Cincinnati Chili 4-way
intro
A spiced, Greek-American comfort classic from Cincinnati, featuring savory seasoned meat sauce over spaghetti, layered with kidney beans and mounds of melted sharp cheddar.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix beef and cold liquid
In a large 5-quart Dutch oven, combine 450g (1 lb) 90/10 lean ground beef, 2 cups (473ml) cold water, and 2 cups (473ml) low-sodium beef broth. Use clean hands or a wooden spoon to break the beef apart completely into fine, even crumbles, so no clumps larger than a pea remain in the cold, unheated liquid.
Add seasonings and aromatics
Place the Dutch oven over medium heat (175°C / 350°F), and stir in 2 tbsp (32g) tomato paste, 1 tbsp (15ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce, 150g finely diced yellow onion, 9g minced garlic, and all measured spices: 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1 whole bay leaf, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Whisk until fully combined, then bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low (135°C / 275°F) to maintain a steady, low bubble without rapid boiling.
Simmer the chili
Let the chili simmer uncovered for 1 full hour, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent sticking to the pot bottom. The chili will reduce by roughly one quarter, develop a deep, rich mahogany-red color, and have a thin, pourable sauce consistency (not thick like chunky Texas-style chili). After 1 hour of simmering, taste and adjust salt if needed, then remove and discard the bay leaf.
Cook the spaghetti
During the final 10 minutes of chili simmering, bring a large 6-quart pot of water (4 quarts / 3.8L) mixed with 1 tbsp (18g) kosher salt to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 340g (12 oz) dried spaghetti, stir immediately to prevent noodles from sticking together, and cook for 9-10 minutes until al dente (tender with a slight firm bite in the noodle center). Drain the spaghetti fully, do not rinse with water (rinsing removes starch that helps the chili cling to noodles), and keep warm until serving.
Warm the kidney beans
While the spaghetti cooks, add the drained, rinsed 425g (15 oz can) dark red kidney beans to a small saucepan over low heat (120°C / 250°F). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through completely. Turn off heat and set aside until ready to assemble.
Assemble 4-way servings
Divide the cooked, warm spaghetti evenly between 4 wide, shallow pasta bowls. Ladle 1.5 cups (360ml) of the hot chili over each portion of spaghetti, spreading it evenly to cover all the noodles. Top each chili layer with 1/2 cup (106g) of the warm kidney beans, spread in an even layer. Finish each serving with a generous 1/2 cup (56g) mound of finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, piled high so the heat from the chili and beans slightly melts the bottom layer of cheese. Serve immediately, with oyster crackers on the side if desired.
Tips
2.Finely shred sharp cheddar from a block instead of using pre-shredded packaged cheese; pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking potato starch that prevents it from melting smoothly against the hot chili layers.
3.Resist the urge to thicken the chili with roux, extra tomato paste, or cornstarch—authentic Cincinnati chili has a thin, pourable consistency that coats spaghetti evenly without clumping.
OMG, I grew up outside Cincinnati eating Skyline every Friday after high school football games and I’ve been chasing that exact flavor since I moved to Chicago 6 years ago. This recipe is PERFECT. I made it for 4-way night with my roommates, we did the onion layer, dumped a mountain of shredded sharp cheddar on top, and every single person went back for seconds. Total game changer for my weekly meal prep too — the leftovers taste even better the next day! 10/10, no notes.
I was super skeptical about chili on spaghetti at first, y’all. My coworker who’s from Dayton kept raving about Cincinnati chili so I gave this a shot. HOLY COW it’s SO good. The cinnamon and cocoa powder give it that warm, unexpected depth that regular chili just doesn’t have. My kids begged for seconds before they even finished their first plates.
Super easy recipe to throw together on a busy weeknight! I only had ground turkey instead of ground beef so I used that, and it still turned out really tasty. Next time I’ll let it simmer the full 90 minutes like the recipe says, I cut it short by 20 minutes because my family was starving and it was still great. Will definitely add this to the regular dinner rotation.
Drove all the way down to Cincinnati for a baseball game last summer and had my first ever 4-way at a little diner near the stadium and have been craving it ever since. This recipe is spot on! I made a double batch for our family game night and we ate almost all of it. The only thing I did different was shred my own cheddar instead of using the pre-shredded stuff, it melts so much better.
Made this in my dorm slow cooker earlier this week for my floor potluck and everyone was asking me for the recipe! I didn’t even have to stand over the stove, just dumped all the ingredients in before class and let it cook on low for 4 hours. Served it over spaghetti with a ton of cheese, zero leftovers. 10/10, so easy even a broke college student can pull it off.
Made this gluten free by using brown rice spaghetti and it worked perfectly! The spice blend is so cozy and unique, my husband who swears he ‘hates sweet chili’ went back for a third helping. I skipped the onion layer because I can’t digest raw onion, just did extra cheese and it still felt like a proper 4-way to me. Great recipe!
Was looking for something different to make for Sunday dinner instead of our usual ribs and this hit so hard. My teenage son ate three plates and told me it’s ‘better than the chili at the mall food court’ which is the highest compliment he can give a meal. Who knew cinnamon in chili would go this hard? Will be making this for our next tailgate for sure.
Added this to my Sunday meal prep rotation a few days back and it’s been the best lunch I’ve had all month. I portioned out the chili into containers, kept cooked spaghetti and shredded cheese separate, and just heat it up for 90 seconds when I’m ready to eat. No sad desk lunch here! Even my coworker who brings fancy salads every day asked for a bite and said it was amazing.
I’m literally the worst at cooking, I burn toast half the time, and this came out perfect on my first try!!! The directions are so straightforward and easy to follow, no weird fancy ingredients I had to run to three grocery stores to find. My boyfriend thought I ordered takeout from a fancy restaurant, I can’t wait to make this for my parents when they visit next month.
Made this with plant-based ground crumbles for my vegetarian sister when she came to visit and it was shockingly good! The spice blend is so flavorful you can’t even tell it’s not beef. We did bean 4-ways with extra cheese and even my meat-loving brother said he wouldn’t have noticed the swap if I didn’t tell him. Great versatile base recipe!
I’ve been making Cincinnati chili for 20 years and I have to say, this recipe is even better than the one I got from my grandma! The ratio of spices is perfect, not too much cinnamon, not too much cocoa, just that exact tangy, savory flavor I grew up on. Served it over spaghetti with onions and a mountain of cheese for family dinner earlier this week, no leftovers at all.
Brought this to my neighborhood block party last weekend and it was the first dish gone! I set up a little make-your-own station with spaghetti, chili, diced onions, kidney beans, and a huge bowl of shredded cheddar so people could do 3-way, 4-way, or 5-way however they wanted. Three neighbors texted me the next day asking for the recipe, total home run.
Really tasty recipe! I added a little extra chili powder and a pinch of cayenne to give it a tiny kick because I like my food with some heat, and it worked perfectly. The base flavor is so solid, it’s really easy to tweak to your own taste preferences. My whole family loved it, even my super picky 7 year old ate every bite on her plate.