Cincinnati Chili Recipe – Chili Over Spaghetti

Cincinnati Chili recipe consists of a thick, spicy chili recipe served over spaghetti noodles, and then topped with shredded cheddar cheese. This meal is a treat for your senses.

Cincinnati Chili

Hello from Indiana, more specifically southeast Indiana, very close to our neighboring state Ohio and the city of Cincinnati. The city of Cincinnati is known for its famous Cincinnati Style Chili.

If you aren’t familiar with this version of chili, then let me educate you. Cincinnati Chili has a spicy kick from a blend of spices including cinnamon, allspice and chili powder.

Another thing that makes this type of chili so unique is that it’s served over a bed of cooked spaghetti.  Then, to top it off, it’s sprinkled with as little or as much shredded cheddar cheese.

Chili Over Spaghetti

Spaghetti noodles are a brilliant vessel to serve chili, especially when the chili has a little kick of spice. It’s also a great way to stretch your dinner a little bit farther which is great for my pocketbook.

Serve the chili over spaghetti noodles with as much or as little chili on top as desired. Go heavy on the chili or go heavy on the noodles or go heavy on the cheese, or go heavy on all three. I’m not judging.

Ingredient List for Cincinnati Chili with Cinnamon

• Ground Beef
• Onion, diced
• Tomato Sauce
• Peeled Whole Tomatoes
• Ground Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Chili Powder
• White Vinegar
• Garlic
• Bay Leaves

How to Make Cincinnati Chili Over Spaghetti

1. Brown ground beef and diced onions; add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Drain excess grease, if needed.
2. To the crock pot insert, add peeled whole tomatoes.  Break the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces; then add browned ground beef, tomato sauce, ground cinnamon and allspice, salt and black pepper, chili powder, white vinegar, and bay leaves; stir together.
3. Cook on low heat for 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves and discard.
4. To serve, cook spaghetti to al-dente. Top with Cincinnati chili and top with grated cheddar cheddar cheese.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for Cincinnati Chile over spaghetti, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

FAQs About Cincinnati Style Chili

• Cincinnati Style Chili has a spicy kick from a blend of ground cinnamon, allspice and chili powder.
• How to eat Cincinnati Style Chili? Serve the chili over cooked, buttered spaghetti noodles, topped with shredded cheese.
• A great substitute for shredded cheddar cheese is Colby Jack cheese.
• If desired, top with diced, raw onions which is another classic topping.
• I like to chop up the peeled, whole tomatoes before adding the other ingredients. I either use my clean hands to gently break them up, or I use a meat chopper like this one.
• If desired, stir in some butter to the cooked spaghetti noodles before serving.
• Looking for a low-carb chili, check out this low carb chili from Beyer Eats and Drinks.

What to do with leftover Cincinnati Chili?

I take all the leftover spaghetti noodles and Cincinnati Chili and make a batch of regular chili soup.  Here’s how to do it.

First, add the chili to a saucepan, and heat over low.  Add a bottle of V8 or regular tomato juice and a can of kidney beans,  and stir it in while heating it up.  Once it has simmered for 10 to 15 minutes, stir in the leftover cooked spaghetti noodles.

Taste, and add additional chili powder, if needed, and serve!

Recipes With a Kick

Chicken Ole Casserole

Spicy Roasted Zucchini 

Pulled Pork Spice Rub 

Instant Pot Authentic Beef Barbacoa