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Cincinnati Chili

If you haven’t tried Cincinnati Chili before, you are in for a treat!  It’s a thick, ground beef meat sauce punctuated by a unique blend of warm, sweet-and-savory spices served not in a bowl but over hot dogs or spaghetti piled with your choice of kidney beans, chopped onions, cheese and/or oyster crackers.  Cincinnati Chili is made by virtually dumping the ingredients together in one pot without even browning the meat then simmering until thickened. It might sound odd, but this technique makes for the easiest bowl of comfort food around that’s hearty, aromatic, packed with flavor and can’t-stop-eating delicious – guaranteed.  This sensational Cincinnati Chili recipe makes fantastic leftovers (it’s even better the next day) so it’s fabulous for make ahead meals and crowds and it also freezes beautifully for an instant dinner any night of the week.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

Chili

For serving:

  • Cooked spaghetti
  • Kidney beans
  • 1 chopped white onion
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Oyster crackers
  • Tabasco Hot Sauce

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Add tomato paste, chocolate, garlic, and all seasonings (through cloves) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add beef broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon brown sugar and bay leaves.
  • Stir in the beef, crumbling it as you add it. Use an immersion blender, potato masher or fork to break up the meat into fine pieces.
  • Cover to help the mixture come to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, uncover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until sauce has become quite thick.
  • Taste and season with salt and/or cayenne pepper to taste. I like ½ teaspoon more of each. Time permitting, refrigerate the chili overnight, it tastes 1000X better the next day!
  • For serving, ladle over hot dogs or a bowl of cooked spaghetti with desired toppings such as kidney beans, chopped white onions, freshly grated cheese, oyster crackers and hot sauce.

Video

Notes

  • Refrigerate the chili overnight.  Some people like to refrigerate their chili overnight so they can skim the fat off the top the next day but I refrigerate it overnight because it tastes 1000X better the next day!  When reheating the chili the next day, you will likely have to add additional broth to thin it out a bit.  If you don't have time to refrigerate it overnight, it can still be served the same day. 
  • Don’t skim all of the fat.  If you decide to refrigerate the chili overnight, I don’t recommend skimming off all of the fat.  Fat=flavor so the more fat you remove, the more flavor you lose.
  • Turkey Cincinnati Chili:  swap the ground beef for ground turkey.  You may want to add additional beef bouillon to taste to give the ground turkey an extra beefy flavor.  If that’s the case, omit the salt and add salt to taste at the end of cooking.  You can also season with additional beef bouillon at the end of cooking.
  • Vegetarian Cincinnati Chili:  swap the ground beef for brown lentils and cook just until tender (about 30 minutes partially covered) or use well drained broken up tofu, brown it for about 8 minutes then continue with the recipe.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
  • To store: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. 
  • To freeze: allow the chili to cool completely then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn and label. Store for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when ready to use.
  • To reheat on the stove: reheat on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through, adding additional broth as needed.
  • To reheat in the microwave:  transfer to a microwave-safe dish, add additional broth as needed, cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel. Microwave for 90 seconds, stir, then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.
  • To reheat in the crockpot: transfer to a slow cooker and heat on low for 1-2 hours, adding additional broth as needed.