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I have a passion for accurately recreating restaurant copycat recipes (such as my wildly popular Chipotle series), so tackling Skyline’s famous Cincinnati Chili was a delight. I worked with my brother-in-law, an Ohio native, to make sure I nailed the exact flavor that comes from unexpected spices and a surprise square of chocolate.
Nearly 800 5-star reviews later, the jury is in, and they LOVE IT! If you’re seeking a Skyline chili copycat recipe or just want to try something new, this is the recipe to try.
What is Cincinnati Chili?
Ever been to the Skyline Chili in Ohio?
If that’s a no, leave everything you thought you knew about traditional chili behind, because this recipe will turn it all upside down, but only in the most delicious way.
The (secret) recipe calls for a combination of spices and ingredients that you might find a bit odd, especially for a savory meat stew. Allspice? Cloves? Unsweetened chocolate?
Stick with me (and our friends from the Buckeye state) because this recipe is perfect for the slow cooker and freezes beautifully, so you can have Cincinnati-style chili any time, any place.
Table of Contents
Skyline Chili Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Just one ounce is all you need, but the super fans swear it makes all the difference.
- Ground beef: You won’t have a chance to drain the fat from the beef in this recipe. I think 85/15 is ideal for maximum flavor without too much grease, but you can choose something leaner if you want to.
- Toppings: Build your bowl with spaghetti, chili, and cheese, then top it off with onions, kidney beans, or even oyster crackers if you want to. Here’s the official guide to the “ways” Skyline serves their chili:
- 2-Way: Spaghetti, Chili
- 3-Way: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese
- 4-Way: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese, Onions OR Beans
- 5-Way aka “the works”: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese, Onions AND Beans
How to make Skyline Cincinnati Chili
- In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Cook onions until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in chocolate, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir in beef and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
- Serve over cooked spaghetti with desired toppings such as cheese, beans, onions, and crackers.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 10 generous servings of Cincinnati Chili.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool and portion into freezer-safe containers, label and date. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Slow cooker: Sauté the onions in olive oil over medium-high heat until softened. Add the unsweetened chocolate, garlic, oregano, chili powder, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Add to a slow cooker with the chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire, salt and pepper, and beef. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- Coney Dog: If you’re thinking a hot dog smothered with chili might be just the thing, you’re not alone. Eat it in the bun, or topped with cheese, mustard, onion, beans, you name it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cincinnati Chili is made with several non-traditional ingredients including chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. It’s also a thinner chili overall, and it’s served over spaghetti noodles with a mountain of cheese on top.
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Skyline Cincinnati Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions finely chopped (plus more for topping)
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds ground beef (preferably 85/15, see note 1)
- cooked spaghetti for serving
- shredded cheese dark red kidney beans, finely chopped onions, and oyster crackers, for serving (see note 2)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Cook onions until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in chocolate, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir in beef and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
- Serve over cooked spaghetti with desired toppings such as cheese, beans, onions, and crackers.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Ground beef: You won’t have a chance to drain the fat from the beef in this recipe. I think 85/15 is ideal for maximum flavor without too much grease, but you can choose something leaner if you want to.
- Toppings: Build your bowl with spaghetti, chili, and cheese, then top it off with onions, kidney beans, or even oyster crackers if you want to. Here’s the official guide to the “ways” Skyline serves their chili:
- 2-Way: Spaghetti, Chili
- 3-Way: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese
- 4-Way: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese, Onions OR Beans
- 5-Way aka “the works”: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheddar Cheese, Onions AND Beans
- Yield: This recipe makes 10 generous servings of Cincinnati Chili.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You would never put beans on a cheese coney!
Hi Tyler, while you are right, some people enjoy them with beans. Thanks for writing, please let me know if you try this recipe! – Meggan
I’ve made this several times exactly as written (unusual for me) and I must warn you, it’s addictive and you’ll be sad when it’s gone. Have it with the works.
Thanks, Dave! – Meggan
Hi Debbi, thank you so much for taking the time to write. I’m sorry this chili recipe didn’t meet your taste expectations. I hope you are able to tweak this recipe or find one closer to one you love. I’m so sorry. – Meggan
And needs cumin
My husband and kids are from Cincinnati, I lived there for 20 years. We are picky.
Hi Teetop, sorry you didn’t like it. I’m not sure why it was too sweet or sour without more information. I wish I could help. I hope you find a recipe you enjoy. – Meggan
We have frequented Skyline Chilis in a few states/locations, but unfortunately do not live close to one. Not only is this recipe easy & delicious, it tastes just like the real thing! Now we dont have to miss Skyline, we make our own….we just stock up on their hot sauce 🙂
Thanks for another great recipe.
You’re so welcome, Elissa! 😊 – Meggan
So my husband and I pick a football team each week during the season and cook something known for their city. We have put off the Cincinatti chili because we just couldn’t imagine it. But then we decided why do we do this if we aren’t going to try something we never imagined. While this isn’t going into a regular dinner rotation (only because the spaghetti makes it rather heavy for us), it will be a regular football season rotation.
A few things, I guess I wasn’t supposed to brown the beef ahead of time – I should have read better but I was also browning beef for a baked ziti so it worked out planning-wise. Anyone want to tell me how that affects the chili in the end? I was so confused on the amount of chocolate because the whole package said it was 1 ounce, but I thought a square was an ounce so not sure how much to use.
I also found something missing when I tasted it and ended up adding more brown sugar and more salt. Maybe just my taste. We both went for the works on toppings and think it was fantastic. Can’t remember the last time we ate oyster crackers.
Thank you for the recipe. This was a fun experience for us.
You’re welcome! Thank you for taking the time to write and share! – Meggan
Cooking the meat in the liquid is a game changer.
It seemed weird to me the first time I did it that way, but it’s what makes the meat not clump together and it’s super soft. It’s a complete change in the texture. There have been other times I’ve cooked my hamburger in the liquid of a recipe instead of browning first because I wanted that texture.
Taste aside, the texture of Cincinnati chili comes from cooking the meat in the liquid and not browning it ahead of time.
Excellent recipe! The perfect imposter. I modified it a bit with a couple bell peppers, 2 jalapeños, and a habanero. The only thing I would change, next time I will cut the allspice by half.
Can’t wait to make it again!
So glad you enjoyed it, Doug! – Meggan
This is a great recipe! I made a few minor adjustments: added a bit of finely chopped red pepper to the onions, substituted a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder for unsweetened chocolate, and blended up a can of diced tomatoes, since I had no tomato sauce on hand. It was a bit watery, so I used a full 6 ounce can of tomato paste, too. I was really skeptical about boiling the ground beef, but I think that was actually an important part of marrying the flavors and making the meat more tender. I also was not sure about the cloves, cinnamon and allspice, but the finished sauce was good. We enjoyed this twist on old favorites.
Thanks for writing, Lyda! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! – Meggan
This recipie was great. I made a half batch for dinner. I’ve tried other Cincinnati Chilli recipes before but this one is by far the best. Full of flavor and easy to put together. 5-way for this girl. I’m going to Ohio in October and am looking forward to trying it where it was created.
So happy you loved it! I hope you have a great trip! – Meggan
Hi, do you mean tomato soup or tomato sauce for recipe?
Hi Chloe, it’s tomato sauce. Please let me know if you have anymore questions! – Meggan