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!
It’s no secret that I adore hometown things… no matter where I live in this life, I will always be a Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, and University of Cincinnati fan. I will always prefer the auto-mechanic in the small town I grew up in, Graeter’s Ice Cream is the BEST, Montgomery Inn has the BEST ribs, Larosas Pizza is divine, and Skyline Chili is the one chili that will truly always have a place in my heart.
In case you couldn’t tell… I grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati! For those of you who haven’t been here, or don’t have a clue what I mean when I say Cincinnati chili… let me tell you, it is NOTHING like any chili you’ve had before. To most people, chili is something like this. For us Cincinnatians… 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… no, not THAT 3 way, you dirty one you!), 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.
Some of you are probably looking at your screen thinking, “woman, you are crazy. Chili doesn’t go on noodles or a hot dog!”
I know, I know… the term chili is confusing, because this dish is completely different… but wonderful (as most Cincinnatians are as well!). I urge you to try it, at least once. Most people who try it, love it 🙂 If you don’t like it, then call me a crazy woman and go back to your usual chili.
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 🙂 For your coneys, the traditional way is a hot dog with mustard, diced onion, chili and cheese… but you can omit either or both of the mustard and onions if you prefer. Psssst… this chili is also fantastic over crispy french fries or even a baked potato!! I’ve also got a great party dip recipe coming up that uses this chili… people go crazy over it!!
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 5 cups of water in 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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George G says
Yup. Delicious. First time I ordered it (at a truckstop between Cincinnati and Indianapolis) 3-way Chili was that day’s special. I didn’t know what it was and asked the waitress. She said, ‘It’s spaghetti (I’m picturing a plate of spaghetti w/sauce), beans (I’m thinking a small side order of some type of bean), and Chili (and I’m picturing a bowl of chili).’ What I got was a skimpy oval plate with a small amount of spaghetti, some beans and chili sauce on top. My friend laughed when it hit the table. I was looking for a meal, not a snack. That said, once discovered and disappointed, I did NOT give up. Cincinnati Chili Parlors are fun, orders being yelled of different combos of Coneys and 3,4 and 5-way Chilis, all across the restaurant. Now I make it often. I thought I had the Skyline recipe, but I never heard of putting chocolate in. Mine has bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce. No big difference.
Barbara says
This chili is amazing. We aren’t big chili fans, my husband won’t eat beans. Most chili overwhelms us with spices. I love the spice blends in this recipe. I didn’t have allspice, added a small amount nutmeg. We’ve never had Skyline, Calif folk. We gave it 👍👍
Gennie Middlesworth says
I used 4 cups water,1 cup crushed Ice. Put the ground beef in the cold water. The fat in the meat causes it to break apart in the freezing water. then put in tomato paste and chocolate, start heating until chocolate melts, and other spices, then boil. I cut red pepper in half. You can always make it hotter, but hard to decrease heat after the fact. Turned out very much like what I get at the Skyline restaurant.
Brad says
This recipe is by far the closest you can get to the original. I’ve made many, many Cinncinatti chili recipes and have had both Skyline and Gold star and this will be my go to recipe. Thank you for this and will recommend this recipe.
Steven says
I’m a lifelong Cincinnatian and current resident. As my wife and I are 90% vegetarian, I’ve tried a gazillion recipes to recreate Skyline at home using veggie crumbles instead of beef. This is the first one EVER that nails it. It’s perfect. It’s exactly Cincinnati chili. I know that the spice blend has a lot to do with it, but your recipe differs in the technique and I think that’s what really hits the spot. Good job!
Dana Eckel says
I give this one 5 stars, and I usually never rate over 4. First I have never had the real deal so I have nothing to compare to, but however the sauce texture was silky smooth, the aroma was wonderful, and the flavor was top notch. My wife liked it, and the kids loved it. The leftovers will be used for coney dogs tonight. Great job!
CHARLES FRANK says
I finished High School at Sycamore High School in 1976 and worked at Charley’s Crab and spent many a day at the Montgomery Inn, as my friends worked there and we traded food. I would also make a few trips to Graeters, and all the Chili palaces. I cooked professional to help pay for college and made Chili at least once a month for 4 years along with a bunch of soups. I have 3 different recipes for the Chili- one which my friend gave me who worked at one of the Chili Parlors. Every recipe I have has a lot of spices the one he gave me had a dozen and is one I make in a Crock-pot all day. I prefer using whole tomatoes and then crushing them at the end of the cooking time to give the chili some body. I also use cocoa instead of the bakers chocolate. Your recipe is as close as the one i have found for topping hot dogs along with a quicker cooking time for making a good 5 way and will make into my 3 ring binder. Thank you for your version of real Cincinnati favorite.
Karen says
Can you post the recipe you make in your crockpot?
Trevor Rasche says
Can you post all 3 of your recipes
Jasmin says
I’ve never had real Skyline chili but my friend from Cincinnati made it for me once and I’m OBSESSED. I love this receipt and I love how you can make it low-carb by removing the beans or low-fat by using lean meat. I make this at least once a month and double it so my family and I can eat leftovers for days
Auggie says
Like most hometown kids I too miss the flavors of home. Being a West Sider, we were blessed with chili from all of the great Greek families of Cincy. I just want to say thank you for instructing people to NOT brown the beef first. This is the first real recipe that would make any Cincinnatian proud. Thank you and keep it going.
A Magical Life says
I almost didn’t try this recipe because I didn’t trust it would be like Skyline with a picture of a fork twirling the spaghetti. Any real Skyline lover knows you cut through each layer and eat it in bites. 😉 I worked at Skyline Chili years ago in college and I’ve taught my Minnesota family to love Skyline through our visits back to Cinci. I thought this recipe was close, though it was a little off and I couldn’t place what was needed. I did add some chopped onion since Skyline lists onion on its ingredient list (Beef, water, tomato sauce (water, tomato paste), dried yeast, spices, salt, dehydrated onion, garlic, paprika and natural flavors). As others have noted, they don’t really have cocoa or chocolate in their chili (they disclosed that years ago because of allergy warnings), but it does give some of the right flavor anyway. Be sure to use a good quality chili powder. Mine overpowered the chili and I wish I would have added a little at a time. I made 3-ways for the kids with gluten free spaghetti and keto 4-ways for myself and my husband with no carb wonder noodles. Hubby was over the moon with it, though it wasn’t close enough to do it for me. Most of us also ended up with a stomach ache, which we don’t usually have after Skyline. I assume it’s because of the fat in the ground beef since you can’t skim it, though I know Skyline’s is just as fatty.
I’ve always heard that Skyline chili is better after a day in the fridge, so I made a double batch so we can have it tonight for coneys with salad, and I’ll skim off the solid fat when I take it out of the fridge. BTW, if anybody likes their burritos, the filling was just their chili blended with beans IIRC. If you have the ingredients for a 4-way, you can repurpose the leftovers into burritos.
Brian Croswhite says
I’m intrigued by this style of chili, but noticed that most of the “authentic Skyline Chili” recipes I’ve seen include two cups or so of chopped onions in the pot; yours does not. Any thoughts on adding onions? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never made mine with onions in the actual chili, and have never seen any in the chili from the restaurant, but maybe they could have cooked down and disintegrated. Without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Gabe Szekeres says
I gave it a shot 👍👍and have to say out freakin yummy! Had it the 4 way😋.
I did change a couple things.
I omitted the ground clove
(Expensive)
I used Ground turkey instead of beef. Less fat and could not tell the difference in texture.
And used Egg noodles instead of spaghetti pasta.
I really enjoyed this dish and would gladly recommend it.
And finally,,, as mentioned in the recipe this chili is no doubt made for Grilled Hot Dogs!
Ohhh Momma! Cheers 🍻, G.
Theresa says
I’ve never had Cincinnati Chili, but i made it and it seems pretty good and quite interesting…lol. I I like to cook for my week on Sundays, so i made a batch and i’m gonna let it all co-mingle overnight and have it tomorrow. I did taste a spoon or 2 and it is only going to get better i’m sure!
Thanks for the recipe.
I did not have apple cider vinegar so i used white. I hope that is alright.
Susan says
Had Skyline 1 time really enjoyed it. Brought some home to my son in Indiana he really liked it. Out of the blue he said he wished we had some. This recipe was about spot on. Loved it we still had the bottle of hot sauce from skyline so that came in handy. Thanks so much!!
Neil says
FYI. Skyline
Chili, to alert people with allergies, has disclosed that original recipe has no chocolate in it and never did. Food scientists who have rigorously deconstructed the chili to determine contents (though not exact amounts) detected mace. Other wise you recipe is darn close.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never claimed the original recipe has chocolate in it… but when I use it, I feel it tastes almost spot on. You can leave it out if you’d like.
Charles E. Cross Jr. says
I found this recipe to be delicious I found the cinnamon to be a little strong. Moving forward, I will use half as much next time.
Morgan Williams says
Looks so good! Do you think I could do it all the same way except rather than put it in a pot, put it in the crock pot for a few hours?
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested it myself, so I can’t say for certain, but I think that would work 🙂
Shannon says
I have not even made this recipe yet, but I KNOW it is the BEST! I first tried Skyline Chili about 30 years ago, while living with a friend from Indiana who would make this chili about every other week for us. As I watched her make it the first time, I knew for sure that it would be the worst thing I had ever eaten (cinnamon, chocolate and vinegar?!?! And over spaghetti???). Needless to say, I moved away and have been searching for the EXACT recipe ( they are NOT all the same!). I am thrilled to have found yours, as being from Cincinnati, you truly know what Skyline is all about! Thank you for sharing this! I am so excited to make this tonight!!
Christopher Frank says
38 years ago (almost to the day) I arrived in Cincinnati to begin studies at [email protected] I think Graeter’s & Skyline on Ludlow were part of orientation. Worst chili / best meal ever! (If that makes sense). Ate Skyline at least twice a week.
Graduation = Skyline lost… Until 12 years ago when I moved to Fort Lauderdale! There’s a Skyline a few blocks away… Then, I went vegetarian. Tried Sky’s black bean chili… Just not the same.. vegetarian = Skyline lost.
Until… Every week I get a pint (and it’s still a pint) of Graeter’s-any-chip-works from either Walmart or Whole Foods. And every week I miss my Cincy chili. Never thought to look for the recipe online lol.
A quick search and not only did I find the recipe, I found your awesome words attached to it! Made a big batch of chili using plant derived meatless crumble. As wonderful as I remembered!
So to sum things up: great words / amazing recipe / still the worst chili / still one of my favorite meals.
Tonight it’s gonna be a 4 way with Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Graeter’s for dessert… (That last sentence is nicely double entendred).
Thank you again!!!
Marie says
Hi Christopher, which brand of meatless crumbles did you use?
Christopher says
Hi Marie! I’ve been using “Impossible” as my ground beef alternative. I actually made a batch of chili using this recipe for Thanksgiving, I froze portions and used Uber to deliver them to my local yet socially distanced friends.
A few of those friends texted or called saying “chili! I thought you were vegetarian?” to which I simply replied “eh, you know…” So there you have it, if you want to “trick” your friends and family into a plant based diet, this recipe is a great place to start, lol.
John says
Christopher, I’m thinking of using the Impossible ground meat in the 10oz packages to make Cincinnati chili since some of the Gold Star’s are now using Beyond Meat ground, do you still break the plant based meat up in the water with a fork like you do beef?
Annette Caldwell says
Ohhhh neat!!! I was wondering if any veggie lovers here tried the Impossible!! Thanks for your review we will definitely be trying it this way!