
In Cincinnati they heat things up with heaping bowls of chili cooked until practically melted, with additions such as warm spices like cinnamon, cocoa powder, allspice, and cloves, and a touch of sweet molasses. Served over spaghetti and topped with hearty beans, cheese, and onion, it’s like no chili you have had before, but definitely one you’ll make over and over again.–Ellie Krieger
LC Three Way, Four Way, Five Way, Oh My! Note
Are we all familiar with Cincinnati-style chili? This unique and saucy take on chili is traditionally and ubiquitously plopped atop spaghetti and, if you please, glopped with Cheddar cheese, red onions, and/or beans. Mind you, there’s proper Cincinnati chili terminology to describe exactly how you like yours…
Two Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti
Three Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti and smothered with cheese
Four Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti and smothered with cheese and diced red onions or beans
Five Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti and smothered with cheese, diced red onions, and beans
One last thing. This rendition is made with ground turkey, which is hardly traditional, although you can’t really tell the difference. Honestly. That said, we’re not going to try to stop you from making it with ground beef. As if we could stop you.
Cincinnati Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- One 15-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce
- One 15-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces spaghetti, preferably whole-grain, cooked according to package directions
- 1 cup canned kidney beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup grated, lightly packed extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 4 teaspoons finely diced red onion
Directions
- 1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until just cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- 2. Add the bell peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, cocoa, paprika, cumin, oregano (if using), cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 3. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes with their juice, water, molasses, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, until the mixture has thickened considerably but is still somewhat soupy, about 2 hours.
- 4. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve the chili over the spaghetti, topped with the kidney beans, cheese, and diced red onion.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I love the cinnamon, allspice and cloves in that chili. I’ve never seen that before, but it sure sounds good. This is one I’m going to have to try out!
Do try it, Curt, and let us know what you think. I’m quite smitten with the warmth these spices bring to chili, and how a cooling dollop of sour cream makes a sharp contrast–hold the beans and cheese. But that’s just me…
I just made a similar recipe last night for my kids – I served it over whole grain pasta and they loved it. I used unsweetened chocolate instead of cocoa and a little bit of vinegar.
Sounds terrific, Jeannette. I can see how the multigrain pasta would work exceptionally well here–without even noticing it–and same goes for the chocolate in place of the cocoa, its extra richness helping to meld all the spice flavors a little more than the cocoa. I may play around with this recipe just a touch, tweaking it per your comment, and see what happens…
This recipe looks delicious and healthy, however, as an ex-Cincinnatian, I can assure you that green peppers never make it into the iconic Cincinnati Chili Parlor dish, let alone ground turkey!
We sort of danced around the heresy of the turkey in the note above the recipe, Christine, although you caught us. And veeeerrrrrrry good to know about the bell peppers. We’ve seen various recipes alternatively rely on them or ignore them, so we’re glad to have the info straight from the source! Many thanks.
Back in the days before so much airport security I used to deliberately schedule flights through Cincinnati, giving myself a 2- to 3-hour layover. The plan was land, grab cab, rush to Dixie Chili Parlor, stuff down 4 or 5 chili dawgs or a 4-way, then hotfoot it back to the airport to catch my flight out. I always wondered what my outbound seatmates thought of this brilliant plan…so thanks, I’ll make a batch this week.
All I can say is I’m glad I never made a habit of flying out of Cincinnati, Rick.
This dish has turned into a monthly staple in our house. My whole life I had never even heard of Cincinnati chili. So many spices add so much flavor to this recipe and there is NOTHING I have ever changed. I go 5way with this every time and recommend you do the same. Honestly, I could eat this dish every day for the rest of my life and be forever happy! Very good recipe, thank you!
Jeff, you are more than welcome, sir.