Homemade copycat Skyline Cincinnati chili… unique and flavorful, this regional delicacy is easy to make at home for way less than the restaurant charges!
Have you ever had Cincinnati chili? It’s totally unique, and NOT like a traditional chili, but it’s an absolutely delicacy here in the Midwest. It’s also really easy to make at home, freezes wonderfully, and can be served in so many ways!
I love hometown things, and growing up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, that means Cincinnati-style chili!
It’s definitely NOT like any chili you’ve had before. To most people, chili is something like this. For us Cincinnati-ans… this is our chili:
A meat sauce full of unique seasonings that is served on top of spaghetti and topped with cheese (which we call a 3 way), and sometimes onions and/or beans will be added with the cheese (4 or 5 way).
Another classic way we enjoy this chili is on top of a hot dog, with some mustard and onions and a mound of cheese.
That delicious looking dog is called a coney. And they are heavenly… seriously.
I know… the term chili is confusing, because this dish is completely different… but wonderful (as most Cincinnati-ans are as well!).
I urge you to try it, at least once. Most people who try it, love it!
Around here, you can buy Skyline (and Gold Star) chili in cans, packets, and frozen trays. Which is convenient, but p-r-i-c-e-y! So I wanted to find a recipe that starts from scratch… for a few reasons.
- The price. I’m a cheap you know what, and refuse to pay that much for one can of chili.
- I don’t want the preservatives and whatever is in those packets.
- The most important reason… unless you live here, you probably won’t be able to find those cans, trays or packets in your grocery store. Bummer huh? Everyone should be able to enjoy this fabulous chili, no matter where you live!
It’s really simple to make too, just add water, tomato paste and chocolate to a large pot and cook over medium heat for a few minutes.
That’s right, you read that correctly… chocolate. Not the milk chocolate we all love to snack on mind you, but unsweetened 100% cacao bakers chocolate. My turkey chili uses this chocolate as well!
Add your spices, vinegar, and your beef. Crumble it using your fingers, then use a potato masher, whisk, or mash the beef against the side of the pan. Basically you want the meat all broken up into fine pieces. I mainly used the fork and went to town with my whisk. Get mad at it, break up that meat!
Now just bring it to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and let it cook, uncovered for 1 – 1 1/2 hours (you want a low boil). It will thicken up and become a wonderful meat sauce. And the smell that fills your house…. incredible!!
It’s up to you how you would like to serve up your chili… do you want coneys? A “way”? Or just chili in a bowl with cheese and oyster crackers?
It’s your house, your rules! I typically go for “ways” and coneys. Remember, here’s the breakdown.
CINCINNATI CHILI “WAYS”:
- 2-way = spaghetti and chili
- 3-way = spaghetti, chili, cheese
- 4-way = spaghetti, chili, onions OR beans, cheese (my fav is with onions!)
- 5-way = spaghetti, chili, onion AND beans, cheese
CINCINNATI CHILI CONEYS:
- Bun, hot dog, chili
- Bun, hot dog, chili, cheese
- Bun, hot dog, chili, mustard OR onion, cheese
- Bun, hot dog, chili, mustard AND onion, cheese (my fav!!)
Traditionally, people top their “ways” with oyster crackers and hot sauce. They’re great additions, I use them both!
This chili is also fantastic over crispy french fries or even a baked potato!! You can also use it in an amazing Skyline Chili Dip for your next party.
This chili season, I hope you give this non-traditional Cincinnati chili a try! Let me share this piece of my hometown with you all… I think you’ll LOVE it 🙂
Here are some other versions of chili to try too!
- Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili
- Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Beef and Poblano Chili
- Healthier Turkey Chili
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 6 oz can of Tomato paste
- 1/2 oz baking chocolate (unsweetened - I use Baker's brand)
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or less, depending on your desired heat level
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 lb lean ground beef
Instructions
- Add the water to a large pot. I like to use my dutch oven for this.
- Add the tomato paste and chocolate and heat over medium heat stirring to combine for about 3 minutes. (I stir with a whisk to really break up the tomato paste)
- Add chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, cumin, allspice, cloves, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, sugar and vinegar.
- Next, crumble the raw ground beef into the pot with your fingers, then use a potato masher, whisk or fork to break up the meat into very fine pieces.
- Turn heat to high to bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to med-low.
- Cook, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, at a low boil.. stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened quite a bit.
- Serve over thin spaghetti or a hot dog.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Wesley Lewis says
I have made this 3 times now and I improve on it every time. My guests think they are getting standard Chile and are most surprised to taste a completely different taste. Oh they love it and ask for the recipe, which is the best complement.
Harley Wes
Rob says
Born and raised in Cinci. Refuse to eat the canned, bagged, and start out with the spice pack, just because it’s over priced and processed. That being said, I’m gonna give this recipe a go at it. I have one from a cook book called 1001 Chili Recipes that showed up in the Cincinnati Enquirer back in 80, I believe. They published it as the real deal, and not a knock off. Well, I made it a few times and tweaked the spices here and there, and got it pretty darn close. But I’m willing to give this one a shot too! Looks delicious, but I don know one thing… there is no substitute at all for the real Skyline Chili.
Brandon says
This recipe is looks great! Also wanted to share a little tip for the noodles: Skyline actually flavors the noodles with a little tomato paste. That’s why they have a deeper rich color and stronger flavor
The Chunky Chef says
Oh great tip! 🙂
Vicky Clark says
As a former Cincinnati girl who has lived in North Carolina for 14 years Skyline continues to be the food I miss the most. Followed the recipe exactly – looks and smells like the original but for me the taste was slightly off. I do appreciate the work you put in putting this together though and I don’t have the refined palate to pinpoint what would tip this over the edge into perfection. Thanks for sharing this.
john says
Made this the lazy old guy way. Took a pound of beef out of the freezer last night, threw it in
crockpot overnight on low. Mushed it this morning, added all the spices and a large can of
tomato juice. Turned the crockpot to high, no luck there so I put in a large pan
and let it simmer for a bit. i like beans so I added them directly to the chili. I threw a
handful of spaghetti in the pot, when it was done I fished it out with the sauce and
threw on onions and cheese.
Voila, lazy mans cincinnati chili.
Mind you, I have not eaten at a Skyline in over 30 years, but this tasted like I think it is
supposed to.
Thanks for the recipe.
Patti Barrett says
I made this last night. It’s a keeper. The chili was tasty and filling, and the aroma was wonderful. We will make this again.
Brynja Knapp says
Made this tonight. Got the link from Mandy in the Making (youtube) last week. We told the toddler it was chocolate spaghetti. She isnt the best at eating (due to a heart surgery) so anyway..she devoured it. We really loved it too. Topped it with diced onion and cheese. Will make again for sure! Was delicious. Thank you.
Tina says
Made this for the first time tonight. It was a hit across a group of fussy eaters. Thank you! I’m definitely saving this recipe.
brad says
I’m from Cincinnati, but moved a way long ago. I ate a lot of the chili when I was living there and I always seek it out when I go back to visit. It’s a cheap dish to prepare, so I think the chili parlors overcharge for it. Skyline and Gold Star have the same prices, so it seems as if there is some collusion going on.
Recently, I’ve started preparing it at home from a seasoning pack that I buy from walmart.com for about $1.70. It appears to be made by Skyline and definitely tastes like the real thing. The ingredients lists only “spices” but the aroma reminds me a bit of garam masala. After reading the ingredients in the recipe on this site, I’m surprised that it doesn’t share more spices used in garam masala.
One final note, Skyline and Gold Star have both assured me that their chili does not contain chocolate.
This is a great site and I may give this recipe a try, even though I’m very happy with the spice packets I’ve been buying.
Lori says
Haven’t tried this yet but I will be soon! Do you have a specific brand of chili powder that you reccomend?
Kimberly says
My husband is allergic to cocoa/chocolate. Would it drastically change the taste of the chili to leave this out of the original recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never made it without the chocolate, so I can’t say for certain, unfortunately.
Diane Kerper says
Is there anything wrong with cooking the meat 1st and then adding the other ingredients?
The Chunky Chef says
Nothing wrong with it, it just won’t give you the same texture as traditional Cincinnati-style chili.
Peter says
This is really close to Skyline chili, will make it again. Have a good option now in Florida
Veronica Kolze says
We have skyline chili restaurants in Clearwater and Bradenton. Idk where you live in FL but it might be worth a drive to eat there some time!
Tom says
Recipe then your gay ass story please
The Chunky Chef says
Feel free to buy a cookbook if the “go to recipe” button is too difficult for you to find.
Tiffany says
How about your lazy ass figure out how to cook this without the recipe. If it’s too difficult for your simple mind to find a “go to” button then you need to rethink your life choices and maybe just stick to eating hot dogs in the microwave as cooking may be too difficult for you.
Nick says
Imagine being so entitled that you leave a hateful comment like this on a recipe you’re receiving for free from someone who took the time to make it available to you. #okboomer
Robin Feltner says
Nailed it! This tastes just like the real thing. I’ve been making my own spice mixes lately (like taco) from scratch. All flavor, no preservatives. This is a home run!
Robin from Cincinnati
Ron Krause says
I am going to try this recipe but to ryan’s comment about msg. it is not good for you I ended up in the hospital a few times with severe swelling of the tounge and throat untill i was tested for food alergies and msg was it there is no need for msg, just add a little salt or other seasonings to taste. I now restrict what i eat in resturants and at home. you will find MSG in soups sauces and graveys. I now carry an epi-pen with me to counter this condition if needed. MSG is crap…
Sam says
You probably shouldn’t eat peanuts either since I’m allergic to them. They are super dangerous.
Josh says
I can’t imagine having an MSG allergy and having to cut out Parmesan and blue cheese as well as tomatoes. So many great foods have high amounts naturally occurring, I’d imagine it must be nearly impossible to ever eat in a restaurant. Scallops, egg yolks, walnuts, peas, broccoli, and corn, too? Yikes.
Mississippi Applgrl says
Yes, MSG allergies are awful! But MSG is also awful for you and your brain 🙂 Nope, no restaurants for me either, but I am so thankful for the recipes and stories from all the wonderful folks worldwide that ensure that I can try a lovely taste of their lives!
ChetB says
There’s no such thing as an MSG allergy. MSG has been proven completely safe. It’s science. MSG only got a bad rep because a bunch of racist people made up that was bad because Chinese restaurants used it transparently. Most foods have MSG. Almost all processed foods have MSG. If you have ever eaten any snacks, deli meats, pepperoni, or soup you have eaten MSG.
An MSG allergy is something ignorant, attention seeking people make up. You think it makes you more interesting but it only makes you sound stupid and pretentious. It’s like saying you’re allergic to water and can only drink Mountain Dew, whch is mostly water. Do you see how stupid that sounds? That’s you when you say you have an MSG allergy.
Jo Dane says
Re msg allergy; yes there can be a sensitivity to it (not the same as a true allergic response) but believe me there is. I got a burning tongue and other issues in Japan where it was used in very high concentration and my husband would always get a weakness from it (muscle weakness.) Turned out he had Lou Gehrig’s Disease and wouldn’t you know it, the protein that is involved in killing the neurons has something to do with glutamate, which is involved in neurotransmitters. So you definitely can have a sensitivity. Any food can be a problem, even rice and pears, the most un-allergic foods around.
Ginny Moore says
Haven’t tried your recipe yet, but it sounds one my mom had a zillion years ago.
I grew up in Mt. Carmel, and now live in Batavia! I’ve spent all of my 60 years within 10-15 miles from where i was LITERALLY born (Our Lady of Mercy in Mariemont), here in Cincy! And i whole heartily agree with everything you said! ☺☺☺
Cathy says
So much fun and definately 5 way for me!
Geoff Nash says
Love it, love it ! Thanks so much Amanda! You’re a Goddess.
Sarah Webster says
This recipe is awesome – the only thing I changed was added more (a significant amount more) salt and garlic powder. I also added 1/4 tsp baking soda at the very end to take away the slightly bitter taste from the tomato paste and metal pan (should have used my ceramic cast iron – but I tripled the recipe and it wouldn’t all fit.
Jacob says
I’m from the Cincinnati area. This is it, folks. Make this one, make the recipe as-is, splurge on 80-20 beef, this chili is excellent. If you have the time, make the chili the day before and chill it in the fridge overnight, it allows everything to blend and lends an even better flavor.
Sheila says
Awesome I’m a transplant from Upstate NY to Cincy as a kid. I love all things Cincy! Now I reside in FL and made this for pre hurricane comfort food. You rock! Much love!!