Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili

The sweet and savory flavors in this Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili is the reason this chili recipe is iconic - it's delicious!

Cincinnati Chili, also known as Empress Chili or Skyline Chili gets piled up on top of spaghetti noodles and served with loads of cheese and red kidney beans. This copycat Skyline Chili is incredibly easy to make at home in your Instant Pot.

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Jump to:

• What's in Cincinnati-Style Chili?
• Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili Directions
• Authentic Cincinnati Chili
• Dump and Start Instant Pot Recipe
• What is Skyline Chili Dip?
• 📖 Recipe

What's in Cincinnati-Style Chili?

Cincinnati-style chili isn't your conventional chili! It's not Texas-style chili or even classic chili with beans. This style of chili has both sweet slices and savory seasonings to create a flavorful chili sauce.

• Lean ground beef (at least 80/20) - the leaner the better. Since the meat isn't sauteed, it prevents an excess amount of grease from being left in the chili. Or, if the chili is cooled and served for later, the fat will rise to the top and it can be skimmed off before reheating and serving.
• Onion - diced
• Garlic cloves - freshly minced garlic cloves. A garlic press is a great tool to make mincing garlic easily.
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Ground cinnamon
• Allspice
• Cayenne
• Ground cloves
• Salt
• Beef stock
• Tomato sauce
• Apple cider vinegar
• Tomato paste
• Granulated sugar
• Worcestershire sauce
• Unsweetened cocoa powder

Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili Directions

Dump the ingredients in the inner liner- This recipe is a dump and start Instant Pot recipe with no sauteing required. The first step is to uncooked ground beef to the inner liner. Top with the diced onion and minced garlic.

Add the seasonings- Once the onions and garlic are added to the beef, sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, ground cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, cloves, and salt on top of the beef.

Sprinkle the granulated sugar and the unsweetened cocoa powder on top.

Add the liquids to the pot- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Top with the beef stock. Don't stir.

Pressure Cook- Close the lid and pressure cook on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK for 10 minutes.
Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release (NR) pressure for 10 minutes before removing the lid.

Break up the ground beef- Remove the lid and stir to break up the ground beef or use an immersion blender to get the desired consistency.

Serve- Serve over spaghetti, and with shredded cheese, and/or onions, and red kidney beans.

Authentic Cincinnati Chili

When making authentic Cincinnati chili there's no sauteing involved. The ground beef is added to the pressure cooker with the other ingredients and then cooked until all of the flavors are married into the sauce mixture.

One of my favorite ways to break up the meat and crumble it is to use a meat chopper. It will easily break apart and crumble into the sauce.

The seasonings found in this iconic chili are both sweet and savory. Mediterranean flavors mingle with cocoa powder served on a bed of spaghetti noodles.

There are three ways to eat this Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili classic:

3-way - chili topped with cheese on a bed of spaghetti.

4-way - chili topped with cheese on a bed of spaghetti with either onions or beans.

5-way - chili topped with cheese on a bed of spaghetti and topped with onions and beans.

If serving this style of chili with pasta isn't your thing, serving it on hotdogs is another delicious way to eat this Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili. However, to serve this chili traditionally, serve it over spaghetti.

Dump and Start Instant Pot Recipe

There is no sauteing involved when making this Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili recipe. Everything is dumped into the inner liner of the Instant Pot, even the ground beef, and then pressure cooked.

Once the pressure cooking time is finished, the pot naturally releases pressure for 10 minutes, and then the lid is removed.

Once the lid is removed, if the chili is too thin for your liking, it can be sauteed until it is as thick as you would like.

What is Skyline Chili Dip?

Skyline chili dip is a super easy dip made with Cincinnati Style Chili, cream cheese, and shredded cheese. This recipe for Skyline Chili Dip can be found here and it's a delicious dip for game days or parties.

📖 Recipe