: Spaghetti topped with chili (the basics)
• Three-way: Chili, spaghetti, and finely grated cheddar cheese (lots of it!)
• Four-way: Chili, spaghetti, cheese, and minced onions
• Five-way: Chili, spaghetti, cheese, minced onions, and hot kidney or chili beans
It's cold outside - happy chili-eating!
Cincinnati Chili
serves 2-4
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 small dried red peppers
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1/2 cup water
Film a large, heavy frying pan with olive oil. Heat over medium high heat and when hot add the beef, minced onion and garlic, and chili powder. Crumble in the dried red peppers. Cook for about eight minutes or until the meat is browned.
In a separate bowl combine the cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, chipotle pepper, and salt. Add and stir fry for another couple minutes until fragrant.
Add the bay leaves, Worcestshire sauce, vinegar, tomato sauce, broth and water. Turn heat to low and simmer for an hour.
Serve over spaghetti with minced onion, hot kidney beans, and cheddar cheese.
Comments (15)
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Yes, please! I think I need to try this out this weekend!
view jessica's profile
You forgot to mention the best way to have Cinci chili: a coney...which is a hot dog topped with chili and cheese--and onions and mustard, if you like. You can also order it without the dog--just chili and cheese in a bun.
view alynnl's profile
Figures - I had just posted on the Thursday giveaway that I had never done anything savory with chocolate, and then up comes this! I've had cincinnati chili before, but never made "right" at home with the cocoa and cinnamon. I was even telling a friend about the it today!
Too bad it's ground pork in my fridge, or this would likely be dinner tonight!
view Keelzorz's profile
This Ohio girl loves this post! I'm a "three way" girl all the way! And if anyone is ever in Ohio, (mostly Columbus and south--though some can be found in Northern Ohio), Skyline Chili is a can't miss!
view bobcatsteph3's profile
I'll dissent on this one with a resounding UGH: I live down the street from a Skyline and a Gold Star Chili, and I can definitively say that "Ohio Chili" is not chili. It is a gross, watered-down meat sauce served lukewarm over mushy spaghetti and topped with bagged american cheese.
That said, your Cincy Chili recipe seems to be a great, great improvement on this red-sauce abomination. I am certain it's much, much better than actual Cincy Chili.
view nadarine's profile
Hey, I'm from Cincinnati but currently living in West Virginia. I've never had "Cincinnati Chili" made at home but I'm not a fan of Skyline or Gold Star. My husband, however, loves Skyline so we make a monthly trek to Ashland, Kentucky for his fix.
view Swan's profile
I'll agree, Cincinnati chili is most definitely *not* real chili. But having been born and raised there and currently relocated to the east coast, I have to say I miss it now and then. A Skyline 3 way is the most excellent of junk foods. (And I can only say to Gold Star- YUCK)
I am going to try this recipe, but I have never found a good or even close approximation of the real thing. There is a recipe in the Joy of Cooking- not so good. I have come across so-called "Cincinnati chili" at several restaurants across the country- terrible.This is why they sell Skyline in a can in the grocery stores in Ohio, and why I stock up every time I go home.
view zero's profile
I grew up not too far from Cinci, so was eager to give this a try. I made it for the Super Bowl and it was WONDERFUL. Better than the fast-food chains. Very intense, deep flavors -- awesome!!
Thanks for the recipe!
view wonderwoman's profile
Great recipe. I doubled the meat to 2 lbs. but did not double the other ingredients. I also substituted tomato paste plus a little water for the tomato sauce, and red pepper flakes for the whole dried red peppers. I skipped the chipotle because I didn't have any. I think next time I will add another tablespoon of vinegar, but that's really the only thing I'd change. Thanks!
view Julie's profile
Thanks for the recipe! It's been forever since I have had Cincinnati Chili, and I happen to have ground beef in the freezer, so this is happening tomorrow. I can hardly wait!
view Charcuterista's profile
Finally got around to trying this. It was pretty good! We tamed down the peppers & hot stuff because we had a Japanese boy in the house (who doesn't like the HOT). He also doesn't like the beans so we didn't add kidney beans at the end. All these subtractions and it was still good.
Next time (sans Japanese boy), I will make it hotter and beanier. It will be grand!
view jessica's profile
A 4-way can also be with beans instead of onions. AND you forgot to serve it with Tabasco sauce and oyster crackers! Also, I never see people eat this by twirling it around the fork as you do with Italian spaghetti; we always cut bites off so there's some of everything on the fork! Yummy!
Rules for dishing up: spaghetti first, then chili for a 2-way.
spaghetti, chili, cheese for a 3-way.
spaghetti, chili, beans OR onions, cheese for a 4-way.
spaghetti, chili, beans, onions, cheese for a 5-way.
Beans are red beans, not kidney beans.
view forgetit's profile
Agreed that this sounds much better than the original...but beware all that pepper -- three doses of red pepper in a pound of hamburger! Counting the chili powder, the red peppers and the chipotle. That's a lot if you're used to Cincinnati chili, where I couldn't detect any heat at all. But then I'm a New Mexican with an iron palate. Really miss the Cincinnati chili here in New York --
view TimH's profile
YAY Cincinnati! I lived there for 6 years, and although I took several years to converting to a Cinci chili fan, I finally became one by eating the chili super burrito at Skyline every Friday after studio class. No onions or olive. Extra sour cream. Yum....
view barbidahll's profile
I had never heard of Cincinnati Chili until your website, and it has quickly become a dinnertime regular. Easy to make, cheap, uncomplicated, kids love it. DONE!!
I do make a minor modification for the sake of the kids, I only use 1 tbsp. of chili powder.
Thanks for the great recipe.
view LIMOM's profile