Cincinnati Chili 5-way
intro
Beloved Midwestern regional classic: warmly spiced savory meat chili served over spaghetti, layered with beans, onions, and mounds of melted cheddar.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the chili base
Place 1000ml (4 cups) cold water and 900g 80/20 ground beef in a 5L (5-quart) stockpot over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to aggressively break apart the beef into fine crumbles as the water heats, until no large clumps remain, about 5 minutes, as the mixture comes to a low rolling simmer.
Simmer the spiced chili
Stir in 170g tomato paste, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 whole bay leaf until fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle, steady simmer (no hard, rolling boil), and cook uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the chili thickens to a pourable, sauce-like consistency. Remove and discard the bay leaf once simmering is complete.
Cook the spaghetti
During the final 15 minutes of chili simmer time, bring a separate large pot of heavily salted water (1 tbsp kosher salt per 4L water) to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 340g dry spaghetti and cook to al dente per package directions, typically 9-11 minutes. 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 425g drained, rinsed canned red kidney beans to a small saucepan over low heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are fully heated through. Turn off the heat and set aside; for a faster option, warm beans in a microwave-safe bowl for 90 seconds on high power.
Layer the base components
Divide the drained, warm spaghetti evenly between 4 wide, shallow pasta bowls. Ladle 360ml (1.5 cups) of finished chili over each spaghetti bed, then top each chili portion with 1/4 of the warmed kidney beans, followed by 25g (1/4 cup) of finely diced raw yellow onion. Keep layers distinct rather than mixing them together at this stage.
Top with shredded cheddar
Pile 85g (3/4 cup, packed) of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese generously over the onion layer of each serving, covering the top completely so the residual heat from the chili and beans slightly softens and melts the edges of the cheese. Serve immediately, with oyster crackers on the side if desired.
Tips
2.Shred cheddar cheese fresh right before serving: pre-shredded packaged cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that prevents smooth melting and dulls the bright, sharp cheese flavor.
3.The chili tastes even better when made 1-2 days ahead: store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat gently before assembling the 5-way layers for deeper, more melded spice flavor.
OMG, I grew up outside Cincinnati and have been chasing that perfect Skyline-adjacent 5-way for 10 years since I moved to Columbus. This recipe is IT! The cocoa and cinnamon balance is exactly right, not too sweet, not too savory. Made it for Sunday family dinner last night, my kids loved it—even my picky 7 year old who usually picks onions out ate every bite, and my husband went back for thirds. Pro tip: Don’t skip the small pile of oyster crackers on top, trust me.
Tried this for our neighborhood potluck over the weekend and people were RAVING. I was a little nervous about the chocolate in chili at first but it adds such a deep, rich flavor you can’t even put your finger on. Only change I made was using extra sharp cheddar because that’s what I had in the fridge, 10/10 will be making this again all fall.
Wait, hold up, I saw the 90 minute cook time and initially thought this was supposed to be a quick weeknight meal? I almost bailed when I saw how long it takes to simmer, but I had a random Saturday free so I gave it a shot. Game changer. The long simmer is so worth it, the meat gets super tender and the spices meld so much better than the quick stovetop chili I usually make. Next time I’m gonna make a double batch on Sunday to eat throughout the week for meal prep.
OMG this recipe looks insane, I’ve been obsessed with trying Cincinnati 5-way ever since I saw a food vlog about it last month! Quick question though—can I swap the regular wheat spaghetti for gluten-free spaghetti without throwing the whole experience off? I have celiac so regular pasta is a no-go for me, and I wanna make this for my partner’s birthday dinner next week.
Made this for my Bengals watch party last Sunday and it was chef’s kiss. Set up a little topping bar with extra cheese, diced onion, hot sauce, oyster crackers, even a little sour cream for the people who can’t handle straight up authentic flavor. Everyone was asking for the recipe before the first quarter ended. Only heads up: make more than you think you need, people will load up their plates!
SO good. I was born and raised in Milwaukee and always thought our local chili was top tier, but this Cincinnati style? Blows my regular go-to chili recipe out of the water. The spice blend is so unique, I never would’ve thought to add allspice and cocoa to chili but it works so well. My only note is I wish I’d shredded my own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded, the pre-shred stuff doesn’t melt as nicely over the hot chili.
Wait, how is this medium difficulty? I’m a total beginner cook and I followed the steps exactly and it turned out perfect first try! I was worried about burning the spices or messing up the meat texture, but the instructions were super clear step by step. Packed individual portions for work lunches this week and my coworkers are all jealous of how good my lunch smells when I heat it up.