Traditionally this is Cincinnati Chili, although I grew up with it as “Farmer’s Market Spaghetti” that my Grandmother discovered at the 1933 World’s Fair. I deemed it Weird Spaghetti as a child, but “Good weird! A family favorite, we enjoy with just pasta and cheese. Cincinnati Chili is served with shredded Cheddar, oyster crackers, chopped onion and kidney beans.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, (80/20 lean muscle to fat ratio)
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound bucatini noodles, boiled in salted water, drained
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef while breaking the mass into smaller pieces. While the meat is cooking and still a little pink, add the onion and saute until the beef is fully cooked and the onion turns translucent. Drain all of the fat from the pan. Add all the dry spices and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, then stir in the tomato sauce. Once combined, incorporate the beef stock, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Put the cooked bucatini in a serving bowl and add the meat sauce. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 565 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 51 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 32 g |
| Cholesterol | 84 mg |
| Sodium | 761 mg |
Reviews
Delicious!!
This tastes nothing like “Cincinnati chili…” truly called “Skyline” or “Goldstar.” This is a disgusting imitation. If you want true “Cinci chil,” order a can of it on amazon.
This seemed like an interesting recipe but one thing I knew was that I hate cloves and nutmeg so I had to figure out what to replace them with. I used star anise instead and it turned out great. Since I first tried this recipe several years ago I’ve made it many times and I still love it.
My hubby loves Cinch chili! This is the only recipe that comes very close. I use just a pinch or two of cloves and let it simmer for hours. Yum! Thanks Guy!
We love Cincinnati Chili and usually open the can of it since we are no longer in Cincinnati. It is so hard to find a homemade recipe that comes close. This is an excellent recipe!
Loved it! A little thin, but after you add the pasta it’s all good. I’ll make it again.
Amazing, just don’t put as much cloves, maybe a teaspoon less, or maybe just a half teaspoon because it’s a powerful flavor.. I also put grated cheddar instead of Parmesan cheese. But so yummy.
Sorry! But this recipe did not pass the taste test. I thought it was absolutely horrible and can’t believe it is still posted.
I go with Guy on many, many of his recipes. The Guy version of a Cinci chile was a great effort and worked with one exception. Give up the clove. Overbearing and essentially killed the dish.
The taste was great, but it came out runny. I probably should have added some flour, but I kept holding out hoping it would thicken on its own. Next time I’ll know what to do. I didn’t use any clove, instead I added some cayenne pepper (we love the heat!). I probably will pull back a little on the cinnamon to maybe 2 tsp instead of 2 1/2 tsp. Great meal and reminded me of Bob’s Big Boy’s Chili Spaghetti.