Cincinnati Chili

Name: Cincinnati Chili
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 lb ground beef (80 to 85% lean); 24 oz tomato sauce; 2 cup water; 1 unit yellow onion (finely grated); 3 clove garlic (minced); 2 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground allspice; ⅛ tsp ground cloves; 1 ½ tsp salt; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 12 oz spaghetti; 2 cup sharp cheddar (finely shredded)

Soups & Salads · American

14 ingredients · 150 minutes · 6 servings

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384kcal17.5g protein13.7g fat47.3g carbs*

Contains gluten, dairy

Restrictions

Containsgluten · dairyIt is in an ingredient you cannot leave out.

Diets

No porkNo alcohol

Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.

Ingredients

Servings:

2 lb	ground beef (80 to 85% lean)
24 oz	tomato sauce
2 cup	water
1 unit	yellow onion (finely grated)
3 clove	garlic (minced)
2 tbsp	chili powder
1 tsp	ground cinnamon
1 tsp	ground cumin
½ tsp	ground allspice
⅛ tsp	ground cloves
1 ½ tsp	salt
2 tbsp	apple cider vinegar
12 oz	spaghetti
2 cup	sharp cheddar (finely shredded)

Optional

Not counted above. The dish works without them.

1 tsp	unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cup	kidney beans (warmed and drained, for 4-way/5-way)
¾ cup	yellow onion (finely chopped, for 4-way/5-way)

Steps

mix5 min
beef dispersed into cold liquid in very fine particles
Combine the beef, tomato sauce and water in a heavy pot while the mixture is still cool. Use a spoon or potato masher to break the beef into exceptionally fine particles before the proteins set; this raw-to-liquid start is what gives Cincinnati chili its sauce-like texture instead of browned crumbles.
simmer100 min
bare simmer, partially uncovered; fat rising and sauce gradually concentrating
Stir in the grated onion, garlic, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves and salt. Bring only to a gentle simmer, then cook partially uncovered, stirring periodically and skimming excess surface fat as needed. Hard boiling tightens the beef and muddies the spice profile.
reduce25 min
uncovered; fluid enough to ladle but thick enough to cling to spaghetti
Uncover and continue simmering until the sauce coats a spoon yet still flows easily. Stir in the cider vinegar and, if using, the small amount of cocoa. Taste for salt and acidity; the warm spices should read as aromatic depth, not dessert sweetness.
prep15 min
spaghetti cooked just tender; cheddar finely shredded
Cook the spaghetti in well-salted water until just tender and drain. Warm optional beans separately and chop optional raw onion. Keep every topping separate so the numbered Cincinnati 'ways' remain serving choices rather than ingredients that thicken the sauce.
prep5 min
served immediately in ordered layers
For a classic 3-way, mound spaghetti on a plate, ladle chili over it, and cover generously with finely shredded cheddar. Add raw onion for a 4-way, beans for the alternate 4-way, or both for a 5-way. Do not toss the layers together before serving; their contrast is part of the regional form.