Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients

• 1.25 lbground beef$4.41
• 1.5 eachyellow onion, finely diced$0.91
• 2 clovegarlic$0.05
• 2 tspworcestershire sauce$0.08
• 0.75 tspground cumin$0.06
• 10 oztomato sauce$0.77
• 1.5 cupbeef broth$0.49
• 1 tbspapple cider vinegar$0.05
• 2 tbspchili powder$0.15
• 0.75 tspground cinnamon$0.06
• 0.5 tspground allspice$0.01
• 0.25 tspground cloves$0.01
• 0.75 tspkosher salt$0.01
• 0.75 lbspaghetti$1.04
• 1.5 cupcheddar cheese, shredded$3.22
• Total for 4 servings$11.32

Most of the cost is ground beef ($4.41) and cheddar cheese, shredded ($3.22). With oil, spices and staples already at home, the shop drops to about $9.79. Prices are estimated for the amount used, at average US grocery prices (November 2026).

Steps

1. Finely dice the yellow onion, mince the garlic cloves, and finely shred the cheddar cheese. Set aside half of the diced onion and all of the cheese for topping.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the ground beef and the remaining half of the diced onion. Cook, breaking the meat into very fine crumbles with a wooden spoon or potato masher, until the beef is no longer pink and reaches at least 160°F (71°C), about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off excess rendered fat if necessary.
3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground allspice, and ground cloves, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and kosher salt. Stir thoroughly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and saucy, 60 to 75 minutes.
5. About 15 minutes before the chili finishes simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 9 to 11 minutes; drain thoroughly.
6. Divide the hot spaghetti among four shallow bowls, ladle the chili over it, and top each with the reserved raw onion and a generous mound of shredded cheddar (a four-way). Serve immediately.