Cincinnati Chili Recipe

Cincinnati chili was dubbed "the unofficial grub of Cincinnati" by What's Cooking America? And chef, food writer, and registered dietician Kristen Carli has all of the tips and tricks you need to perfect it.

Cincinnati chili is unique in a few ways. First off, it's a thinner chili than you might be used to, and it's made with a unique blend of spices, including some more commonly associated with baking. According to What's Eating America?, the recipe was pioneered by Macedonian immigrants Tom and John Kiradjieff, who added the Middle Eastern spices to chili back in 1922, forging a legacy.

"With the cinnamon and cloves as ingredients," says Carli, "the flavor is unexpectedly delicious." 

The second way this chili stands out is in how it's served: not with rice or cornbread, but atop spaghetti — kind of like a play on bolognese. With a host of optional toppings to dress things up or down to your tastes, it's a fun regional specialty to try at home.

For this Cincinnati chili, you'll need a hodegpodge of items from all over the world. Go to the grocery store and grab Italian spaghetti, a Mexican cheese blend, American canned chili beans, and a whole host of spices. Cinnamon, cloves, and cumin are used in Carli's recipe, but other iterations include everything from allspice to Worcestershire to cocoa.

While this chili is certainly spiced, it's not nearly as spicy as some others from different regions across the Americas. A touch of chili powder is all you'll need to give the chili a kiss of heat.

The recipe for this Cincinnati chili starts simply: cooking the beef in a skillet until nicely browned. According to Carli, no extra fat is needed — all you'll need is just a bit of time. Enameled cast iron works well for this dish, as it's naturally slightly nonstick. Be sure to break the beef up with a wooden spoon as it cooks so that you get nice, even chunks of beef in the finished chili.

Once the beef is cooked through, it's time to season your Cincinnati chili. Add the garlic, onion, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer for just ten minutes, and it's ready to serve!

"This chili cooks up in much less time than a meat sauce," explains Carli. "The flavors can simmer together, and the chili can thicken up in a shorter amount of time than a bolognese, for example."

Once everything is in the pan, you've got just enough time to cook the pasta before it's time to serve. Spaghetti is the classic noodle used for this dish, but you can sub whatever pasta you have on hand. "I would recommend a long noodle," Carli suggests, "for a similar bite."

The chili has simmered, and the pasta is cooked. It's time to plate!

A traditional Cincinnati chili can be topped with a myriad of things, from chopped onions to shredded cheese to beans to crushed oyster crackers. Feel free to get creative here and add whatever sounds good to you on top. Carli's recipe calls for cheese and chili beans, which you can either add to each diner's bowl in the kitchen or set out on the table so everyone can garnish their own plate to their liking.