Cincinnati Chili (2024)

FAQs

What makes Cincinnati chili different? ›

Traditional red chili often includes cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, though it's not limited to these spices. Cincinnati chili, on the other hand, has a sweeter edge with spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Some recipes also use cocoa powder.

The Mediterranean influence is a result of Macedonian immigrants inventing the dish. Woellert says the origins of Cincinnati chili can be traced back to a small burlesque theater called The Empress where, in 1922, several Macedonian brothers started serving chili on top of spaghetti, labeling it "chili mac."

The chili at this Cincinnati institution can be served plain, 3-way, 4-way, 5-way or 6-way. Learning the lingo didn't take long for Guy Fieri. He ordered the 6-way, which includes everything: chili, spaghetti, beans, onions, cheese and fried jalapeno caps.

One-way: Just a bowl of chili. Order it like that if you want, but you're missing out. And no one calls it a "one way." Two-way: Chili plus spaghetti.

Answer: Nope, according to Dann Woellert, author of "The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili." For the 2013 book, Woellert spoke with the owners of all the local chili parlors – Skyline, Gold Star, Pleasant Ridge and Price Hill, to name a few – and they all confirmed chocolate was not an ingredient in their recipes.

It turns out that Cincinnati chili is actually a New World adaptation of Greek pastit*io. Greek immigrants opened the Empress restaurant in Cincinnati in 1922 and began serving the deconstructed pastit*io. It became such a huge hit that other restaurants run by Greek immigrants began making their own versions.

-1 large brown/yellow onion (I have seen these called both brown or yellow, just don't use white onion. Red onion is good too, but it gives the chili a different flavor.)

Cinnamon. The beauty of ground cinnamon is that it brings a warmth to your chili, without being spicy. It works well with other flavors commonly found in chili (like tomato, cumin and chile powder) so you only need a little bit to achieve the desired balance.

Cincinnati chili has a flavor all its own

The unique spice blend, texture, and toppings are the three elements that set Cincinnati chili apart from the rest. According to Simply Recipes, many soup and stew dishes get their flavor from the caramelization that occurs when you sear the protein featured in the dish.

What kind of beans does Skyline use? ›

Description: This classic Cincinnati dish starts with a foundation of spaghetti noodles coated in Skyline's secret blend of seasonings. A heaping spoonful of kidney beans goes on next, followed by Skyline's "original, secret-recipe chili," some chopped onions and a heaping mound of finely shredded aged cheddar.

They have kept Nicholas's original recipe unchanged since then. According to William Lambrinides, "Dad always said, 'Don't change a thing with the recipe—don't add anything, don't take out anything, it's perfect the way it is'." As a result, Skyline's version has become nearly synonymous with Cincinnati chili.

Cincinnati chili (or Cincinnati-style chili) is a meat sauce with Mediterranean-inspired flavors that's traditionally used to top spaghetti or hot dogs. It's similar to chili con carne, but it's different in flavor and texture. It's also used primarily as a topping, while chili con carne is usually served in a bowl.

IT'S SKYLINE TIME. Our secret-recipe chili with beans and onions topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Cincinnati chili has a flavor all its own

The unique spice blend, texture, and toppings are the three elements that set Cincinnati chili apart from the rest. According to Simply Recipes, many soup and stew dishes get their flavor from the caramelization that occurs when you sear the protein featured in the dish.

Skyline Chili is unique in that it is not chili con carne, the meat dish that originated in (and is the state dish of) Texas. Instead, Cincinnati chili is a sauce usually used over spaghetti or hot dogs, containing a unique spice blend that gives it a very distinct, sweet-and-savory taste.

Why is Skyline Chili so popular? This dish has a Mediterranean influence in flavor so it is really unique! It has the traditional chili powder and cumin but also cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Skyline Chili has perfected their recipe so well that it is even sold in grocery stores.