Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili – a saucy, spiced beef chili poured over spaghetti and smothered in cheddar. Weird? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely.

My Kind Of Chili

When I first told Remo I was making chili… over spaghetti… with cinnamon in it… he looked at me like I’d finally lost it. “That’s not chili,” he said. And to be fair, it’s not the chili you grew up with. But it is the kind that once you try it, you’ll catch yourself craving out of nowhere on a Tuesday.

This is Cincinnati Chili, meaty, spiced, cozy, and completely different from the chunky, beany stuff most of us are used to. It’s got warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, no beans (unless you want them), and it’s traditionally served over spaghetti and topped with a mountain of shredded cheddar.

Remo’s now a full convert. He asks for it by name. Or sometimes just says, “Hey, are you making that pasta chili again?”

• Spices you don’t expect: Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, yep, they’re supposed to be there. That warm, slightly sweet undertone is the whole point.
• No beans unless you say so: Traditional Cincinnati chili is bean-free unless you go “5-way.” So if you’re a beans-in-chili purist, skip this one (or embrace the chaos).
• It’s meant to be smooth: This is not chunky Texas chili. The beef is broken down, the sauce is silky. Think spaghetti sauce meets chili, with a Greek twist.
• Ground beef: I usually use lean beef, but honestly, anything works. You’ll drain it anyway.
• Tomato sauce + beef broth: This combo gives the base depth and just the right thickness.
• Worcestershire + vinegar: Adds tang and umami. You’ll miss it if it’s not there.
• Sugar: Just a little. It balances the acidity from the tomato and vinegar.
• Optional cocoa or chocolate: I don’t always add it, but a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa can give the chili a deeper, richer backbone.

Grab a big Dutch oven or deep pot. Cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you go. No need to caramelize it, just cook it through. Drain off the excess fat with some paper towels.

Now toss in your chopped onion and garlic. Cook until the onion looks soft and your kitchen smells like dinner, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Here’s where the Cincinnati magic starts. Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, and a bay leaf. Stir it all together and let the spices toast for a minute or two. It’ll smell a little strange. Trust the process.

Pour in the tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire, vinegar, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together and bring it to a gentle simmer.

Cover the pot and let it do its thing for 1 to 2 hours, stirring every so often so nothing sticks. This is when the flavor develops, so don’t rush it. Pull the bay leaf before serving.

Ladle the chili over a big pile of spaghetti and go wild with shredded cheddar and chopped onions. Want the full 5-way? Add beans. Or don’t. You’re in charge.

Storage

• Fridge: Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavor actually improves, so don’t be surprised if it tastes even better the next day.
• Freezer: Freeze it (without the spaghetti) for up to 3 months. Just let it cool first, then portion it out and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
• Reheating Tip: If it thickens up too much, just add a splash of water or broth to loosen it back up.

Try These Ground Beef Recipes Next

• Easy Meatloaf
• Hoisin Beef Noodles
• Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
• American Goulash
• Asian Ground Beef Noodles

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4.55 from 11 votes

Cincinnati Chili

Prep 10 minutes minutes

Cook 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

10

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This Cincinnati Chili is a Midwest classic, with a twist. Spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, it’s served over spaghetti and topped with cheese, onions, or beans (or all of the above). It’s not traditional chili, and that’s exactly why it’s so good.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pounds ground beef
• ▢ 1 large onion (chopped)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 15 ounces tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 cups beef broth (low sodium or no sodium added)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ salt and black pepper (to taste)

For Serving

• ▢ cooked spaghetti
• ▢ cheddar cheese (shredded)
• ▢ onions (chopped)

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Instructions 

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Drain any excess fat.
• In the same pot, sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Stir to combine.
• Bring the chili to a simmer, cover the pot and simmer the chili for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste.
• To serve, ladle the chili over cooked spaghetti or other pasta. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions, if desired.

Equipment

• 6 Quart Dutch Oven

Notes

1. Don’t skip the simmer: This chili needs at least an hour to let the flavors come together. Longer is even better.
2. Make it ahead: Tastes even better the next day, which makes it perfect for meal prep or hosting.
3. Go full 5-way: Try it with spaghetti, cheddar, onions, and beans for the full Cincinnati experience.
4. Freeze like a champ: Freezes beautifully, just skip the pasta when storing.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 191kcal (10%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 20g (40%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 59mg (20%)Sodium: 421mg (18%)Potassium: 605mg (17%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 666IU (13%)Vitamin C: 5mg (6%)Calcium: 36mg (4%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.