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–+ servings
Spaghetti, chili, kidney beans, chopped onions, and shredded cheese in a white serving dish.

Cincinnati Chili

Rhonda
Cincinnati Chili is a vintage Ohio recipe that unless you've actually had it, you won't understand the following. This chili isn't like your normal red chili. This slow-simmered recipe has hints of chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cumin. 
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Resting 1 day
Total Time 1 day 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 272 kcal

Equipment

  • cutting board
  • knife
  • Dutch oven
  • potato masher
  • food processor
  • small heavy-bottomed sauce pan
  • non-stick skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs ground beef 80/20
  • 1 quart water
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 3 yellow onions chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the ground beef by smashing it up with your hands under running cold water. This will help you get the consistency you are looking for.
  • Then add the hamburger to the Dutch oven and cover with water.
  • Place a heavy-bottomed small saucepan on your burner and turn it to medium-high. Add the tomato paste and using a wooden spoon stir the paste and continue scraping the bottom of the pan. You don't want the tomato paste to burn. Once you start to get brown pieces off of the bottom of the pan, remove the pan from the heat and add it to the meat mixture.
  • Next, dice up two cups of the onions and mince the garlic. Sauté them in a non-stick skillet to get them nice and translucent.
  • Once they are soft and clear, add the garlic and the onion into a food processor and chop them up until they are very small.
  • Add the onions and garlic to the pot. Then add in the rest of the ingredients, except the kidney beans, one cup of onions, and the shredded cheese.
  • Simmer on medium-high and let everything cook for 3 to 3.5 hours. The mixture will reduce a lot.
  • When it's done, let it cool and place in the fridge overnight.
  • The next day, skim off the fat and serve up the chili anyway you'd like, 2-way, 3-way, 4-way or 5-way.
  • Make sure to serve with oyster crackers and top with hot sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 13.2gProtein: 36.8gFat: 8.1gSaturated Fat: 2.9gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 655mgPotassium: 921mgFiber: 3.9gCalcium: 49mgIron: 23mg
Keyword Chili, Cincinnati Chili, Iconic Ohio recipes
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