Cincinnati Chili I

While the flavor of this chili is close to Skyline (not quite there though) the texture is all wrong. You do NOT brown the beef in a Cincinnati chili recipe, there are no "chunks" or bits of meat. You have to boil the raw beef in the broth first then add the rest of the ingredients once the meat has cooked down into a pasty-type consistency. Also the onions are meant to stay raw and be put on top of the finished dish.

I have been using this site since 2003 and this is the first time I've felt compelled to post. I traveled to Cincinnati for business for several years and always enjoyed Skyline Chili. Now I will intentionally get schedule layovers in Ohio to get my 4-way fix. This is the closest recipe I've ever been able to make - it was just delicious! I did boil my hamburger in the broth as other posters suggested - but I did continue to add 2 cups of broth as it boiled down. We boiled the meat for 2 hours and it had a pretty fine consistency at that point. We upped the cinnamon by 50% like others suggested and also shorted the chili powder by 1/4 (we ran out). Heavenly on spaghettini with finely shredded mild cheddar!! Can't wait to bring this to work for lunch. YUM!

Very, very good! This recipe is very true to what you will find in the Cincinnati Chili parlors. I reccomend you use 50% more cinnamon than in the recipe and a litle more chili powder. This is not the recipe to try if you are looking for a twist on a "traditional" chili, it is more of what most people would consider a "spaghetti sauce". It is best served over a plate of thin spaghetti, topped with finely chopped white onions ans mounded finely shredded mild cheddar cheese. The chili should be VERY hot when served this way so as to melt the cheese as you eat it. Traditionally it is served with oyster crackers used to soak up the left over juice after the spaghetti is gone. Enjoy!

This is without a doubt one of my all time favorite recipes from this site. I have adapted it to our tastes - no chopped onion while cooking (use onion powder for the smooth texture), and I cook the ground beef in an additional cup or two of broth then drain to remove the extra fat - I also have added more broth and just simmered until it all reduces and gets beautiful and smooth and thick. Also I add just a touch of molasses (maybe a tsp or two). Freezes beautifully, if you ever have any left - we never seem to. This has been a big hit at family gatherings, and we also like to serve it on hot dogs as a change from serving over spaghetti (sacrilege, I know, but it's GOOD! LOL).

This is very close to Skyline Chili (what I think of when I think of Cincinnati), except that Skyline chili doesn't have onions in it. Diced raw onion, beans, shredded cheddar are the traditional accompaniments, when the basic chili is served over hot spaghetti. You can use cocoa (3T) instead of the unsweetened chocolate in this recipe, you don't need the oil if you are serving the onions raw on top. My family prefers it with the chili powder halved, no cayenne, and all the other spices bumped up a bit -- including 1/4 t of ground cardamom.

Of all the Cincinnati Chili recipes I've tried (incl. the ones you get from the Airport in Cincinnati w/the "authentic" recipe, this is by far the most authentic. If you're looking for the taste of Skyline outside of Cinci, this is the recipe to try. It is not your traditional chili recipe if that's what you're looking for. This one is Greek in origin & is really meant to be more of a sauce to be served "3-way" (on spaghetti w/shredded cheddar cheese, 4-way (same as 3-way + chopped onions or red beans), or "5-way" (3-way + onions & red beans). It's the chocolate that gives it its richness & unique taste.

My grandma lived just outside of Cincinnati and had a chili recipe with nearly 100 ingredients that was AWESOME! This is pretty close to that and obviously a lot easier. I prefer to "boil the beef" in the beef broth with chopped onions or onion salt before adding the other ingredients. I also leave out the cayenne and bay leaf, use more chili powder, cumin, allspice, and add some sugar and worchestershire sauce.

This is an excellent recipe, indistinguishable from Skyline chili. Lovely spices, great texture. I added the beef broth while cooking the burger, and the texture was smooth, like the restaurant variety. Fortunately I made a double recipe and froze half for later!

I just moved from Cincinnati and wanted to represent my native city at my company's chili cookoff. This recipe was perfect, very authentic, it got rave reviews from everyone!

I loved this chili. My father's family is from Cincinnati and we are total Cincinnati chili addicts. While this wasn't an exact match for the famous Skyline chili, it was quite close and very yummy. My father mixed the spices, my mother cooked the meat, I read directions and ingredients and we all took turns stirring and it went so smoothly, we were impressed. Definitely a recipe I will be making again.

I live in the Cincinnati Area and have for my whole life. This is a good recipe. -- Here's what I did. After boiling it in beef broth for about a 1/2 hour and draining it, I put the meat in the food processor for a few seconds. It was the perfect consistency and looked exactly as it should. How to serve it up: For 3-Ways, 4-Ways and 5-Ways. On a small warm plate layer the following: (1)"Thin" Spaghetti (2)Kidney Beans (3)Chili (4)"Diced" Sweet Onions (NOT chopped) (5)Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese piled high. It's best to shred your own so it's still nice and fluffy, if cheese can be called fluffy. Also, try dribbling some Hot Sauce and Oyster Crackers over the top. How to eat it -- DON'T MIX IT UP or anything. Just take your fork and slice into it one bite at a time. --- Serve up a Cheese Coney like this: On a warm hotdog bun (1)A thin line of mustard. (2)Small, skinny Hotdog (if you can find them) (3)Chili (4)"Diced" Sweet Onions (5) Cheese. (Don't forget the hot sauce, if you prefer it.) Omitting any of the layers is totally up to your taste. Just my opinion: Cincinnati Chili is meant to be eaten with spaghetti or as a coney and not as an actual "bowl" of chili. Most Cincinnatians would agree with me I think. Another side note: It's not "Gold Star Chili" which is my favorite Cincinnati Chili, but I plan on tweeking this recipe to get it as close to that as possible. Though this is a very good Cincinnati style chili recipe.

This must be an acquired taste. We did not care for the blend of spices. I am from the west coast and like spicy sauces. My hubby is from N.Dakota and likes bland sauces. Neither of us could eat this. It was just weird.

OH. MY. GOODNESS! I halved this, and skipped the vegetable oil. Also, I used cocoa powder (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for the half recipe) instead of the unsweetened chocolate - and an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce. I simmered the beef in the broth for about 20 minutes, then added everything else to simmer for an hour. If you brown the beef first, you will have lumpy chili - you want the beef to be in very tiny bits. I was craving Skyline, and this was a delicious alternative for someone who lives hundreds of miles from the nearest franchise. Cheese and onions are a fantastic finish, and oyster crackers if you like. Thank you, MARBALET!

It's the bomb. I am from the south and have never tasted anything so unique, the flavors in this chili are just addictive, such a wonderful comfort food!

I have lived in Cincinnati for the last 12 years, and I think this recipe is actually better than the restaurant versions because it has a little bit more of a kick! I think the texture is most similar to the restaurants if you just throw everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. I have also used lean ground turkey in place of the beef and it was just as delicious! Thank you sooo much for posting, we make this every week =)

This recipe was great!! We eat at a Skyline or two every time my family passes through the Ohio/Kentucky area where they are prevalent, and I have eaten at the original, with lines out the door for lunch every day, many times. I have tried a number of other recipes for Skyline (Cincinnati) chili (from this site and others)and this is the closest recipe to "the real thing" at the original Skyline (downtown Cincinnati) of all of them--especially when you include the notes from the other reviewers and mine below: 1. if you want the very fine consistency, You must cook the hamburger in the broth first. Then drain, and add back new broth--I recommend using beef bouillon cubes for the broth--works fine, and it's cheap. (You can do this in a crockpot for 12 hours on low, the night before.) However, this recipe comes out just fine if you skip this step. 2. Once beef is browned or cooked with onions: -Do double the cinnamon and increase the chili powder as others recommend -I used at least a tablespoon of onion powder and garlic powder -I substitute 3 tbsp cocoa powder and a tbsp of butter for the chocolate square (cuz I didn't have any the first time)--then add a couple of Dove Milk Chocolate squares for the touch of sweet, where some used molasses--works great 3. Cook the mixture on high in your crockpot or (simmer on the stove) for the time recommended in the recipe, and serve over pasta with finely shredded cheese and finely diced onions as shown in the picture.

Love it!

Made this for dinner tonight. My 21 y/o son who loves a local restaurant version of cincinnati chili gives this 5 stars. The only change I made was to put all listed ingredients in a pressure cooker (after browning beef) and cooked 12 minutes under pressure. EXCELLENT!! I will be making this frequently.

Good, easy cincinnati chili recipe. Still not Skyline, but the flavor is close... We strained the beef after browning which made it taste a bit less greasy... Wasn't able to refrigerate overnight but still game out great.. Will definitely make this again...

Okay...I am not a native Cincinnatian, and I HATE Cincinnati style chili. HOWEVER, my husband is born and raised here. I made this recipe for him last night and he said it was the best Cincinnati style chili he has ever had! I did make one substitution - I didn't have bar chocolate, so I used two tablespoons of cocoa powder. On behalf of my husband and his reaction, I'm gonna give this one 5 stars!

Being a huge Skyline fan and living in Colorado, my wife made this for me tonight following the recipe for the most part. She had me taste it and the flavor was great but the texture was wrong (chunky) so I used an immersion blender. It worked great and made the texture just right.

My favorite recipe on this site! Easy, delicious, and keeps well for several days! Forget browning the meat, as others have said. Instead, start with the broth + tomato sauce in the pot and add the ground beef (keep the onions raw if you want to make a 4-way at the end). This helps give it authentic Skyline texture. As an Ohioan in Texas, it is so nice to have a taste of my home state any time I want it. But be warned-- I have found that Cincinnati-style chili is a polarizing subject!

I did not care for this dish. It smelled bad, tasted bad and left a bad taste in my mouth.

We really enjoyed this Cinci Chili, left the onions out of the recipe and topped with raw sweet onions and sharp cheddar cheese over whole wheat pasta. It was delicious and I'll definitely make this again! Looking forward to making chili cheese dogs with the leftovers!

This was delicious. Of course, my all-time favorite food is anything with a Mexican mole sauce. This tasted like mole. If you don't like mole, you probably won't like this. But, I thought it had amazing depth. I love the way you eat it and wonder, what was that flavor!?! I will make this again.

This recipe ROCKS! We served it at our sons graduation party and I had to send out photocopies of the recipe with his thank you notes! How often does that happen??? By far the best version of the recipe - boiled meat ewww. We never have left overs & always wish we'd doubled the recipe. THIS ONE'S A WINNER!

My husband LOVES this recipe! Make it twice a month. It freezes very well too.

So yummy! Great left over. I cut out the oil and I cook the ground beef in the broth, making it almost like a paste. I do not use the bay leaf and I have substituted red wine vinegar when I was out of the cider. I also add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire and three cloves of garlic. I just love the cheddar cheese and fresh chopped onions on top.

I am not a big fan of Cincinnati Chili, nor am I an expert, But it seems that this recipe tasted just like the Skyline Chili my husband brought back with him once. I didn't have unsweetened cholocate square, so used unsweetened cocoa (3 tbs) and extra oil (1 tbsn). Instead of browning the meat, I just threw the whole thing in the slow cooker and cooked on high for 4 hrs. I then put in the frig overnight as others recommended. It worked perfectly. My husband can not stand high spicy foods, so I tried to decrease the amount of chili powder by 1/2. But when I reheated the next day, I could taste the chocolate to the point of distraction. So I added more chili powder (to match the recipe) and reheat it. All the flavors melded together well, with no one flavor overpowering the others. My suggestion is to follow the recipe exactly and let rest overnight in the frig before reheating/serving. You'll either love it or hate it.

OK. I feel horrible giving it 3 stars, but I hated it (I would have given it 1), but the Mr. and my friend loved it. In fact, they ate most of it. I had a bit and it was manageable to eat, but I couldnt get over the smell/taste combo. It tasted ok. But while it was cooking, it smelled like the spicy oatmeal cookies I make. So it was weird thinking oatmeal cookies, but tasting chili...My weirdness aside, the entire batch was eaten in a few days. I've never had this chili, so I cant compare it to anything, but there's my two cents...

I thought this was just ok.It was my first time trying cincinnati chili so I had nothing to compare it to.It reminded me of spaghetti sauce and I kept thinking it should be sweeter or something.My husband thought it was a little bland.I won't make it again but it was fun trying it.

I've tried a couple of other Cincinnati chili recipes, and so far this is our favorite. Served as chili spaghetti with diced onions and shredded cheddar cheese on top, my husband commented that it was so good it made him homesick.

My family and I are huge chili fans, inface i think I have around 10 recipes that are variations of chili so when I saw this I had to try it... It must be a taste thing but none of us liked the mixture of spices... then cinnamon (which we love) and cloves did not mix well with the other flavors... very dissappointing. sorry but I would only suggest trying this if you already know you are a fan of the flavors and not if you are a chili fan...

The only thing that prevents this from being authentic Cincinnati chili is that it tastes WAY BETTER than anything you get in the chili parlors! This is absolutely delicious, and you MUST try it 'Cincinnati' style: served over spaghetti and topped with grated cheddar cheese. We call it a three-way in Cincinnati. You'll call it your new best friend.

It was OK. I followed the other suggestions for boiling the beef so that it is smooth texture. Too much chili powder or something. I read lots of people rating this on an altered recipe - reducing this, increasing that. If you follow the recipe it is not that good. I give it 3 stars because it gives you a start if you want to play and alter it to your tastes.

Made a good chili dog. Thanks!

Easy to make and very delicious!

I was born in raised in Cincinnati .and after 20 years in the Army and over 35 years total in FoodService,this is still a classic and one of the best I have seen( Chili is my favorite meal)

This was not a favorite in my family.

This is so fantastic and very similar to the "real thing". No one in my family likes the texture of "boiled" ground meat, so I saute it in a skillet. I also saute the onions (and some added garlic) in ghee after the meat and add the spices, so the flavor can come out of them, and the "brown bits" of the meat are taken up. I use homemade beef/pork broth. I use 3 Tbsp. of cocoa powder instead of squares. We top it with kidney beans, diced onion, and then the cheese. It's the most authentic over spaghetti noodles, but any type of pasta works. Delicious! Such a switch from "Southwest" chili!

Prepared it the first time, and rated it 4 stars saying "Unusual..Did not like this at first but it grew on us. Will try it again." This time, considered the comments of someone suggesting "3 to 5 ways"... 1- Thin Spaghetti, 2- Kidney Beans, 3- Chili, 4- onions, and 5- Cheddar Cheese, with perhaps a little hot sauce....and that's 5 stars (depending on your preference)

amazing. i made this for a bunch of my friends and they loved it. i added 2 cans of pinto beans and a can of diced tomatoes and cooked my beef with a little garlic salt and it turned out phenomenal.

I was born and raised in Cincy and this chili rocks!! I added a little sugar but other than that, I highly recommend it to any native or non-'nati native.

After living in Cincinnati for 7 years my husband and I really miss Skyline after moving south. We are able to buy canned Skyline at Kroger, but this is a much healthier option. I did make some changes. I did not use the onions. I boiled ground turkey in the broth and then used a hand blender to blend it up until there were no more chunks of meat, this is the consistency of true Cincinnati chili. Then I put all of the ingredients into the crockpot and let it cook all day. I did use powdered cocoa instead of chocolate and increased some of the seasonings. My only complaint was that it was dry and needed more liquid. I'll probably add some water or more broth next time.

My family loved this. I did make some changes though. I boiled the beef in the broth, first of all, to make it more authentic. The onions, I chopped and sprinkled fresh over the top. And instead of using regular spaghetti, I used angel hair spaghetti. Sooo good.

I used 1.25 lb ground turkey (browned in a skillet) and 2 cans of pinto beans instead of the ground beef. I know it's not authentic that way but I knew we'd prefer it that way and it's my kitchen. Also used 1/4 C chocolate chips stirred in shortly before serving. Mine cooked in a slow cooker for about 5 hours and it turned out really, really well! Just perfect. The cinnamon, allspice, cloves and chocolate were so good and subtle and everything just came together really well. Heck, I tasted it right after I put everything in the crock pot and it was good then too! I brought the chili to a potluck that had a noodle theme and it was different from all the other offerings (which were all Italian). Everyone else liked it too. Will definitely make it again. Next time I'll try boiling the meat but I'm still going to use ground turkey and pinto beans :)

This is a really great chili sauce just written as is. My rating is for that recipe. Next time I made it, I didn't have cloves or allspice, so I used Chinese five spice which has cloves and cinnamon in it. I did use the additional cinnamon, too. And, I upped the chocolate to 2 squares. Not sure I'd do that again, but my husband and I really liked it with the 2 squares. I served this for my hubby over gluten free brown rice noodles (Tinkyadi brand is the best), and I'm diabetic so I served mine over kelp noodles (1 carb and 6 calories per four oz.) Delicious! Second time I only had 1 pound of ground beef, so I added a can of tomatoes. (Fire roasted ones.) Do try this recipe. If you want it for a main dish, it's tasty that way, too, but might not be as thick as you'd like. I also don't cook with anything but homemade beef broth, and I didn't have any, so used chicken broth instead. We ate it without holding overnight. I really couldn't tell the difference from when it was held overnight and when it wasn't. So, go ahead and make and eat the same day, if you wish.

This was really good, I have never had Skyline before but was told about it by a friend from Cincy. We had it "4-way" style (cheese & fresh chopped onions) and DH said he likes it better than regular spaghetti sauce! The spices are a welcome change from traditional Texas style chili. The flavors went really well with the cheddar cheese. The only thng I did differently was that I sauteed the onions in the bottom of the stock pot, then added the broth, brought it to a boil, added the meat, and then when it was browned, added the rest of the ingredients. Yum!

This was so-so. Tasted a little like Manwich (if I had to compare it to a flavour) - not a family favourite and won't make again. The cloves and allspice were a turn-off for us.

I lived in Cincinnati for 24 years and ate Skyline 2-3 times a month for my whole life. Moved to florida so it's hard to come by. I made this recipe and it's great. As close to Skyline Chili it gets unless you're at the restaurant. I advise boiling the meat with the broth and putting the finished product in a food processor to get the Skyline texture... Bon Appetit!

Best Cincinnati chili I have ever had in my life! Even better than Skyline Chili!

I grew up in Cincinnati but have lived in Atlanta for the past 4+ years of my life. I've been trying to find a good recipe for Cincinnati chili to address my all-too-often cravings. I've finally found one. Thanks for submitting it. I've even given it to friends back home and they use it as well. That certainly speaks well for the recipe!

I make a very similar chili, with a few changes;1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage; 1 can chix broth, 1 can beef broth. Use 1 oz of the chocolate & cut down just a bit on the cinnamon & allspice otherwise it's a little overpowering. I throw in a can of chili beans due to personal taste. You will never make another kind of chili again! It's so rich & wonderful; the longer you simmer the better!

Excellent. I added a little salt, pepper, and sugar to the recipe.

The best way to achieve the correct texture for authentic Cincinnati chili is to add the liquid BEFORE you add the beef, then stir until the beef is broken up into very small pieces. I had a friend who used his hands to break the meat up. This will create the almost smooth texture you want for the real thing.

this chili recipe replaced my husbands because he liked it so much!

Super tastey, but I still have to use a stick blender to get the consistancy right... Otherwise an easy to make, pretty-close-to-Skyline alternative that's definitely cheaper than having a can shipped 1000 miles away. We always have it with raw diced onions, tons of finely shredded cheddar, and some hot sauce - yummm... Oh, it also makes a great "Coney" (basically a chili dog)!

This is such a great recipe...very close to what you get in Cincinnati. The only thing I do differently to make it more "authentic" is not add the onions to the sauce while cooking, but put finely chopped raw onions on top when serving. Of course this is optional, but that's how it's done Cinci. We also top with Kidney Beans and cheese. This is really great over french fries too. I'm a southwest girl myself, but after visiting Ohio a few times and eaten this chili, I'm a big fan. My whole family loves this and we make it regularly. A nice change of pace from your run of the mill chili or spaghetti. Thanks for a great recipe.

I am a Cincinnati girl born and raised. I grew up eating Cincinnati Chili. I Love it my cousin is from NJ and we have to mail it to him. You can't find this any where else

We started making this chili from this very recipe about a year ago and it is consistently a favorite meal. The chili is hearty, well-seasoned and very tasty. This chili has converted me to the "chili has no beans" side of the chili fight.

This was really good. We love Skyline Chili, and this is the closest I've come to duplicating that distinctive flavor. I will definitely make this again!

The flavor is dead on, amazing. The texture, as many have noted is not, but this is a very easy fix. Don't brown the beef. Cook the onions, then add the liquid and the rest of the ingredients, stirring it all together. Bring it to a boil, then add the raw beef, reduce to a simmer. Break the meat up very throughly with a spatula..it will clump if you don't. Cover and cook the suggested time, and this will be exactly as it should be.

This chili turned out really well! Based on other reviews, I tweaked the recipe a bit. I used 1 1/2 tbs of cocoa powder and 1/2 tbs of vegetable oil (per instructions on cocoa box for substituting 1/2 square of baking chocolate). I used 1 tbs of onion powder instead of cooking the onion and left out the vegetable oil that the recipe calls for. I added a few dashes of paprika and a generous sprinkle of garlic powder. To get a texture similar to that of Skyline, I boiled the 2 lbs of beef in the beef broth, and chopped up the meat with the spoon. Next time, I think I will use a leaner ground beef (I just bought the standard stuff). The fat separates from the rest of the chili. Overall, very good recipe! It's not quite like Skyline, but pretty close. It's a very good Cincinnati-style chili recipe in its own right.

LUV it. Nothing bad to say. This is an amazing recipe. Tru cincinnati chili... no, but the flavor is amazing and pretty darned close. Also, unless you are looking for a heart attack by cooking with the fat that comes with tru cincinnati - this is a great tasting recipe.

We're from Cincinnati, so we know Cincinnati chili. This was a great recipe for feeding larger crowds or for when Skyline is too far away.

Excellent! I've never had chili in Cincinnati (only heard about it from my husband), but this is a great recipe. Very unusual and delicious, and wonderful on spaghetti with cheese and onions.

If you're not a Cincinnati Chili lover, you will need to try it a couple of times. As for authenticity, it's extremely close--we love it. Thanks for sharing.

Yum Yum YUM! Everyone loved this, I can't wait to share the recipe with a friend of mine from Cincinnati- she is going to be THRILLED!!

This was good, but not comparable to Skyline. I added extra chili powder and lots of salt - next time will increase the amount of onions. Also, as with other Cincinnati Chili recipes I've used, I didn't cook the onion or brown the hamburger first, I put it all in together and broke it apart as it cooked. Using a whisk helps get the right texture.

I'm on a very, very strict diet, but I was determined to make Cincinnati Chili that I could eat. I used this recipe as a guide. I subbed ground turkey for the beef, diet chicken bouillon for the beef bouillon, diet tomato soup for the tomato sauce and chocolate extract for the unsweetened chocolate. I added everything else as it's called for here. With the spices and such in this recipe I couldn't tell the difference between my diet version and the Cincinnati Chili I love at Hard Times Cafe. I served mine with fresh tomatoes and a little shredded colby jack. It was TERRIFIC! The family even loved it and asked for seconds. I can't wait to make it again!

I am a Cincinnati native now living in Texas. I ate Skyline for over 40 years and I can tell you this recipe is very, very close. I did not put the onion in but used 1/2 tsp onion powder. The only thing I will change next time will be to cut back a little on the vinegar. I browned the beef separatly, drained the grease and added to the heating broth mixture. Brought it all to a boil, reduced heat, covered, and simmered for 1-1/2 hours. Then I used a stick blender as was previously suggested. The consistency was dead on. I let simmer for another 1/2 hour and refrigerated overnight. Next day I reheated slowly and let simmer for 30 minutes and servied piping hot over spaghetti and topped with grated cheddar. The next night I made cheese coneys with the leftovers. Both were delicious. This will definelty help when I need a Skyline "fix". Now, if someone could provide a La Rosa's spaghetti sauce recipe...

I had lost my original recipe for Cincinnati Chili, and through searching for what seems forever, online, I found this recipe. I knew it was the one, because it was the only one that included 2 cans of beef broth. the only change I made was to leave out the chocolate, and upped the cinnamon a dash. It was then the recipe I was looking for. Don't try any other recipe. This is the closest there is!

I omitted cayenne pepper because we're a family of spice whimps.

The flavors were unusual, but good. Next time, I'd make mine a little thicker by adding some beans or simmering a while without the top on - it kind of sunk when I poured it over the spaghetti.

The best way to make this REALLY traditional is to use an immersion blender at the end to make the sauce smoother -- less meat texture. It looks more like thick gravy, but is surprisingly just right for this recipe.

Can you say YUCK? Man alive - do not make this for a new boyfriend. I thought he was going to break up with me after he tried it. He now jokes and says - please don't make that cinnamon chili again - He's even started calling me Allspice. I wanted to package this up and give it to homeless people and tell them it's breakfast lunch and dinner rolled into one! I sure hope my chili pot doesn't still smell like cinnamon when I throw it out!

:)

This recipe is the ultimate Tailgate chili. Its traditionally toped on spaghetti but we like it on hebrew nation hotdogs toped with cheese onions and tobasco hot sauce. My Boys literally beg me to make this every football get together.

I didn't much care for this, but I'm not big on chili. My husband, however, loves chili, and he thought this was great. He went back for seconds and is looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the overnight refrigeration. Instead, I just simmered it for a long time. I guess we will try the overnight refrigeration step tonight and see how the leftovers turn out tomorrow. :)

This was the closest recipe I've found so far to authentic Cincinnati chili, but you really need to mix the dry spices in the meat and then add the broth while mashing up the raw meat with a potato masher in order to get the meat texture right. Also only used about 2T of the chili powder as the real thing isn't that hot. There is still a depth of flavor that is missing; maybe if I could have waited overnight for the flavors to meld.....

The family and friends loved it!!

It will never taste 100% like the real deal, but this is very close. Skyline is my all-time favorite restaurant. I would suggest using the finely shredded cheese to make it a bit more authentic, and serve the cheese at room temp. So freakin' yummy!!

Seems to be a PRETTY CLOSE rendition of the tasty product I miss from my Ohio days. Not exact... but close. Use good, greasy tasty ground beef. Not the low fat type!!! Was a bit DRIER than I'm used to having it.

As a native Cincinatian, I can tell you that the taste of this chili is nothing like traditional Skyline. So if that's what you're looking for, this is not it. However, after adding a teaspoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of salt to the recipe, I thought the chili was pretty good. But I am still craving real Cincinnati chili.

This was awesome! The only changes I made were that I used 2T unsweetened cocoa powder instead of squares and I used 2 cans of broth and 1 12oz. bottle of beer(I made a double recipe). I'm so glad I can get my 5-way fix anytime, even though I'm 600 miles from Cincy!

4 1/2: really good, but heavy (cincy chili always is I guess). Need to add the beans to make it 5-way. Did the boil technique from the comments and added 2 cups beef broth twice. Other than that, followed recipe as is for boxing day dinner w/ family.

The method for getting the texture right is to add only powdered ingredients, i.e. no chopped garlic or onions, but garlic powder. You don't brown the ground beef, you add the beef to cold water and mash it until it becomes a liquid paste (cold,) then you add the spices, bring to a boil, then simmer. There will be no need to puree the result and the texture will exactly duplicate the restaurant style.

I too, wanted to duplicate Skyline chili and after reading the wonderful comments, am quite happy to have found this recipe. Making this for a church youth fund raiser, I was making a huge batch. I am SO GRATEFUL for the servings calculator and shopping list functions on this site. I made a batch for 33 servings! Starting with the boiling broth, I crumbled the beef in three batches, using a potato masher at the end of each batch when I no longer saw pink. After the meat had boiled a while I removed from heat and skimmed the fat, then adding additional broth. I also substituted onion powder for the chopped onion. (1/3 cup = 1 teaspoon onion powder) This is a great recipe that should win the hearts of any Skyline Chili fan!

tastes just like Skyline chili! The spices should probably be amped up a little. I'll double them next time.

Very tasty! But since Holly doesn't explain the classes of Cinti chili, i.e. 3-way, 4-way (bean), 5-way (onion), it's easy to forget to buy beans (which makes it a "4-way-bean."). So, twice I went to the store, bought all the ingredients I didn't have, and forgot to get red kidney beans!

Cincinnati chili has never been my thing, but my partner LOVES it. I've tried a few recipes, and this is the only one I enjoy. I made it exactly as written and it was quite good. I definitely recommend following the direction to refrigerate overnight and reheat again the next day. We ate some right after cooking and it was OK, but the next day when we reheated the sauce, it was SO much better!

When making Cincinnati chili at home, to get the fine consistency, you can chill the sauce and then run it through the food processor. Then heat it back up. When combining this step with boiling the meat in the broth, it's perfection.

I don't know what all the fuss is about. I am NOT a finicky eater (I grew up on cafeteria food -- and I LIKED it), but I couldn't even finish eating my chili. I followed the recipe to the letter, even refrigerating it and eating it later. I don't know what I did wrong, but my wife and I won't try this one again.

I thought this was great as did my boyfriend who probably eats Skyline about once a week! He did agree it was a little different but liked it all the same. Couple of changes - no onion, boiled the meat in the stock and tomato sauce rather than browned, added about 1 tsp of garlic powder, 2T of cocoa rather than the chocolate, less cinnamon probably 1/2 tsp as it is not my most favorite spice. I also used ground turkey and chicken stock rather than the beef. Next time I will use my immersion blender to get a thinner consistency. Thanks!

LOVE this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

really good, I think I over did the chili powder though..I didn't measure it...!!! don't do what I did. Also I really loved the taste the chocolate gave to it. Will do this again.

Pretty good. Suprprisingly kid-friendly, even though it has a little "bite"! Its another style of chili, served over pasta with cheddar cheese. My husband isnt a big chili eater so didnt enjoy this much but the kids and I indulged. Served with Corn fritters! I liked this.

We really liked this chili. We left out the cloves and substituted cocoa for the square of chocolate, but other than that, followed the recipe and had it "5-way", and then again as chili dogs, with uncured natural beef franks. Good stuff.

i have never been outside of Texas but i have a friend from Cincinnati and she would bring me Skyline chili when she went home to visit...I love it so much that I couldn't wait for her to go back home so I needed a recipe and found yours. I have shared it with so many people... I have been using your recipe for 6 years now! I just brought some to work and it is still a hit. My nephew makes it now along with other family members. My tweaks are: omit the onion and use it for putting on top of the chili after its done. use pureed tomatoes and tomato paste instead of sauce. use rounded/heaping spoons for extra flavor. toast spices before adding meat and sauces.