There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of Cincinnati chili to bring comfort to the table — especially when it’s made from scratch at home. Unlike traditional Texas-style chili, this Midwest favorite is rich with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, giving it a unique flavor that’s both savory and slightly sweet. And the best part? You can enjoy it “5 Ways” — over spaghetti, topped with beans, onions, cheese, or piled high on a hot dog.
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🥫 The Ingredients
The ingredients for this chili are rooted in Greek influence, giving it a warm, spiced flavor that sets it apart from traditional chili. Best of all, the ingredients are easy to find — many you likely already have in your pantry — and they come together to create a truly unforgettable dish. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
👉 Substitutions and Variations
- Protein – Ground beef is traditional. Since the beef is cooked in the simmering liquid, you won’t be able to discard any rendered grease. For this reason, we recommend lean ground beef with a lean content of 85% to 95% lean as being best. For a healthier version, you could use ground turkey, chicken, or even plant-based ground.
- Seasonings – Cinnamon, allspice, and ground cloves come from the Greek influence in this chili. They all have a prominent flavor profile, so don’t be heavy-handed with them. In a pinch, you can omit the allspice and/or cloves, but don’t leave out the cinnamon.
- Vinegar – Go with whatever you have on hand. We recommend red wine vinegar, but white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or distilled white vinegar will work. It adds a little acid to the flavor profile, which works well with the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
- Toppings – Finely grated cheddar is traditional and is added generously on top of the chili. Any type of canned beans will work, but dark kidney beans are traditional. For the pasta, we recommend spaghetti, but any type of long pasta will work.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Expert Tip
Many chili parlors in the Cincinnati area serve the chili (all ways) on an oval dish. It is said that Cincinnatians prefer to start at one end of the dish and work their way across the plate of pasta and chili, adding oyster crackers as they go. Of course, a regular dinner plate will work, too.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Cincinnati Chili (5 Ways)
- Step 1: Sauté the onions and then the garlic in the lard (or oil) over medium heat until soft.
- Step 2: In a small bowl, mix the spices and then add them to the sautéed onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Step 3: Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, bay leaves, and water.
- Step 4: Crumble the beef into the liquid.
- Step 5: Cover and simmer on low for 40 minutes.
- Step 6: Simmer another 20 minutes and then remove the bay leaves. Serve at once!
🍽️ How To Serve
- 2 Ways – Cincinnati chili liberally ladled over freshly cooked pasta, preferably spaghetti.
- 3 Ways – Chili over spaghetti with a huge pile of finely shredded cheddar on top.
- 4 Ways – Chili over spaghetti, with beans or onions sprinkled over the spaghetti, and then a huge mound of finely grated cheddar on top.
- 5 Ways – Chili over spaghetti, with beans and onions sprinkled over the spaghetti, and then a huge mound of finely grated cheddar on top.
🌶️ Oyster crackers and hot sauce are served on the side, but we think they add the perfect texture and depth of flavor to the overall experience. We order Skyline Hot Sauce, which is served at the legendary Skyline Chili in and around Cincinnati.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Cincinnati chili uses a unique blend of warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, giving it a slightly sweet and savory flavor that sets it apart from traditional chili.
Yes! In fact, it tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to develop. Store it in the fridge and reheat gently before serving.
The “5 Ways” are: 1) spaghetti + chili, 2) spaghetti + chili + cheese, 3) spaghetti + chili + cheese + onions, 4) spaghetti + chili + cheese + beans, and 5) spaghetti + chili + cheese + onions + beans.
Absolutely. Let it cool completely, then store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.
😋 Other Amazing Chili Recipes
Ready to make the best chili, well, this side of Cincinnati? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Homemade Cincinnati Chili (5 Ways)
Video
Equipment
- 1 Large pot with lid
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon allspice ground
- ½ teaspoon cloves ground
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1 tablespoon pork lard or vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 lbs ground beef 85 to 90% lean
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings (Ways)
- 1 lb spaghetti cooked
- 2 cups cheddar cheese finely grated
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans drained
- 1 cup onions chopped
- oyster crackers for serving
- hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon.2 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- In a large pot, heat the lard (or oil) over medium heat. Stir in the onions and sauté until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the seasonings and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.1 tablespoon pork lard, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, water, and bay leaves. Crumble the beef into the pot with your hands and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 15 oz can tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 2 cups water, 2 bay leaves, 2 lbs ground beef
- Remove the lid and continue simmering until slightly thickened, about another 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt (2 tsp) and pepper (1 tsp).2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Remove the bay leaves. Serve over spaghetti (2-way), topped with cheddar cheese (3-way), with beans or onions (4-way) or with beans and onions (5-way). Oyster crackers and hot sauce are served on the side.1 lb spaghetti, 2 cups cheddar cheese, 1 15 oz can kidney beans, 1 cup onions, oyster crackers, hot sauce
Kevin Carson says
When I was a kid, I wondered why my grandma’s chili didn’t taste like “regular” chili. It was mild, didn’t have much cumin flavor, and she served it over spaghetti. When I heard about Cincinnati-style as an adult, something clicked. She was born around 1906 and — I think — raised in Missouri, so maybe she picked up that style somewhere along the way.