Learn how to make Cincinnati-style chili that’s ready in about 30 minutes. This chili recipe with beans and lean ground beef is flavored with a variety of spices, including our chili seasoning, which gives it a rich flavor that’s perfect during the colder weather months.
Depending on where you’re from “chili” can mean very different things. Different parts of the US have very different styles of chili – some have beans, some don’t, different cuts of meat are used including beef, pork and chicken, and a variety of spices may or may not be included. Even how the chili is served can vary and a great example of this is Cincinnati-style chili.
Cincinnati-style chili has Greek origins and includes ingredients like ground beef, beans, and spices including cinnamon and allspice, among others. A touch of cocoa powder gives the chili a richness and depth of flavor. It’s also served in a few different ways. It may be served up just in a bowl with some garnishes, but it’s also served over spaghetti or spooned over hotdogs. It’s a warm and cozy and a great tailgating recipe, too.
This Cincinnati-style chili recipe doesn’t take all day to make, either. It’s a quick 30-minute homemade chili that you can make ahead for an easy dinner during the week. In fact, giving the chili time to sit in the refrigerator allows all of the flavors to develop making it taste even better.
Ingredients
- 90% lean ground beef
- Diced onion
- Tomato sauce
- Pinto beans
- Chugwater Chili Gourmet Chili Blend
- Bay leaves
- Cayenne pepper
- Allspice
- Cinnamon
- Cocoa powder
- Apple cider vinegar
How to Make Cincinnati-Style Chili
- Sauté the onion in a pan with the spices and add the cocoa powder.
- Add the ground beef and cook it until it’s no longer pink. Add the tomato sauce, water, and pinto beans. Bring it to a boil, add the vinegar, and then lower the heat and simmer the chili for 20 minutes.
How to Serve Cincinnati-Style Chili
Serve the bold, spicy Cincinnati-style chili over thin spaghetti or hot dogs. Add shredded cheddar cheese, sliced scallions or diced red onion, and a spoon full of sour cream for all kinds of yummy in each bite.
More Delicious Chili Recipes
Looking for more homemade chili recipes? Here are a few more of our favorite recipes:
Cincinnati-Style Chili
ingredients:
- 2 lbs. ground beef, 90% lean
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces)
- 2 cans pinto beans (15 ounces each)
- 3 tablespoons Chugwater Chili Gourmet Blend
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
instructions:
How to cook Cincinnati-Style Chili
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot. Add diced onion and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add all spices. With the cocoa powder the mixture will look almost black. Stir and heat for about 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains and the meat is broken down to small pieces, about 1/4 inch in size. Add tomato sauce, one can of water, and two cans of pinto beans plus their liquid. Bring to a quick boil, add the apple cider vinegar, and simmer 20 minutes.
- Serve over cooked thin spaghetti or a hot dog in a bun.
Calories
535.71Fat (grams)
27.60Sat. Fat (grams)
10.20Carbs (grams)
22.69Fiber (grams)
7.18Net carbs
15.51Sugar (grams)
3.99Protein (grams)
47.96Sodium (milligrams)
558.31Cholesterol (grams)
136.14
Justin
April 03, 2018
Hi Ann, Yes our chili powder is Gluten free, as are our other spices.