If there’s one thing I’ve proven over the years, it’s that I have zero qualms about actually eating a regional dish like Cincinnati Chili before reproducing it at home. I’m not going to go all the way to Minneapolis before I make a Juicy Lucy (although if I ever go there I’ll be sure to try the original).

I’ve gotten some flack for this over the years but I’ve also gotten a lot of good meals out of it so… I don’t care. What I have learned though is that a lot of times regional dishes are good but not exceptional. They are exceptional only because of their history to a specific location.

The juicy lucy, in other words, is a good burger, but it’s not the best burger I’ve ever made.

So I was expecting something similar with Cincinnati chili. After all, it sounded kind of weird. Chili and spaghetti? Is this really a good idea?

Well, it turns out that Cincinnati really outdid itself on this one. It’s not only a good idea. It’s an amazing idea.

If you think about it, there’s a very fine line between a good chili and a classic Italian bolognese sauce. Maybe some spice differences (and some very American toppings like cheddar cheese and crackers).

But believe me when I say that it all works. It’s a big, hearty plate of food and I can’t think of a much better way to eat my way through a cold winter night.

Cincinnati Chili

5 from 1 vote
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
The classic cincinnati chili made with a beef and pinto bean chili and served over spaghetti with lots of awesome toppings. A hearty winter meal!

Ingredients 

Cincinnati Chili Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 15-ounce can pinto beans
  • Salt and pepper

Other ingredients:

  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 8 ounces Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Scallions
  • Crackers

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, add oil over medium heat and cook onions and garlic until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Then add in all the spices and stir to combine.
  • Add beef to the pot and break up beef as it browns. Cook it for 5-6 minutes until it’s well browned and cooked through.
  • Add diced tomatoes and bay leaf and bring chili to a simmer. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
  • Add chocolate, worcestershire sauce and drained and rinsed pinto beans to the chili. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
  • Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until it’s al dente. Drain pasta and divide between plates.
  • Top each plate of spaghetti with a big heap of chili and all the toppings. Serve immediately!

Nutrition

Serving: 1plate | Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1826IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 343mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American

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Tag @crunchtimekitchen

Really Good Cincinnati Chili

The chili really is the star of this show so it’s a good idea to make it well. An onion and garlic are necessary and while I used ground beef, you could make a vegetarian version with mushrooms or just extra beans.

The basics for Cincinnati Chili
The basics.

After doing some research, I learned that chili for this dish usually has some allspice in it which is a nice touch as well as a tiny hunk of chocolate. This kind of brings in a mole type feel to the chili. Again, it all works so just go with it.

chili spices
Good spice.

Cook the onions and garlic until they turn translucent over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Then add in all those lovely spices.

This will immediately smell good.

Starting onions.
Starting onions.

Add in the beef next and brown it well. Break it up as it cooks. Season the mixture as you cook it with salt and pepper.

Browning the beef for Cincinnati chili
Brown the beef.

Once the beef is browned, pour in the tomatoes and add a bay leaf. Cover the pot now and simmer this all over low heat for about 15 minutes. This will break down the sauce and combine the flavors. If the sauce looks too dry, feel free to add a little water to the pan.

Simmer simmer.
Simmer simmer.

Once the chili has simmered for awhile, add in the beans, Worcestershire sauce and chocolate. You just need a tiny amount of chocolate. It’ll really smooth out the flavors in the chili without giving it a noticeable chocolate flavor.

Beans go in.
Beans go in.

As with anything, taste this as you cook it and season the chili with salt and pepper. Keep it warm over low heat while you make the rest of the meal.

Spaghetti and Toppings

Cook the spaghetti as you would any pasta: in salted water. While it cooks, you can get your toppings ready. Cheese? Check. Scallions? Check. Crackers? Definitely check.

The crackers are my favorite part.

Cincinnati Chili toppings
Toppins’

You know the rest.

Drain the pasta and pile some onto a plate. Top with a big heap of the chili and all of the toppings.

All of the toppings.

No need to go to Cincinnati, people. But man… they really did nail this one. I loved this pasta.

A classic cincinnati chili version with beef and bean chili served over plain spaghetti with lots of great toppings like shredded cheese, scallions, and crackers. Chili never tasted so good!