Easy Cincinnati Chili
This easy Cincinnati Chili recipe is a richly seasoned ground beef sauce simmered with tomato, warm spices and a touch of espresso powder. Serve it over spaghetti with plenty of shredded cheddar for an easy, hearty dinner that's ready in about 45 minutes.
Servings: 6
Cost: $15
Equipment
- large saucepan or Dutch oven
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cooked spaghetti for serving
- Shredded cheddar cheese for topping
- Optional toppings: diced onion kidney beans and oyster crackers
Instructions
- Brown the beef. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic to a large pot over medium heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the beef into very fine crumbles, until the meat is cooked through and the onion begins to soften. Drain off excess grease.
- Add the seasonings. Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, espresso powder, salt and pepper.
- Simmer. Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has darkened and thickened slightly but is still loose enough to spoon over pasta.
- Serve. Spoon the Cincinnati Chili over hot cooked spaghetti and top generously with shredded cheddar cheese. Add diced onion, kidney beans and oyster crackers, if desired.
Notes
- For the best texture, break the ground beef into very small crumbles as it cooks. Cincinnati Chili should have a finer, more sauce-like texture than traditional chili.
- Don't cook the chili until it's extremely thick. It should stay loose enough to ladle easily over spaghetti.
- The chili can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The flavor gets even better as it sits.
- Freeze the cooled chili without the spaghetti or toppings for up to 3 months.
- If you don't have espresso powder, unsweetened cocoa powder can be used for a slightly different but still rich Cincinnati-style flavor.
- Store leftover chili and spaghetti separately whenever possible so the pasta doesn't absorb the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 575mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 963IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4mg