The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Cincinnati Chili

4.56 Mitt(s) 9 Rating(s)9 votes, average: 4.56 out of 59 votes, average: 4.56 out of 59 votes, average: 4.56 out of 59 votes, average: 4.56 out of 59 votes, average: 4.56 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

A simple twist on a chili con carne, this classic Cincinnati chili will warm you from your head to your toes.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CHILI:
  • 2 pounds Ground Beef
  • 5 cups Water, Enough To Cover The Ground Beef
  • 28 ounces, weight Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 cups Onion, Finely Diced
  • 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
  • ¼ teaspoons Ground Cloves
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 5 Tablespoons Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
  • ½ Tablespoons Cumin Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar
  • 2 whole Bay Leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
  • ¼ cups Red Kidney Beans, Cooked (optional)
  • TO SERVE:
  • ½ pounds Spaghetti Noodles, Cooked According To Package Instructions
  • 1 cup Onion, Finely Diced
  • 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
  • ½ cups Oyster Crackers
  • 1 dash Hot Sauce

Preparation

Begin by getting a large pot on the stove. Add the ground beef and water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and begin stirring the beef, breaking it up as you stir. Continue this process for about 45 minutes. Skim off any of the crud that might float to the top and discard it.

Next, add all of the remaining chili ingredients on the above list, giving a good stir. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for approximately 3 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time. When done, remove bay leaves.

Now if you are living on the edge and like that fatty flavor, you could go ahead and serve this right now, but instead, I recommend that you take it off of the stove, let it cool, then place it in the refrigerator overnight. The reason you will probably want to do this is that when you remove the chili the next day, the fat that was cooked off from boiling the ground beef will rise to the top, allowing you to remove all of that fat. So do just that, and remove that thin layer of fat from the chili.

Once you have removed the fat, put it back onto the stove, bringing it up to a boil and heat throughout, then get ready to serve.

Remember now, I went four-way, which means, spaghetti, chili, onions, and cheese.

To serve, add a layer of the cooked spaghetti on the bottom of your bowl. Ladle a generous amount of the chili on top of the spaghetti. Top with onions, and a lot of grated cheese. Place a small handful of oyster crackers on the side, and dig in!

You will be surprised not only with the awesome texture of this chili, but more importantly, the flavor. You get the richness from the cocoa powder, and the clove and cinnamon really stand out. But it is also the texture you get from the onion and cheese that make this chili just melt in your mouth.

Give it a shot, and I hope you enjoy the recipe!

2 Comments

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ksvoce on 7.6.2014

Have this simmering on the stove right now! House smells heavenly!!!

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mbmeier on 10.10.2011

I am so glad that someone posted this recipe! I saw a recipe on a food network show this weekend for Cincinnati Chili that involved browning the meat – nearly sacrilige! This is similar to a recipe that my dad has made my entire life – though his has a lot more spice with dried red peppers and cayenne and a few differences in the other ingredients. I’ve had luck in not needing to take the extra step to skim the fat but using very lean ground beef, turkey breast or even venison. Thanks!

9 Reviews

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Judy Rettke on 8.2.2015

I really wanted to like this recipe, spent an afternoon waiting for it to be done. Made the recipe exactly as stated and I’m not sure if I just don’t like this style of chili but it really wasn’t very good. My family wasn’t crazy about it either. Not sure if cooking the beef this way or the large amount of chili powder gave it a very grainy feel to it. Even cooking it with the lid off at the end, it did not thicken up and was kind of runny. The only think that saved it was serving it over spaghetti. Will not make it again.

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CdnShannon on 1.15.2014

The best thing keeping this Canadian warm this winter! My new favourite chili recipe hands down. Thank you!

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Minnow in Hampton Roads on 4.20.2013

Perfection! The only thing I did differently was add some pickled jalapeno slices on top of each serving. Everyone loved it!

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Donna on 2.27.2013

never ate this before until last night. My family loved it. I will definetly be making this again.

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BradleyFarms on 2.24.2013

Familiar w/Cincinnati chili since I grew up in OH & went to Ohio State (where Skyline Chili was a popular chain). This was great…nice & spicy, but really rich in flavor. I used ground lamb sausage, because I didn’t have any ground beef, and it was awesome. We served it 4-way because I didn’t have time to soak beans, but I imagine it would have been brilliant with beans, too. Perfect for the cool, rainy day we had.

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