When it comes to the realm of chili, the traditional Cincinnati chili stands apart as a true epicurean marvel. Its unique flavor profile, characterized by a blend of spices and assertive notes, has garnered both staunch advocates and curious newcomers alike. This iconic dish, with its humble origins in the bustling streets of Cincinnati, Ohio, has evolved into a culinary emblem of the city, emblematic of its rich heritage and deeply ingrained in the local culture. Whether you're a chili aficionado seeking to replicate the authentic taste or a culinary voyager eager to expand your palate, this guide will unveil the secrets behind the perfect traditional Cincinnati chili. Embark on a journey to uncover the art of crafting this treasured delicacy, as we delve into the intriguing history, essential ingredients, and step-by-step instructions to achieve chili perfection.
Let's cook with our recipes!
CINCINNATI CHILI I
An unusual chili, with cinnamon, cloves, and even chocolate!
Provided by MARBALET
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Chili Recipes Chili Without Beans Recipes
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, chocolate, beef broth, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and red pepper. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- It is the best if you now refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the bay leaf. Reheat gently over medium heat. Serve over hot, drained spaghetti. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 427.4 calories, Carbohydrate 7 g, Cholesterol 100.2 mg, Fat 35 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 22.2 g, SaturatedFat 14 g, Sodium 659.1 mg, Sugar 2.9 g
CINCINNATI CHILI
Cincinnati Chili is a meaty, rich, and uniquely spiced chili from (you guessed it!) Cincinnati, Ohio. Serve our authentic Cincinnati chili recipe over hot spaghetti with your choice of toppings. Don't forget the cheese and oyster crackers!
Provided by Sara Bir
Categories Dinner 1-Pot Freezer-friendly Make-ahead
Time 3h40m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Cook the tomato paste: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste to the dry pot and cook, constantly scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until the tomato smells rich and toasty and you start to see browned (not burned) patches in the bottom of the pot. This should take 1 to 3 minutes.
- Simmer gently, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours: Stir the chili often. You want the volume to reduce a bit. (To be honest, just one hour of cook time is okay, but for optimal chili-ness, go long.)
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight: Refrigerate in an air-tight covered container. (Note: you can eat the chili immediately if you want to.)
Nutrition Facts : Calories 359 kcal, Carbohydrate 11 g, Cholesterol 101 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 33 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Sodium 710 mg, Sugar 5 g, Fat 20 g, ServingSize 8 servings, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
TRADITIONAL CINCINNATI CHILI
I got this recipe from a college friend who grew up right outside of Cincinnati. The original recipe calls for twice as much ground beef and no beans, but I prefer the combination. This chili has an interesting blend of flavors and you can easily adjust amounts to your liking - I tend to measure all the spices with a generous hand! Don't be afraid to make it spicy because serving it on spaghetti sort of spreads out the heat. I have also added chopped bell peppers to this to add color, with good results. This freezes well. A couple of notes - browning the ground beef ahead of time works ok, but the consistency will be much different than if you crumble the raw meat into the water at the start (chunky vs. a kind of thickened sauce consistency). Also, this will work in a crock pot, but the end result is too thin and watery for my taste.
Provided by pattikay in L.A.
Categories Spaghetti
Time 1h20m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Pour water into a large cooking pot (5-qt size)
- Crumble raw ground beef into water.
- Add beans, onions, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and all of the spices, salt and peppers.
- Stir together and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer till meat is cooked and chili is thickened, from 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter (depending on how thick you like it).
- When chili is nearly done, prepare spaghetti (as much as you need - think in terms of how much you would want if this were spaghetti sauce).
- Place drained spaghetti on plates and ladle chili over it.
- Top with shredded cheddar.
CINCINNATI-STYLE CHILI
Provided by Katie Lee Biegel
Categories main-dish
Time 3h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- For the chili: In a stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the tomato sauce, tomato paste, onions, chili powder, cocoa powder, sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, cumin, garlic salt, allspice, pepper, cayenne, cloves, bay leaves, beef (do not brown first) and 2 cups water. Mix until combined. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for approximately 2 hours. Stir in the vinegar and simmer for another 30 minutes.
- To serve: Serve on a bed of spaghetti and top with the beans, onions and a mound of cheese (or any preferred combination). Add hot sauce, if desired, and eat with oyster crackers.
CINCINNATI CHILI
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 1h5m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add half the chopped onions and the garlic and cook until soft, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, allspice, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and cloves. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the beef and cook the mixture, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf and 1 1/2 cups water; simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thicker. Add the chocolate, vinegar and Worcestershire and cook until the mixture is thickened but still soupy, about 15 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain well.
- Discard the bay leaf and season the chili with the freshly ground pepper. Divide the spaghetti among bowls and top with the chili, beans, remaining onion and cheddar. Serve with the oyster crackers if desired.
AUTHENTIC CINCINNATI CHILI
This was handed down to me by Mom, a Cincinnati native. Skimming the fat makes this a healthier version than most, and gives it the right consistency. I like mine 4-way, with spaghetti, raw chopped onions, grated mild cheddar, and oyster crackers!
Provided by Melissa Hamilton
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Chili Recipes Chili Without Beans Recipes
Time 11h45m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Place the ground beef in a large pan, cover with about 1 quart of cold water, and bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up the beef with a fork to a fine texture. Slowly boil until the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes, then remove from heat and refrigerate in the pan overnight.
- The next day, skim the solid fat from the top of the pan, and discard the fat. Place the beef mixture over medium heat, and stir in the onions, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chocolate, chili powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cloves, allspice berries, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add water if necessary to prevent the chili from burning.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 225.2 calories, Carbohydrate 10.1 g, Cholesterol 59.5 mg, Fat 12.6 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 19.1 g, SaturatedFat 4.9 g, Sodium 673.7 mg, Sugar 4 g
SIMPLE CINCINNATI CHILI
This is a simple recipe without a long list of ingredients, but it produces a rich, satisfying chili. My kids love this chili better than regular chili!!!
Provided by Charmie777
Categories Spaghetti
Time 30m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cook ground beef in large saucepan until no longer pink; drain.
- Add chili seasoning, cinnamon, beans and tomato sauce.
- Add water to bring to correct consistency.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
- Serve over spaghetti, topped with cheddar and onions.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 450.7, Fat 18.4, SaturatedFat 6.9, Cholesterol 77.1, Sodium 951.6, Carbohydrate 39.3, Fiber 8.6, Sugar 6.8, Protein 31.4
CINCINNATI-STYLE CHILI
My husband had this type of chili when visiting a friend in Ohio and was thrilled when I made it at home. Serving it with spaghetti, cheese, onions and beans makes it what Cincinnatians call five-way. -Tari Ambler, Shorewood, Illinois
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 6h35m
Yield 10 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- In a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, cook turkey, onions and garlic until turkey is no longer pink. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. , In a large bowl, combine tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, chocolate and seasonings; pour over turkey mixture. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours. , Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Remove bay leaf from chili. For each serving, place 3/4 cup spaghetti in a bowl. Top with about 2/3 cup chili, 3 tablespoons kidney beans, 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped onion.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 388 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 47mg cholesterol, Sodium 523mg sodium, Carbohydrate 52g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 10g fiber), Protein 37g protein.
CARRIE'S CINCINNATI CHILI
Every time we have a gathering or company, folks request this. My husband convinced me to enter it in a local chili contest, and I won third place! It's quick and easy. If I don't have fresh garlic, I use minced garlic from a jar. -Carrie Birdsall, Dallas, Georgia
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 6h20m
Yield 6 servings (1-1/2 quarts).
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender, 6-8 minutes, breaking meat into crumbles; drain. Transfer to a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. Add next 11 ingredients., Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours. Discard garlic clove and bay leaves. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti. If desired, top with shredded cheddar cheese and additional chopped onion. , Freeze option: Before adding toppings, cool chili. Freeze chili in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add water or broth if necessary. Serve as directed.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 315 calories, Fat 14g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 70mg cholesterol, Sodium 644mg sodium, Carbohydrate 19g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 23g protein.
QUICK CINCINNATI-STYLE CHILI
Categories Soup/Stew Bean Beef Sauté Quick & Easy Bell Pepper Fall Winter Gourmet
Yield Makes 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add bell peppers and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add chili powder, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
- Add beef and cook, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and molasses and simmer briskly, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
Tips:
- Use a variety of meats to create a flavorful chili. Ground beef, pork, and lamb are all good options.
- Brown the meat well before adding it to the chili. This will help to develop its flavor.
- Use a good quality chili powder. This is the key ingredient in Cincinnati chili, so it's important to choose a good one.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different spices. Cumin, chili flakes, and garlic powder are all good additions to Cincinnati chili.
- Simmer the chili for at least 30 minutes, or even longer if you have time. This will help to develop the flavors and make the chili more tender.
- Serve the chili with shredded cheddar cheese, onions, and oyster crackers.
Conclusion:
Cincinnati chili is a unique and delicious dish that is sure to please everyone at your table. With its rich flavor and hearty ingredients, it's the perfect meal for a cold day or a special occasion. So next time you're looking for a new chili recipe, be sure to give Cincinnati chili a try. You won't be disappointed!
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