True Cincy chili does contain onions when cooking the beef. However, the onions should be FINELY grated (I use the old stand-by box grater). The meat and onions are essentially boiled in water until you can't even see that the onion is there. Let it sit in the fridge overnight, skim the fat off the next day, then add the other ingredients. The other ingredients, by the way, NEVER include chili powder! Allspice, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, worscestershire, cocoa powder (or unsweetened chocolate), cayenne pepper, and cider vinegar do the trick. If you want it hotter, add finely diced chipotles in adobo as a ""7th"" topping. I also prefer to make extra spices and reserve a little bit of tomato paste in which to simmer my beans before serving.

Cincinati is a creek chile town,you can find a chile parlor in every neightborhood. I have build many of these store like Deli High Chili, There are 15-20 different family reciepes being sold in town. the reciepes I have review here all are missing one or two ingredients. The big problem you need to make 25-35 gal. of chile to get the flavor right. My choose is Camp Washington chili. I have eaten a lot of Skyline,and we have five stores in Louisville and they are the only game in town for this type of chili. For home chili I prefer southwest,easy to make and taste great! Check out Mr. Food Cooks-Real-American-Champion Chili

I agree, this is the most like Skyline...if you omit the chili powder. After I browned and drained the meat, I then ran it through the food processor, which ground it up a bit more making it more like Skyline. Made it for work in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the girls loved it!!!!!!

Of all the recipes I see, yours is THE most correct and authentic. Most everyone adds chili powder to ""Skyline Chili"". This original greek recipe prides itself in not having chili powder. It is the lack of this ingredient that makes the flavor so unique. I read an article many years ago from the owner of Skyline and it has always stuck with me about what not to add.

smells like Christmas & reminds me of home...I live in a Navy Town & I do not get to go home often. This is a great pick -me-up for those homesick blues.

Despite what the previous reviewer claimed, onion is a key flavor component in Cincinnati chili. This chili should be smooth, but not at the expense of onion flavor. Just finely chop (mince) the onion or put it in a food processor. As long as the chili is cooked for long enough, the onion will break down nicely and not contribute any lumps. Also, ""browning"" ground meat does not mean ""blackening"". Browning the meat, while chopping it as finely as possible with a spatula, will yield much better (and more authentic) results than braised and rinsed (ick) ground beef.

While the ingredients on this recipe seem ok. The ground beef in authentic Cincinnati Chili should NOT be browned. It should be broken up as finely as possible and simmered in the liquid until a smooth consistancy. Also no onions should be cooked in the chili because that ruins the consistancy. The important thing about Cincinnati chili is that it should be smooth not at all chunky. I simmer the meat in water first then drain and rince it to get ride of some of the fat. Then I start over adding all the other ingredients. But even that isn't authentic. Also note that the cheese for topping should be finely grated and raw onions for topping should be minced.