Name: Cincinnati Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 350 g Ground Beef, broken into fine crumbles; 250 g Spaghetti, cooked for serving; ¾ cup Cheddar Cheese, finely grated; 1 Onion, finely chopped, divided; 2 clove Garlic, minced; ¾ cup Tomato Puree, for the sauce base; 1 cup Beef Stock, for simmering; ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon, signature warm spice; ¼ tsp Ground Allspice, for Cincinnati-style aroma; 1 pinch Cloves, ground or finely powdered; 1 tsp Paprika, for mild color; 1 tbsp Vinegar, for brightness; 1 tsp Salt, adjust to taste; ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper, freshly ground if possible

1 hr 15 mintotal

35 min hands-on40 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 1 hr

Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

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Method

Cook the ground beef in a pot over medium heat, breaking it into very fine crumbles.
Add half the onion and the garlic, and cook until softened.
Stir in tomato puree, beef stock, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, paprika, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
Simmer gently until the chili becomes smooth, thick, and aromatic.
Serve the chili over cooked spaghetti and top with cheddar cheese and the remaining chopped onion.

How to tell it's done

The chili should be finely textured, glossy, and thick enough to coat the spaghetti.

Getting it right

Tip

Cincinnati chili should be smooth and pourable, more like a spiced meat sauce than a chunky stew.

What to serve it with

Serve as a three-way with spaghetti and cheese, or add onions and beans for fuller Cincinnati-style versions.

Common mistakes

The chili is chunky like a bolognese.: Break the mince up very fine as it cooks, and some cooks start it in the liquid rather than browning it. Cincinnati chili is a smooth sauce, not a meat sauce with texture.
The spices taste odd and disjointed.: Give it a proper long simmer. Cinnamon, allspice and clove need time to settle into the beef; twenty minutes leaves them sitting on top as separate flavours.

Substitutions

Spaghetti — Use another long pasta only if needed; spaghetti is the classic Cincinnati base.
Ground Beef — Ground Turkey can be used for a lighter version, but the sauce will taste less traditional.

Storing and reheating

Keeps four days in the fridge and improves for two of them — this is a make-ahead sauce. Freezes for three months. Cook the spaghetti fresh; it goes soft and starchy stored in the sauce.

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Ingredients