Easy Cincinnati Chili Recipe

A plate of spaghetti topped with Cincinnati Chili Recipe ground beef sauce, shredded cheese, and chopped onions, with a fork placed on the side.

This homemade Cincinnati Chili recipe is a unique twist on traditional chili simply made with a variety of common spices and a secret ingredient, chocolate, that gives it the authentic flavors it's known for.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings servings

Calories 168kcal

Author Sherri Hagymas

Ingredients

5 cups water
6 ounces tomato paste 1 small can
.5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate ½ a square
¼ cup chili powder
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ pound lean ground beef I use 93%

Instructions

Add the 5 cups of water in a large pot.
5 cups water
Add the tomato paste and chocolate and heat on medium heat, stirring to mix for 2- minutes. (I press the tomato paste with a fork)
6 ounces tomato paste, .5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
Add the spices and vinegar.
¼ cup chili powder, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Next, crumble the raw ground beef into the pot. I break it into small pieces and then stir to break it up more. Then I press it against the sides of the pot to continue to crumble it. It will become very fine which is what you want.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to med-low and simmer.
Cook uncovered for 1 to 1 ½ hours stirring often. It will thicken substantially.
Serve over thin spaghetti with optional toppings mentioned in the notes.

Notes

Optional toppings for traditional Cincinnati Chili
2-way: chili and spaghetti
3 -way: chili, spaghetti, and shredded cheddar cheese
4-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, and onions
5-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions, and red kidney beans

Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.

Nutrition