Skyline Chili

Definately add the chocolate. I also cut the amount of cinnamon in half. No need to put in blender. The authentic way to make Cincinnati chili is to get the leanest ground meat possible and simmer it till brown (trust me!) in the water stirring occasionally. This will break down the meat into the fine texture desired. After the meat is browned add the rest of the ingredients. I leave out the steak sauce and add a pinch of powdered clove. If it's not thick enough just boil it down more or do as we do in Cincinnati and add oyster crackers to soak it up!

This recipe was amazing- I practically licked my bowl! The chili tasted exactly like Skyline chili. :) I read the reviews and decided to make a few alterations. First, the texture of the meat is crucial in making this taste authentic. I browned the meat and ran it through a food processor for about a minute. I honestly feel that the finely ground meat made a huge difference in the flavor. I also used half the amount of cinnamon and added 3 squares of bittersweet chocolate. Because I didn't have 12 hours, I mixed all of the ingredients in a large skillet and let it simmer on the stove for 3 hours. I feel that that was plenty of time, and it tasted great. I served the chili over spaghetti with diced onions and finely shredded cheddar cheese. My husband and I both agree that this is a keeper! P.S. For those who don't have onion salt on hand, 1 part onion powder and 3 parts salt can be substituted. A woman at a local spice shop told me this, and I figure she knows what she is talking about. :)

Very good and very easy to make. This recipe is supposed to be runny because it's supposed to eaten like Cincinatti chili--with spaghetti noodles on the bottom and topped with cheddar cheese. It doesn't taste exactly like Skyline, but it's as close as you're probably going to get. To get a true Skyline meat sauce, after the meat is done cooking, mix it with some water and put it all in a blender on the low setting. This will chop the meat into very small pieces. Then drain it using a wire strainer and put the meat into the crock pot like usual. This will make the chili very consistent all the way through and will keep there from being big chunks of meat in it, just like the real Skyline chili makes it.

Husband is from Cinci, we don't have Skyline here and everytime we go back to visit it is the first thing he eats. He couldn't believe we duplicated this recipe. I did put the meat in the blender as suggested. We like to eat cheese coneys- Hot dog with mustard, chili and LOTS of shredded cheese. This will become a new favorite at our house- 500 miles from the nearest Skyline!

NOTE!!!! People need to realize that this is Cincinnati-style chili to be served over spaghetti with finely shredded cheddar cheese and optional kidney beans and/or chopped onions - NOT the thick, chunky Texas style. As a former Cincinnatian living in the Skyline-less central prairie, this is the closest I've found to Skyline's recipe. Pretty dang good. A very quick buzz through the blender will make the cooked chili more like the texture found at the restaurant.

I have Been loking for this recipe for about 4 yrs., Since I was in Ohio. Loved IT!! Made one chage, I added 2 squares of semi-sweet bakers chocolate!

Having lived most of my life in the Cincinnati area, I am very familiar with the flavor and texture of Skyline Chili. This is close, but there is too much cinnamon in this recipe. And the texture is just completely wrong. If you put your browned ground beef into a food processor and process it until it is nearly a powder consistency, you’re getting closer.

After over a year of using this recipe, I'm finally getting around to rating it! I am giving this a 5* because my husband from Cincy says the recipe is nearly identical. The key to duplicating the texture of Skyline Chili is to blend the cooked ground beef......it is essential! Go Purdue!

I ended up making a lot of revisions to thie recipe, but only because I had forgotten to get a bunch of things at the grocery store. I replaced onion salt with a half of a chopped onion, the garlic powder with chopped garlic, and no steak sauce or vinegar. Per traditional skyline chili, add two squares bittersweet chocolate, and serve it over spaghetti noodles with cheddar cheese. Good eats!

We've been away from Cinci for 10 years and I still get cravings for Skyline. This is it. It's exactly like I remember. I love the people who say "I left out this, this, this, and this and added this, this this, and this. It was great." Ummm...that's now a different recipe. This chili isn't supposed to have beans or green onions or anything else.

Delish! I added cayanne, and the CHOCOLATE. Don't be scared, it gives it so much depth. Try adding less than .5 oz for every lb of beef you use. I also figured this was chili, so I initially used exact measurements, but found I needed to add some more of the same seasonings listed to suit my tastes.

I used this as a base for my chili, and it was great with my modifications! I would give this a 5, but I made too many alterations. I covered my beef in water in the skillet and cooked it until browned and the water had evaporated. I then drained it and added the other ingredients. I just used a whole can of tomato sauce and adjusted the water at the end to suit my tastes. I did halve the cinnamon, left out the allspice, steak sauce (i didn't have any) and salt (check your chili powder ingred list). AFter doing some reading, instead of adding chocolate like some suggested, I used about 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder. It doesn't flavor this chili, it just gives it more depth like the cinnamon. This was by far the best chili I've ever made...taste and texture. Will keep in my collection!

I love Cincy-style chili and this is pretty close. I add about 2 Tbsp cocoa powder. I cooked it on high for 6 hrs as I was pressed for time and it worked great. Watch it as sometimes it takes less time (likely depending on how lean the beef is) If doubling (use the large oval crockpot) only use ~6 cups of water. It also freezes well which is good as I always make too much. One batch is definitely more than 6 servings if you serve it the traditional way over spaghetti. Traditional Cincy chili is served as follows: 1-way--just chili; 2-way--chili over thin spaghetti; 3-way--chili, spaghetti, finely shredded cheddar; 4-way--chili, spaghetti, cheddar, finely chopped onions; 5-way--chili, spaghetti, cheddar, onions, and pinto beans. ALWAYS served with oyster crackers. :)

I added the chocolate. This must feed six very hungry people, because I doubled the recipe and could have fed at least 20 people. Eight cups of water is probably too much. Using the immersion blender was fun.

try boiling the ground beef ( warmed to room temp first) to get the consistency of the finished product, in the water of course which i double and slowly cook down with the rest of the ingredients....

I have a comment on the texture. You can save yourself the mess of blending the meat by not browning the meat. Just add it raw and stir it with the ingredients after adding it to the crockpot. This assures that there are no lumps. I used to make Skyline Chili all the time. My grocery store carried a seasoning packet and the directions were to add the meat uncooked with the water and tomato paste. Came out awesome every time. They no longer carry the seasoning packet :(

To get the Skyline consistency, you need to boil your hamburger until its no longer pink, then put it in the crockpot.

Wasn't up to par with what I remembered. Might play with it or find another...

I lived in Cincinnati for a summer. During my time there I developed a craving for Skyline and Graeter's ice cream. Since moving back to Michigan, I still crave the Skyline. This recipe hits the spot. It IS what I remember. It may not be exact, but it captures the uniqueness of Skyline. Based on other reviews ,I made the following changes: -added 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (too much next time I'll go with 1 oz.) -I used Worcestershire sauce instead of steak sauce -I added water while browning the beef to break it apart and achieve the Skyline consistency. -From Skyline recipe 2 I added bayleaf and garlic cloves. -cut the cinnamon in half. It should be noted that official canned Skyline lists paprika as one of the ingredients. Lastly, people should understand that this chili recipe is not your standard american chili. It is more of a sauce to be used over other things. Serve it over noodles or a hot dog with a ton of cheese (cheddar I think) and oyster crackers as a side. Thank you for the recipe.

Our whole family LOVES this recipe. I do tweak it a little at times. I always add chocolate, sometimes use half ground beef & half ground chicken to lighten it up a little, and after I brown the meat I put it in the food processor for a few pulses to get a consistent and fine texture. We serve ours over spaghetti with onions and cheese.

Don't compare this exotic spicy sauce to a thick bowl of Texas Red. Top your spaghetti with this, chopped onion, shredded cheddar, and some drained cooked pinto beans for a real treat.

This chili was okay but I thought there was too much cinnamon in it. When we ate it with the spaghetti noodles, onions and cheese, it kind of cut down on the cinnamon taste, but I still think there was too much in there.

This is good stuff! The second time I made it, I cut the cinnamon back to 1/2 teaspoon and it was much better. My opinion is that the original recipe calls for too much cinnamon.

I made this for the first time ever making chili. I just left the lid off of the crockpot for the last two hours and it was hotter. I was told that it was 4 alarm chili when I added two tbsp. of hot chili powder and 3 tbsp. of regular chili powder. Hubby didn't like the cinnamon, so I took it out. That's all I changed. Thanks for a great no-bean chili!

I loved this. I am a transplant who grew up in Cincy, so I'm constantly craving this. I know it doesn't taste exactly like Skyline, but its the closest I've tasted.

This is it!! I did also add cocoa as per others comments. A definite mainstay now that I have moved away from Cinti.

I'm giving it 5 stars because my husband LOVED it and can't wait for the left overs. I've never liked Skyline Chili, and didn't like this, but it was a special mean for my Skyline-loving husband. PS The kids loved it too!

This was soo delicious! Made this for a BBQ, and put it on top of hotdogs. Everybody was raving about how good it was! We didn't even put any water in it. We really didn't think it needed any. Thanks for the recipe!

Yum! I used to be a flight attendant based out of CVG and ate many bowls of Cincinnati Chili while waiting for flights. I decided to try to find a recipe and duplicate the taste. I think this one is pretty close. I did grind the meat in my food processor a bit after lightly browning and draining fat. I was afraid of so much cinnamon but it was great! At first I didn't add the chocolate as one reviewer suggested but after tasting the finished product added it at the end. I always thought I tasted a very slight chocolate (mole) flavor in the original at the airport. The best thing was how the house smelled after we returned from work. My kids loved it served over spaghetti topped with cheese, beans and onions!

I followed this recipe pretty closely, but based on reviews, made a few changes. I browned the meat with some chopped onions...then chopped it all up finely in the food processor (crucial step) with a little water. I had to do this in 3 steps. I then used 2 cans of tomato sauce and skipped the paste. I used a little less cinnamon. I loved this, it was much better than my last attempt at this dish....using the food processor made all the difference and gave the sauce just the right texture.

I omitted the cinnamon. I also added chopped green pepper and onion along with 2 cans of dark red kidney beans. The chili is delicious!!!

I'm pregnant and someone mentioned Skyline Chili on a pregnancy website...and that set off the craving for it. I've only had the actual chili from the restaurant one time - I live several states away so a trip to Ohio just to satisfy a craving was out of the question. I found this recipe and decided to make it. I did it on the stove since I was pressed for time. Now I have no idea how I'll be able to wait until my husband comes home from work because it is SOOOOOO good!!!! I'm dipping into the pot every time I pass it. I can't wait for dinner tonight!

My husband who is from Cincinnati, loved this recipe. He thought it was pretty authentic. After reading the reviews, I added 3 chunks of bitter-sweet chocolate and added a 11/2 teaspoon of ground cloves. I also, put in my food processor after it was done cooking. Delicious! Served w/finely shredded cheese and freshly chopped red onions.

Kids refused to eat it, but then, if it doesn't taste like ketchup and sugar, my kids won't eat it. My husband said the flavor was an exact match for Skyline Chili. He was impressed.

The best Chili I've ever had.That is what I said and 20 other guy's I work with. Great Recipe Thanks for sharing it.

Good one! I love it.

I don't know how you did it, but this tastes just like the real thing!! It was great! Will definitely be making this again.

This is so close to the originalit made my husband home sick. I agree that to get the same texture run it through the blender real quick. I'll be making this on a regular basis.

I've never had Cincinatti chili before, but I plan on having it a lot in the future. I used other suggestions and blendered the meat, added 1 square of bittersweet chocolate, and cut the cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon. This is just a nice twist on ordinary chili.

This was good. I was trying to imitate a hot dog chili recipe from a place in Tulsa so I left out a lot of the water. This one was closer but not there. However I am glad I tried it because we really liked it.

I made this for a group of people and some were from Ohio and have had skiline chili before .It was awesome I added 2oz unsweetened baking chocolate and it was great.

This recipe is not for me! It is nothing like Skyline Chili!! For those who say it tastes just like it....well its not true. It is awful!!

I made this on the stove-top instead of in a crockpot. It was AMAZING!!! The only thing I did differently was to add a bit less water ~ I just poured it in until I got the consistency I was looking for. I wouldn't dream of leaving out the allspice or the cinnamon: they make this dish. All the boys gave it 5 stars too! Thanks for the great recipe Holly.

hubby loved it (though he added some tobasco sauce). Easy and tasty. Everyone is right though it is watery. I'd not add the water at all next time.

Just like the real thing! Definitely let it simmer as long as possible. Much better the second day. PERFECT!!!

wow! my hubby always told me, "there are NO beans in real chili". we live in michigan, and this chili is like the chili they use in the authentic coney restaurants. iam so impressed with this. only difference is i also used about a pound of chorizo sausage with the ground beef and it turned out wonderful. thank you very much for a family favorite!

This recipe was just like the real thing, however I thought there was too much grease at the top of the crock pot when it was finished cooking. I had to spoon out about a half bowl of grease/water. Also, is there a quicker way to make this? 12 hours in a crock pot was just a bit too long.

I made a mix between Skyline Chili 1 & 2. It was delicious! I wanted it more spicy like #2 and more saucy like #1. Great!

This chili was sooo yummy. I ate way too much, and my very picky two year old loved it as well. This is definitely a permanent addition to my recipe collection!

This chili was excellent!!!! Although, my family and I like beans in our chili so I added 2 small cans of red beans (not red beans in chili sauce) and it turned out great....I highly recommend it and plan on making it again soon.

Tasty chili but will not become my standby recipe. Solid Cincinnati chili flavor, but don't make it if you don't like cinnamon. It is the first thing that hits your mouth when you take a bite. I added kidney beans to bulk it up, too.

I liked this simple recipe. I was free to add more or less of what I liked and it still turned out well. I would recommend this recipe as a good starting point for chili.

I don't know if this is close to the real Skyline Chili or not, but it is really good stuff! I had made mac and cheese for my 3 yr old, so I served it over that instead of spaghetti. And my husband used it to make chili dogs with sauteed onion. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Was okay, but I won't make it again

Family looovvveess this chili!! I do use less water then called for.

I made this last weekend. I ground up the cooked burger in the food processor and cooked on low for several hours (stove top). I got a little nervous adding cinnamon and all spice. To my surprise I LOVED IT. My picky husband even said I wouldn't mind if you made this again. ha ha So a big thanks!!!!

Tasted great! We made it Five-Way with kidney beans, onions, cheese and spaghetti. Our guests loved it!

Much too watery. I only added half the water it called for and it was still too thin for our taste. I'm used to thick, hearty chili that you can sop up with a nice piece of cornbread. My husband and I poured this over spaghetti and topped it off with sour cream and lots of shredded cheese. We liked the taste, and I'll probably make it again, but will modify the water big time.

The cinnamon was overwhelming.

Ok, so I was in a hurry and completely skipped the slow cooker part and just simmered this on the stove for about an hour to and hour and a half. REALLY GOOD! I can't imagine that it could be much better after slow cooking all day but maybe next time I'll try that - or not! The only thing I changed was the addition of much more red pepper to make it a bit zippier. Cooked some angel hair and topped with shredded cheese. Amazing.

This recipe instantly became one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. I've made it stove-top when we just can't wait for the slowcooker. It is one of the most requested dishes in my family. Definitely serve it over angel hair pasta. Pile it high with shredded cheese. Diced onions are a must for me; red beans if I've got them. Wow! A few tabasco peppers,a splash of pepper juice, and I am in heaven!!

This was excellent! Although my husband and I have never been to Cincinatti - from what we have seen on TV it seemed authentic. it was Def DELICIOUS served over Pasta with Shredded cheese (like a 3-way). I did what 1 reviewer did and put the meet in my Vita-mixer (my super blender) and it was really yummy! Thanks for the recipe!

This is an easy shortcut variation on Skyline chili, and great that is works on the crockpot leaving your time freed up for other things, but Skyline Chili II is far superior and I won't bother making this version again as I liked the other so much better. Thanks Holly!

I am from Cincinnati and eat at Skyline not less than once or twice a week. This recipe looks right except Skyline has chocolate in it. I will make and review. Try this mixed with blended chili beans in a burrito like at the restaurant. Check out the Skyline website for other ideas. The more you try it, the more you start to crave it.

Love the crock pot aspect! Added half a can of refried beans (for taste of beans without the texture). Substituted chopped canned tomatoes for tomato sauce. Reduced meat to 1 lb of ground beef PLUS 1/2 lb spicy ground sausage --- which gave it a little kick even though overall meat was reduced.

really does taste just like skyline! very good over spaghetti with cheese, sourcream and tabasco!

This is THE Skyline Chili! I usually double the recipe and freeze some. But I do NOT double the chili powder. And I always add a little extra cinnamon - and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar. This is a sweet chili, but all that chili powder makes it too much like regular chili. The secret is in constantly stirring the beef while it is browning so it turns out very fine.

This chilli was absolutely one of my favorites! Easy to prepare. Different flavor than most chilli. Cinnamon is the key.

I made this for my husband who LOVES Skyline and misses it immensely since moving away from OH. He said it didn't taste like Skyline. I on the other hand liked it, but I never ate Skyline while we lived it OH.

excelent as a meat sauce for spagetti

When my husband & I were dating in college, going to Skyline was a frequent date for us. Moving out of state was upsetting since we were no longer close to a Skyline. Short of buying the premade in the store, I think this is as close as you can get to the real thing. When making this I discovered I didn't have any allspice, but made it anyway. I think it may have been missing a little something due to that, but it was still a great meal. FYI- Skyline chili also makes an excellent topper for a baked potato.

I grew up in Cincy and this is acceptably close! Defiantly blend the meat and add cocoa. Don't forget lots of diced raw onions and shredded cheddar on finished product and oyster crackers! Enjoy this unique dish! Thanks for the recipe :)

I made the chili on the stove top instead of the crockpot. I would definately leave out the cinnamon. My husband would not eat it and said to just use canned chili next time. If not for him I would make it again but without the cinnamon.

Everyone in my office raved about how this smelled when I made it. Tastes better the next day after all the spices have a chance to really mingle.

This is extremely close to what I remember when I was living in Cincinnati. Well done! I did not brown the meat, as per many review's suggestions.

I've made this twice and it tastes just like the original. Great over spagetti with melted cheese on top!

I followed the recipe exactly, except I made it in a dutch oven on the stove rather than in a crock pot. I bought all the ingredients before realizing I'd need one :-) After bringing to a boil, I simmered it on very low for five hours, and it turned out great. Husband and teen daughter enjoyed it and said they would eat it again, giving it a rating of 6 out of 10. However, after the first few bites, I found it to be too sweet and rather one-note.

A really good Cincinnati chili recipe. I am a native Cincinnatian, and this This has all of the components of good Cincinnati chili. It is more sauce-like as opposed to a hearty, chunky Texas-style chili. The spice profile is there. I followed the recipe as is except for two things- I added the bittersweet chocolate that others mentioned. This is a must! I also rounded up to 3 pounds of ground beef (90/10). I did not brown the beef at all. I broke it apart while adding it to the slow cooker. After six hours, I mashed around with a potato masher to break up the remaining chunks, but I probably could have gotten by without it. It was plenty spicy. Maybe 4 TBS of chili powder would be enough. Make a classic five way with a bed of thin spaghetti, a ladle-full of chili, a layer of cooked and drained dark red kidney beans, some diced onion, and some mild cheddar cheese shredded as finely as possible. Substitute rice or a baked potato for the pasta.

It's authentic to Skyline indeed. Also tried it with ground turkey and worked too.

This was the best chili I have ever eaten! I did modify slighty by adding onions and salsa. Fantastic! It was very simple to make. I will make this again and again.

This was okay. We didn't hate it. But I won't make it again. Btw, I took some of the reviewers suggestions and decreased the water to 2 cups and it was still pretty runny.

This is the only skyline recipe that I wwill use! My husband grew up in Cincinnati and loves skyline, he loves this recipe!

I have never had skyline chili, so I can't vouch for authenticity, but I thought this was very tasty. I used a 90% lean ground sirloin for the meat, because it was on sale. I didn't bother with blending it or anything, I thought the texture was fine as is, I just broke it up into small pieces while browning. Somewhat similar to the meat sauce on the chili mac at steak n shake, but without the flavor of the red sauce. Will definitely make again.

Made 3 tweaks to the recipe as written. Halved the cinnamon, added 1oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and added 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. Turned out great. The 12 hours in the crockpot is a must to blend and even out the flavors. Made perfect chili dogs, and will next use this mix for chili cheese dip on a Sunday game day.

When I wanted to learn how to make Skyline, years ago, I did some research. There was an article with the inventor in the Cincinnati Enquirer in their archives that included the recipe. In the late 1940's he opened the Skyline Chili chain. A point of emphasis was that the ground beef was boiled, cooled and the fat skimmed. There is NO chili powder in the original recipe. Ingredients included onion, garlic cloves, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, allspice, ground cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper and 1 oz of bakers chocolate. When Cincinnati chili hit the area many variations came and went as places opened and closed across SW Ohio and N. Kentucky. I believe this is why you see so many variations and co-mingling of both recipes. So find a recipe that includes these ingredients and eliminate all the extras. Hope this helps you guys who want to try the original Skyline.

I haven't lived in Cinti for 30 years; however I dream about Skyline chili still. So, finally I tried this recipe. I think it's wonderful. The only changes I made were adding 3 tbl cocoa and a little sugar to the pot at the end and 1 can of kidney beans. We like the thin spaghetti with it and thin shredded cheese. We ate it 5 way for 5 straight days. We just couldn't get enough. I will make this regularly and will never be without some in the freezer. I can't believe it took me so long to make this myself. BTW, my husband had never tried Cinti chili and he loves it as much as me. Thanks so much for this recipe.

The crew loved it.

I did not care for this recipe. All you can taste is the cinnamon and allspice.

I didn't cook the meat before I threw it in the crockpot though or else it becomes clumpy and isn't as smooth as normal skyline chili is. Perfect though!

This was really good, I did what some people suggested And blended the ground beef after it was browned. I’ve never had Skyline chilli before and never heard of it before I saw this recipe but I can say it had a great flavour to it and was super simple to make.

I have used this recipe for years. It is quick and easy to put together. I do substitute real onions for the onion salt. I tend to like that flavor better. Then, at the end when it is done, I put shredded cheddar cheese and cut up fresh onions on top of it and the spaghetti. Also, when made following the directions, it tends to be more watery than I like, so I have reduced the water or added a thickening agent depending upon when I remembered. Skyline is supposed to be runny, this is just a personal taste issue. Great for kids and getting them to eat.

i love this recipe and have used for years. recently, i used it and noticed that when i change the servings quantity, the math is not done correctly and the last ingredient, water, is reduced by about 90%. what a fail on allrecipes part. there's no way to contact them either. so be warned that if you mess with the servings, double check the math.