All you need is 5 ingredients to make my Southern version of easy Cincinnati-style chili recipe. It’s the perfect blend of spicy and savory flavors, served traditionally on a bed of spaghetti.

This is my Southern take on a traditional Cincinnati chili recipe (hence the word “style” in the title). I may have tweaked the flavors just a bit (the authentic version uses a lot of spices), but I’m serving it the traditional way on spaghetti, so that gets bonus points, right? Authentic Cincinnati chili has a very unique flavor and is unlike anything I have ever tasted before. I can fully see how, if you were raised on this stuff, you’d be left with a craving that only Cincinnati chili would fill.

But today we’re making a Cincinnati-style chili recipe with an Alabama flair. This recipe is ridiculously easy to make. All you need is 5 ingredients: cooked ground beef, tomato sauce, ground cumin, chili powder, and water. The instructions are as simple as mixing the ingredients together and letting them simmer and thicken on the stove for about an hour.

Then we serve a big scoop of the meat sauce on a bed of freshly made spaghetti. Personally, I love how the spaghetti noodles seem to take to the chili sauce perfectly and they are great for balancing out the chili spices. The finishing touch is the toppings of your choice. As you can see, I opted for shredded cheese, but there are other options below.

You’ll also want to keep scrolling to learn more about Cincinnati chili and how to make this recipe work for you. Now I can’t wait until fall gets here so I can have a big chili dinner with friends. Let’s get cooking!

And if you need other Chili ideas try making some of these: White Bean Chili With Chicken, Easy Skillet Chili Bake, Buffalo Chicken Chili, or Crock Pot Chili Recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

Tomato sauce
Ground cumin
Chili powder
Cooked ground beef
Cooked spaghetti for serving

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make Cincinnati-Style Chili

Place all of your ingredients into a large pot.

Fill up your tomato sauce can with water and add that as well.

16 ounces equals 2 cups.

Now give all of this a good stir.

Bring this to a very light boil before reducing the heat and cooking, stirring every now and then, for about an hour.

You also want to cook it uncovered like so.

It will look deliciously thick like this when done.

Now add some cooked spaghetti noodles to your plate…

And add a heaping spoonful of the meat sauce on top.

Like this.

Finish your Cincinnati spaghetti with the toppings of your choice like shredded cheddar cheese.

But there are more options below.

Enjoy your chili. Comfort food at its finest!

Storage

Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop on low until heated through.
Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat them as above.

Recipe Notes

This will make enough for two large servings or four smaller ones, so you might want to double it if feeding a whole family. Luckily it’s super easy to double, you just need a big pot!
Feel free to substitute the ground beef for ground turkey.
For extra tomato flavor, use 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 can of tomato paste.
If you want it to taste like traditional Cincinnati chili, you’re going to need to raid your spice cabinet. Along with the chili powder and cumin, you can add:
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
- A pinch of ground cloves and/or ground nutmeg.
- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you want to add more heat.
Other seasonings you can add for flavor include 2 minced garlic cloves, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Another way to add flavor is to substitute the water for beef broth.

Recipe FAQs

What are the ingredients in Cincinnati chili?

The main ingredients in Cincinnati chili are ground beef, tomato paste, and spices.

Why do you put chocolate in chili?

Adding a tablespoon of unsweetened chocolate (chopped) or cocoa powder to any chili recipe adds so much richness and depth to the flavor. Feel free to give it a go.

What is different about Cincinnati chili?

There are a few differences when it comes to Cincinnati chili:

It’s served on spaghetti rather than rice.
You don’t cook beans in the chili, you add them as a topping.
The seasonings are different and usually include a combination of ground cumin, chili powder, ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ground nutmeg, paprika, and/or dried oregano.

So, there are three different ways to serve Cincinnati chili (yeah, they do things differently in the Midwest):

Three-way: spaghetti, chili, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Four-way: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheddar cheese, and minced raw onion OR warmed canned kidney beans.
Five-way: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheddar cheese, minced raw onion, AND kidney beans.

Traditionally you eat Cincinnati-style chili over hot dogs or with spaghetti. If you opt for the hot dog idea, it’s called a Coney Dog. Grab your steamed bun and beef hot dog and top it with chili, diced onion, cheese, and yellow mustard.

You also add the toppings of your choice: shredded cheese, diced onion, kidney beans, and/or oyster crackers.

Can you make Cincinnati-style chili in the slow cooker?

Absolutely! Instead of placing all of the ingredients in a large pot, put them in the crock pot instead. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. I recommend cooking with the lid on and then removing it halfway through the cooking time. This will allow it to thicken beautifully, as there’s a lotta liquid!

How do you make vegan Cincinnati-style chili?

You have a couple of options for a vegan Cincinnati chili recipe. First, substitute the ground beef for your favorite plant-based ground meat alternative. Second, use a combination (about 2 cups) of cooked lentils and sliced mushrooms.

Check out these other chili recipes:

Easy Skillet Chili Bake

Buffalo Chicken Chili

White Bean Chili With Chicken

Crock Pot Chili Recipe

Hot Dog Chili Recipe