Cinnamon and chocolate in chili sounds unhinged until you taste Cincinnati Chili. This isn’t your average bowl of beans and beef, it’s a spiced meat sauce piled over spaghetti, and honestly, it shouldn’t work as well as it does.
I grew up thinking chili always meant chunky beef and beans. Then I tried Cincinnati Chili for the first time, and IMO, it completely rewired what I thought chili could be.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 2 to 3 hours Chill time: Overnight (recommended) Total time: About 2.5 hours active, plus overnight rest Servings: 8
What Exactly Is Cincinnati Chili?
Forget everything you know about traditional chili for a second. Cincinnati Chili is thinner, saucier, and packed with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg instead of just chili powder alone.
Have you ever eaten something that tasted both sweet and savory at the same time and couldn’t quite explain why it worked? That’s this dish in a nutshell.
Why This Recipe Deserves a Spot in Your Rotation
Some regional specialties stay regional for good reason, but not this one. Here’s why Gold Star Cincinnati Chili belongs on your weekly menu:
- Rich, complex flavor from an unexpected spice blend
- Freezes beautifully, so batch cooking makes total sense
- Feeds a crowd without much hands-on effort
- Endlessly customizable with toppings everyone can pick
- Tastes even better the next day, which is basically a bonus meal
Why cook something once when it gets better with time? That’s the beauty of this chili.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Nothing here is exotic, but the spice combination is what makes this chili so distinctive. Here’s your full shopping list:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 4 cups water (or 2 cups water and 2 cups beef broth)
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ounce dark chocolate or 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 bay leaf
Toppings:
- Cooked spaghetti noodles
- Hot dogs
- Beans
- Diced onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Oyster crackers
FYI, the chocolate isn’t there to make it sweet, it deepens the flavor in a way that’s hard to describe until you taste it yourself.
How to Make Gold Star Cincinnati Chili (Step-by-Step)
This chili takes patience more than skill, so don’t rush the process. Let’s walk through exactly how it comes together.
Step 1: Build the Base
Grab a large Dutch oven and whisk together the water and tomato paste until fully combined with no lumps. This creates the thin, saucy base that makes Cincinnati Chili so unique compared to thicker traditional chilis.
Step 2: Add the Beef
Add the ground beef directly into the pot with the tomato water mixture. Crumble it apart with your fingers as you add it, breaking it into very small, fine pieces rather than big chunks.
This step matters more than it seems. The beef needs to nearly dissolve into the sauce, not sit in big clumps like a regular chili would.
Step 3: Stir in the Spices
Add the diced onion, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar into the pot. Then stir in the salt, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, chocolate, and bay leaf.
Mix everything thoroughly so the spices distribute evenly throughout the liquid. This is where all that warm, aromatic flavor starts building.
Step 4: Bring It to a Simmer
Place the pot over medium heat and bring the entire mixture to a gentle simmer. Watch closely so it doesn’t boil too aggressively, since a gentle simmer is exactly what this chili needs.
Step 5: Let It Cook Slowly
Once simmering, reduce the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let the chili cook low and slow for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Patience really pays off here. The longer simmer allows the beef to break down fully and the spices to fully infuse the sauce.
Step 6: Skim the Grease
Check the surface periodically while the chili simmers and skim off any excess grease that rises to the top. This keeps the final dish from tasting overly greasy or heavy.
Step 7: Cool and Refrigerate Overnight
Once the cook time finishes, remove the pot from heat and let the chili cool down to room temperature. Cover it and refrigerate overnight so the flavors have time to fully develop.
Skipping this step isn’t the end of the world, but trust me, the overnight rest makes a noticeable difference in flavor depth.
Step 8: Remove the Solid Fat
The next day, use a spoon to lift off the solidified grease that settles on top of the chilled chili. This makes for a much cleaner, lighter final dish.
Step 9: Reheat and Serve
Reheat the chili over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s fully hot again. Serve it over freshly cooked spaghetti noodles or hot dogs, then load it up with your favorite toppings.
Serving Suggestions That Actually Work
Cincinnati Chili is basically a blank canvas once it’s ready to serve. Set up a topping bar with these classic additions:
- Cooked spaghetti noodles for the traditional base
- Warm hot dogs for a Coney-style meal
- Beans for added texture
- Diced onion for a fresh bite
- Shredded cheddar cheese, piled high
- Oyster crackers for crunch
Have you ever built your own bowl at a topping bar and gone slightly overboard? No judgment here, that’s part of the fun.
Storage and Reheating Tips
This chili holds up incredibly well, which makes it perfect for meal prep. Keep these tips in mind for storing leftovers:
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Reheat gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally
- Add a splash of water or broth if it thickens too much
- Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating
Fun Variations to Try Next Time
Once you’ve mastered the classic version, feel free to experiment. This chili adapts really well to different twists.
- Turkey version: swap ground beef for ground turkey
- Vegetarian version: use lentils or plant-based crumbles instead
- Spicy version: add cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes
- Slow cooker version: cook everything on low for 6 to 8 hours
- Cincinnati chili mac: serve over creamy macaroni and cheese instead of spaghetti
Have you tried chili over mac and cheese instead of spaghetti? IMO, it might be even better than the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Cincinnati Chili different from regular chili? It’s thinner and closer to a meat sauce, seasoned with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, and typically served over spaghetti.
Why is chocolate added to Cincinnati Chili? Chocolate deepens the overall flavor and balances the spice blend without making the dish taste sweet.
Do I have to refrigerate the chili overnight? It’s strongly recommended because the resting time improves the flavor and makes removing excess fat much easier.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time? Yes, this chili is ideal for making a day ahead since the flavor genuinely improves after resting overnight.
Can I freeze Cincinnati Chili? Yes, it freezes very well for up to three months when stored in airtight, freezer-safe containers.
Final Thoughts
Gold Star Cincinnati Chili proves that unexpected ingredients can create something genuinely unforgettable. It’s rich, aromatic, endlessly customizable, and only gets better with a little patience and an overnight rest.
Give this recipe a real shot before judging the cinnamon and chocolate combo. Just don’t be surprised when you start craving it on a random Tuesday for no particular reason at all.
