Cincinnati Style Chili

I can still remember the very first time I ever had Skyline Chili. I was at orientation at University of Cincinnati with my parents and another student asked our family if we wanted to have lunch with them at Skyline Chili. We weren’t from Cincinnati so we said sure! When we got there, I remember looking at the menu and thinking, chili on spaghetti? What is this place? What it was, is heaven!

If you have never had the opportunity to enjoy Cincinnati Style Chili, you simply must give this a try. It is nothing like the traditional Simple Crockpot Chili recipe that I recently posted. This chili is more the consistency of spaghetti sauce but with a flavor you just can’t quite put your finger on until you see the recipe has unsweetened chocolate and a whole host of spices you usually reserve for baking.

If you happen to find yourself in Cincinnati and ask around for the best Cincinnati Chili around, you will no doubt be entered into quite a debate. The big names in town are Skyline and Goldstar, but each neighbor has its favorite from Camp Washington Chili to Dixie Chili. My advise? Try them all! Each has a slightly different spin and atmosphere but you can’t go wrong with any of them.

You can eat this chili in a bowl, over spaghetti, on a hot dog or just the hot dog bun. All come topped with a mountain of cheese. You can get it with just cheese (3 way) or with beans or onion (4 way) or with beans and onions (5 way). They also have a black bean version that is an awesome burrito! I find that the chili is also awesome as nachos or as the famous Skyline Chili dip which is chili and cheese over cream cheese that is heated until it is all gooey. Yum. And you can’t forget the fanciest of all appetizers at any Cincinnati Chili joint, the little oyster crackers that you smother in hot sauce!

Can you tell how much I love this stuff? And honestly, the chili itself is pretty darn healthy. The cheese does kind of stretch that, but served over some Gluten Free Spaghetti with some dairy free cheese…? Well, you decide how to eat it, just trust me and make up a batch.