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Skyline Diner Cincinnati Five-Way Chili
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Skyline Diner Cincinnati Five-Way Chili

Cincinnati chili is its own world — served over spaghetti with a blanket of finely shredded cheddar. The spice profile of cinnamon, chocolate, and cloves has roots in Greek immigrant cooking from the 1920s.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Inspired by J. Kenji López-Alt
⏱
2h
Cook Time
🥩
Ground Beef
Protein
📍
Ohio
Region
Heat Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Mild
Nutrition Per Serving
458
calories
per serving
28g
Protein
33g
Fat
11g
Carbs
4g
Fiber
Sodium516mg
Sugar4g
Estimates per serving (6 servings total) · Powered by Edamam
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Serving suggestions

Oyster crackers and a few dashes of hot sauce are standard on the table. The fine shred of mild cheddar is traditional — sharp overpowers the delicate spicing.

Substitutions & tips

That splash of cider vinegar in the pot brightens the rich spices, so don't skip it. Make the chili a day ahead; it's even better reheated.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef (not browned first — simmered raw)
1 large onion, grated
15 oz tomato sauce
2 tbsp chili powder
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves
Bay leaves
Spaghetti, kidney beans, raw onion, shredded cheddar to serve
Steps
1
Place raw ground beef and 2 cups water in pot and bring to boil, stirring to break up meat — do NOT brown first
2
Add grated onion, tomato sauce, garlic, all spices and chocolate
3
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 2 hours until very thick
4
Remove bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning
5
Cook spaghetti according to package, drain
6
Serve chili over spaghetti (2-way), with beans (3-way), onions (4-way), or cheddar (5-way)

Chiles in this recipe

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