Seasoned with spices and chocolate, this chili spaghetti recipe has a unique taste that’s unlike any other style of chili. It’s served over spaghetti and topped with beans, onions and cheese. Chili spaghetti is a great meal for serving a crowd, and can be individualized to each person’s taste.
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What I love about chili spaghetti
Whenever I am day dreaming of fall and cold weather I make do by making soups, stews, pumpkin and – of course – chili! Chili is probably one of my favorite things to eat. I like almost all kinds of chili and am rarely disappointed with nice big bowl of spicy meat (and beans sometimes).
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
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How to make chili spaghetti
Combine dry ingredients. Mix the spices together in a small bowl or jar. Set aside.
Sauté the onions and garlic. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic. Let them cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the spice mixture and stir to coat the onions.
Brown the beef. Next, add the meat and let it brown, breaking it into small pieces as it’s cooked through (no longer pink).
Simmer the chili. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Let it cook down until it gets a bit thicker. This is usually when I cook the pasta.
Serve the chili. I like to add my beans into the chili because we all like beans in our house, but traditionally they’re served as a topping.
How to serve chili spaghetti:
Chili spaghetti is traditionally served with several options for toppings. The more toppings, the more “way” you choose. I like all of the toppings so I like mine “five-way” and even though I’m not supposed to, I put the beans in when I’m cooking the chili.
You can obviously leave them out and use them as a topping if you prefer. You can read more about the different ways to pile the chili on your plate here, but the layers include chili, spaghetti, beans, onions and cheese.
FAQS and tips for making chili spaghetti
Where do they eat chili on spaghetti?
Chili on spaghetti come from around the Cincinnati area. Traditional Cincinnati chili is made with chocolate and cinnamon, which aren’t included in other versions of chili. It’s served over spaghetti and topped with beans, onions and cheese.
Do noodles go in chili or not?
Normally noodles go in chili (if you’re including them), but for Cincinnati-style chili spaghetti, the chili is served on top of the noodles.
Does authentic chili have beans in it?
I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to this question. Whether or not you include beans in chili is usually based on where you live. Regional recipes sometimes include them and sometimes they do not, do what you like!
More spaghetti recipes you will love
- Caramelized shallot pasta
- Thai peanut noodles
- One pot pasta puttanesca
- Old bay shrimp scampi pasta
Chili Spaghetti
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Seasoned with spices and chocolate, this chili spaghetti recipe has a unique taste that’s unlike any other style of chili. It’s served over spaghetti and topped with beans, onions and cheese. Chili spaghetti is a great meal for serving a crowd, and can be individualized to each person’s taste.
- Author: Melissa
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Spaghetti
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound package spaghetti
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Combine the chili powder, paprika, cumin, all spice, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes.
- Add the spice mixture and coat the onions, cooking until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, cooking until no longer pink and breaking the meat into small pieces.
- Add salt, tomato sauce, tomatoes, bay leaf, chocolate, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes or until thick. (Cook pasta while waiting for the chili to simmer)
- Add beans 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Strain pasta, top with chili and serve with cheese and extra onions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 469
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 858.3 mg
- Fat: 25.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 12.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.3 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 35.1 g
- Cholesterol: 99.9 mg
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