Copycat Skyline Cincinnati Chili
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:
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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
Homemade copycat Skyline Cincinnati chili... unique and flavorful, this regional delicacy is easy to make at home for way less than the restaurant charges!
- 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
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Add the 5 cups of water in a large pot. I like to use my dutch oven for this.
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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)
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Add chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, cumin, allspice, cloves, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, sugar and vinegar.
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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.
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Turn heat to high to bring to a boil.
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Once boiling, turn the heat down to med-low.
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Cook, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, at a low boil.. stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened quite a bit.
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Serve over thin spaghetti or a hot dog.
Optional toppings include shredded cheddar cheese, diced white or yellow onion, kidney beans, oyster crackers and hot sauce.
I never had Cincinnati chili before, as I have never been to Ohio. However, it always looked good and intrigued me. I finally got adventurous enough to try it and…..WOW! I have no other experience with Cincinnati chili to compare this recipe to, but it is fantastic!! My husband and I are completely hooked, we have made this recipe 3 times in less than 3 months. Fabulous. I didn’t change a thing.
I made this tonight. Followed your recipe fairly close. Added 1 tbsp. chili powder. l left out the sugar and pepper flakes, left out the salt, used 1 tsp chopped garlic, 2 lbs ground chuck. Mixed all the spices together and added them to the water, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Added the meat mashing it really good. 30 minutes in my Instant Pot and SUCCESS. Simmered till liquid cooked down. I could tell by the smell this nailed it. It has been 9 years since I have been to Cincinnati and had chili. This was great!!!!
Thank you so much for this! I live in Texas now and haven’t been able to replicate the taste. This is spot on.
I have to say, I lived in Louisville, Kentucky for a time and tried skyline chili a few times. It appears I am in the minority as I found it kind of disgusting. I love chili, I like cookies. I don’t think their flavors should meld. I do however like chili over spaghetti. So that is a positive. From what I remember your recipe would nail it though, so great job.
I’m from southern Ohio and this recipe was perfection. I used it to top hot dogs and it transported me back to my childhood. Kudos.
Made this most interesting chili today. Never heard of it here in the South. Followed recipe, smelled wonderful, and thickened nicely. Served over spaghetti, with cheese & onions. Very distinct flavor. Lots of onions helped. Not what I’m used to; but not awful. Unsure if I’ll make it again. The recipe was easy to follow. Enjoyed the experience.
Just put together the Cincinnati Chili. The spices smell so good. I did only use 3 cups of water as we like our chili to be thicker and I upped the amount of ground beef. So far so good. The kitchen smells so yummy!
So, I’m from Louisiana and have always been hesitant to try Cincinnati chili. It always just seemed weird to me, and not something I thought I’d like. Well, a couple weeks ago I came across a frozen box of Skyline chili spaghetti and figured I might as well give it a shot. So I did. And then again the next week. And then again. Gotta say, I’ve developed a taste for it. So I went searching for a recipe, and now I’m fully hooked!
I doubled the recipe and followed it “exactly” (though I’ll confess I’m not at all careful about exact measurements) and I’ve gotta say, this recipe is actually better than Skyline, in my humble opinion. That might have something to do with the fact that my only experience with Skyline is frozen. I’ve never actually been to a parlor. But I really do think this recipe is actually better, and I’m about to make another pot this evening. Thanks, from Cincinnati chili’s newest devotee!
I know this will be sacrilege to some but I replace the beef with Gardein Crumbles (I’m vegan) and I followed the recipe all the way. It was delicious. I saw it Diners Dives and Drive ins and I had to try. Maybe some enterprising Ohian will open a restaurant in Florida.
We have one in Clearwater
I too am a Cincinnati native away from home and this is the closest copycat version I’ve ever had. I’ve made this three times now and it gets better every time. I leave out the red pepper flakes and use about 2-3 tsp’s of salt.
This was delicious – however quite a bit spicier than Skyline’s – and I cut back the chili powder to a scant 3 Tbsp (instead of the 4 called for). Next time I will use only 2 Tbsp and omit the red pepper flakes. I cut back on the broth as others suggested (3c instead of 5) plus used a can of tomato sauce instead of paste, since I didn’t have it on hand. Also, a different recipe called for oregano, so I added about 1/2 tsp of that and used fresh minced garlic (1 clove) instead of garlic powder. Took about an hour to simmer down to the right consistency. Well worth the wait!
Great recipe! I used beef stock instead of water. I think there was probably some sodium in the broth, so I could have cut back on the salt. I made this is in my dutch oven and, because I was sooo impatient to eat this chili, I couldn’t leave the kitchen and basically stirred/whisked/mashed the beef pretty constantly. The result was perfect in texture and the taste was excellent. I’m excited to try leftovers today to see if it is even better leftover as others suggest!
Awesome recipe!!! I grew up in the St. Louis area, and this reminded me a lot of Steak ‘n Shake’s chili. Though I am surprised by all the respondents who took the spices down a notch. I kicked them UP! But I did make almost 2 pounds of ground beef instead of 1.25. Used 3.5 cups of water because 5 seemed like too much. And I added a tsp of sugar, based on another poster’s response. My family loved it!
It took me awhile to find a taste for Cincy chili, but I’ve really come to like it. So much that I was ordering Gold Star chili online and having cans shipped to me. Anyway, I got tired of the expense, so I decided to make it myself. The last few years have been a lot of trial and error, and wasted time and money….until I found this recipe. This stuff is awesome!! I did tweak it a tad, such as swapping a can of beef broth in place of 2 of the cups of water, and i added a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce. I also cut the chocolate in half. I just prefer a beefier flavor. To get the consistency I like, I took a slotted spoon, scooped out all the meat, and pulsed it in my Ninja a few times. Thanks for this recipe!!
I love your recipes and will subscribe for more! My
family thinks I’m such a great cook thanks for that!
Outstanding!!! I have tried for 30 years to make a good copycat version- This one NAILED it!
I made the following alterations:
Only 3 cups of water. Crumble your burger into cold water and break it up before turning on the heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and skim the grease fat.
Add the tomato paste and stir in well and simmer.
Then add the spices, but use 1.5 tsp salt, and 2 tsp sugar.
Add 1/4 cup minced onion.
THANK YOU for posting your excellent recipe, Chunky Chef!!!
In this recipe for sky line chili, you call for 1/4 CUP of chili powder…is that correct? I’m making this for a bunch of family members who grew up in Cincinnati!!
Hi Georgia, yes, we like it with 1/4 cup of chili powder (which is 4 Tbsp). Others have commented that they prefer it with 2-3 Tbsp, so it’s all a personal preference.
How do u make it with beans?
Just drain and rinse some kidney beans, and layer in pasta, chili, beans, then cheese. The beans aren’t cooked with the chili, they’re just an optional topping.
What do you consider a serving size?
I don’t precisely measure… just 1/6 to 1/8th of the entire pot of chili.
Wow..really interesting flavor. It seems like an acquired taste but I’m happy I made it (I love Mexican mole sauce!) so I can say I tried it. We have Steak n Shake here in MO and so I was expecting that a little, just since they serve it 3, 4 or 5 way with your described toppings. But this is definitely much more spices-forward. A note on the red pepper flakes: we like spicy but for others who are used to mild (I’d call this a medium), you might start less than 1/4 tsp and add a little heat with hot sauce or something later if it’s not enough.
Looks delicious. I’ve had it numerous times, mostly from canned or frozen Skyline (or Gold Star or Empress) since I’m from out of town — but in November 2000 I flew to Cincinnati for a day for a tryout as copy editor at the now-defunct Cincinnati Post, and of course had lunch at a downtown Skyline (then bought a few cans at a nearby “Taste of Cincy” shop at a local department store. Alas, I didn’t get the job, but have purchased the stuff at Kroger. (I understand Walmart makes it via a house brand, but have never tried it.) Will try to make this sometime soon here in SoCal, where I’ve lived since moving from central Virginia in 2014.
Once someone has Cincinnati chili there is no other chilli I love this stuff and yes I’m from Ohio but you can’t go wrong
What’s the party dip recipe using this that you mentioned? I looked but didn’t see it!
I got so busy last year that I kept forgetting to make it, but it’ll be posted in a week or so!
If I don’t have bakers chocolate, how much, maybe cocoa powder?, should I use?
I’ve never tried it, so I can’t say for certain, but I think a tablespoon or so. Just make sure it’s unsweetened cocoa powder.
About a tablespoon is correct, i use slightly less, and i cant tell any difference, but as she said, make sure it’s unsweetened
Thanks a million, I live in Richmond, Virginia, and with relatives in Columbus, Ohio. I discovered a love for this stuff when I went to the Skylind parlor in Kings Island whilst on the way to visit them.
Skyline Chili was sold at my local Kroger in cans, and frozen until earlier this year, it was pricey but it was good, and now I don’t have any way to get my chili fix. Thank you so much kind sir.
How long do you recommend this can be stored(frozen) for?
I would say about 2-3 months.
This was DELICIOUS!!! I would say pretty much a spot on clone of Skyline…added a little hot sauce because… well its Skyline! We love our Skykine here in the Midwest. 😍
Thanks for this recipe!
It’s a HOT, sticky summer night here in the Midwest, but for some reason I was hankering for chili. We have a place here in Milwaukee called “Real Chili” that is essentially Cincinnati style. (there is even some debate that ‘ours’ is the original version of this style.) Anyway, it has been a MKE staple for 75+ years now and the place to go for late night eats. Always excellent. BUT, what hasn’t been so excellent is how much they are charging for it nowadays. The last time my hubby and I went it cost us almost $40 for 1.5 servings each. I can’t justify that price for some greasy college food, but it’s so good!
This morning I came upon your copycat recipe and decided to give it a try. I just finished eating a serving and it did not fail to satisfy my craving! It was delicious. Hubby is still on the fence.. he says it’s not exactly like R.C., but it’s pretty darn close. (sigh) He ate it all though and tomorrow after it sits overnight, I’m sure it will be even better for lunch. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ll be making this again and again for sure!
My kids are not huge fans of Skyline because they find it too spicy, so I toned down the red pepper flakes and my entire family loved it. Will be making this often!! As you noted, it is so much more cost-effective to make it ourselves than drive through the Skyline drive-thru!
Amazing recipe!! It’s almost robbery what they charge for can or freezer chili. Another tip that I use with the ground beef is use your potato masher to stir it while it’s simmering. Breaks it apart more and more each time. Thank you for putting the recipe out.
Good , really GOOD wish I could leave a picture … It was that GOOD
Ridiculously good!
Served 2 with pasta cheese and onions and coneys for me! I did watch the temp and it thickened up quite a bit but just added some water and tomato paste to thin it back out. I’d have a hard time telling them apart in a blind taste test. 🙂
Ate at the Skyline when our daughter went to UC, her favorite place, and your recipe is spot on. Thanks for sharing.
Best Skyline recipe ever!
Made it with ground turkey and couldn’t tell the difference… its so so so close… I think its a smell difference rather than a taste difference. My 10 year old helped me (this is his favorite thing ever on earth to eat)… and he couldn’t tell the difference! Great recipe.
Love it!
I am from Illinois and never knew that the Chili I grew up on was Cincinnati Chili. And never would have guesses I was a 3-way! But your recipe looked very interesting so I had to try it. Eureka!! Chili like I remember. Even my New York Italian husband thought it was great. It is now in my dinner rotation. Thanks
I am born and raised an Ohioan…after 55 years my husband and I moved to TN last year. He has mentioned on more than 1 occasion how much he misses Skyline. After paying an obscene amount for the frozen skyline and him not being overly impressed I started searching Pinterest. After reading many of the reviews your recipe seemed like the perfect one to try and PERFECT it is. I can’t wait for my husband to get home tonight to try it. Only changes I made was I used 2 pounds of ground beef and added just a slightly more salt. Great Job
A friend made this for yesterday’s Super Bowl party and I thought it tasted familiar. Now looking at the ingredients I see why. It’s got a lot of the same ingredients (chocolate, cinnamon, allspice) that are used in Mexican Mole sauce. Still good!!
Thank you for the recipe! I made it with morning star meatless crumbles and it was delicious! We’re in California for work and there is no Cincinnati chili here. It was nice to have a taste of home. Thank you so much! ☺️
This is very similar to what is called Chilli Mac in Illinois at Steak and Shake restaurants.Ingrediants are a little different,but it is servided over spagghetti the same.You can also order it in numbers 1-5 with same options.I make my own at home and everyone who tries it,loves it!!
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LOVE Skyline chili. A friend from the area introduced me to it when she moved to the Akron area. But you are so right…people either love it or hate it. I told my son to get some when he was working in Cincinnati, and he was NOT a fan!
Really a 1/4 cup of chili powder I don’t think the jar comes close to a 1/4 cup?
Yes, the 1/4 cup is correct. I don’t know what size jar you have, but 1/4 cup is the same as 4 tablespoons.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Ohio in general but I’ve always loved Skyline chili.
A couple of caveats though. Don’t worry about melting the chocolate first just put everything together the tomato paste, water, spices… Then add the hamburger breaking up with your hands. You can make it smaller that way. I always wear latex glove whenever I’m dealing with raw meat but that’s a personal thing you could use your bare hand if you want to LOL.
Then go ahead and start heating it up add the chocolate and stir. Also replace one cup of water with a cup of beef stock it makes it … heartier.
Great recipe though!
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I made this chili last weekend and it was everything I thought it would be! I made corn bread to go with it and it totally hit the spot. This recipe will now have a permanent place in my recipe book. Thanks!
I can’t wait to make this tonight. I used to drive a semi truck and I always looked forward to Skyline when I was driving through Ohio.
Seeing as I am from Canada, I’d have to drive about 3 hours to find Skyline in a can…And coming out of a can does this chili no Justice! Now, just have to find oyster crackers somewhere around me and I’m set!( I can’t find them in Canada either. BOO!)
Delicious. My family loves Skyline chili. I thought it was spot on. Will definitely be making this again.
Thank you! I love Skyline. I miss it too! I’m introducing Alaskans to this chili and it’s a hit! My daughter was born in Ohio and of course has been eating this since she was small! This is great!!!
I’m so happy it’s a hit with Alaskans! I’ve visited Alaska and it is so beautiful there 🙂
Thank You Chuncky Chef we will Definitely try this version because I agree the store price is ridiculous. Just came back from visiting Cincy my hometown and Skyline is always on my “to do List” . Skyline is definitely a MID west thing, you would have had to grown up on this type of chilli to truly understand it and how much you would miss it once you realized you can’t just go to a Skyline drive thru and pick it up anytime you want.
Ok, just had two bowls. It was a huge success with the family…. my 1 year old crushed it. The flavor was almost on point, seriously close. So close that it literally transported me to the first time I ate Skyline. I do think the salt needs to upped. I found myself salting each serving.
Bravo. This is a great wintertime meal, and is incredibly flavorful for how simple it is.
I haven’t had a chance to try this yet, but I will soon. Looks like a great recipe. I loves me some Skyline, and really just any Cincinnati chili. So yeah, I definitely look forward to this. Thanks! Your site has been bookmarked!
I went to school out in Cincinnati area (Miami Univ) for two years coming from Boston. When I first heard about Cincy chili I was “what the heck? That’s not chili!” But after awhile and trying Skyline Chili, I loved it. My husband worked at Skyline for awhile while finishing grad school and would always bring leftovers home. I do miss it.
This looks like Skyline, but does it truly taste like Skyline? I will be trying this recipe because I am an avid Skyline fan and can’t wait to try it.
Hi Darren 🙂 I LOVE Skyline as well, and my family and I think this is a close copycat. Enjoy!
This looks so yummy! Need to try it!
I haven’t heard of this before and it sounds awesome!
This chili looks so good! I was sold when you said it was served over spaghetti!!
I’ve always wanted to visit Cincinnati and try this chili! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try it at home!
This chili looks absolutely delicious!
I LOVE Cincinnati Chili. It is so unique and tasty! Can’t wait to introduce my family.
YESSS! This looks SO good- I think I could eat an entire batch in a single day. Okay, don’t tell anyone I said that. But it really looks THAT good!
I’ll try anything once but I’m afraid my whole family didn’t like this chili. Guess we’re spoiled to the chili with beans and cornbread or in a frito pie. The spices were just to overwhelmingly different. Wish someone liked it so I didn’t have to waste it ..:(
I’m so sorry to hear that Sandra 🙁 As I mentioned, it’s VERY different than “traditional” chili… just a regional thing, people generally love it or hate it.
My mom suggested putting the ground beef in cold water for about 30-45 minutes, worked like a charm! Didn’t have to break up the beef at all. 🙂
Ooooh great tip!!! I can’t wait to try that next time 😀 Thanks!!
I LOVE Cincinnati Chili! I’m excited to now have a recipe to make it myself- looks amazing!
Yay!! Nice to see a fellow Cincinnati Chili lover 😀 Thank you!
Delicious! I love about any kind of chili and find it fascinating how it varies every where.
I love the regional differences as well 🙂
When’s dinner, I’m there! Nothing better on a cold Winter’s Day!
Anytime 🙂 And agreed.. Cincinnati chili rocks! 😀