Description
This Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili is a hearty, flavorful chili made with a unique blend of spices including cinnamon, cloves, and unsweetened baking chocolate, slow-cooked to perfection. Perfect served over spaghetti or hot dogs, it’s a classic comfort food with a sweet and savory twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup water
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
Toppings
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Red kidney beans
- Diced white onion
Serving
- Cooked spaghetti
Instructions
- Add ingredients to slow cooker: Place the browned and drained ground beef, finely diced onion, water, tomato sauce, unsweetened baking chocolate, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, cumin, allspice, ground cloves, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, sugar, and vinegar into your slow cooker.
- Mix and cook: Stir all the ingredients together to combine evenly. Cover and cook on the low setting for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the chili to thicken.
- Serve: Once cooked, serve the Cincinnati chili hot over cooked spaghetti noodles or hot dogs. Top each serving with shredded cheddar cheese, red kidney beans, and diced white onion as desired.
Notes
- Brown the ground beef before adding to the slow cooker to remove excess fat and enhance flavor.
- The unsweetened baking chocolate adds depth and complexity to the chili’s flavor.
- Cooking on low for the full 6 hours will develop richer flavors compared to cooking on high for less time.
- Traditional Cincinnati chili is often served over spaghetti or hot dogs, known as “coneys”.
- You can adjust the level of spice by modifying the amount of red pepper flakes.