Making Instant Pot Skyline Chili in the pressure cooker is a quick and easy way to enjoy the Cincinnati classic from anywhere!
The uniqueness of Cincinnati Chili is part of what makes it so special, and you’ll love how easy it is to make this copycat Skyline Chili recipe in the Instant Pot!
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“It’s not the type of chili you’re probably used to. Most people either love it or hate it.”
My then-boyfriend was describing the chili he grew up eating regularly. We had been dating for a couple of months and were planning a trip to visit his hometown of Cincinnati.
That’s when he mentioned that we would be making a stop at Skyline Chili while we were there, followed by his disclaimer of sorts.
Love it or hate it? What is this guy talking about?
It’s no secret that I have a thing for chili. I have a whole list of the best Instant Pot chili recipes that I make regularly.
Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone hating chili. Barbecue chicken chili, white chicken chili, and of course the classic chili I grew up on…they’re all so delicious in their own way.
So I wasn’t really sure what to expect on that first visit.
But he was right, the Cincinnati staple is unlike any other chili I’d had before.
What is Cincinnati Chili?
For starters, the chili is served over a bed of spaghetti and topped with finely shredded cheese. Many people also add beans or raw diced onions on top (I don’t).
The flavor medley includes traditional chili powder and also cinnamon and allspice, plus the unexpected addition of chocolate. It bears some similarities to Greek spaghetti.
The verdict for me? I liked it and that sealed the deal that he could marry me. Just kidding…maybe. 🙂
Either way, he did marry me, and we now make our home in the fine state of Tennessee.
Only trouble is, Skyline Chili restaurants don’t exist here.
No big deal, though, because we can buy cans of Skyline Chili at our local grocery store. This was our go-to way to get a Skyline fix for years.
But after a gross encounter with some foreign objects in a can one evening (I’ll spare you the details), I set off to figure out how to make it from scratch.
Skyline Chili Recipe – How to Make it from Scratch
While looking for a homemade copycat version to try, I stumbled across this recipe and decided to use it as a starting point.
The first time I made it, I adapted the process a good bit to streamline things (mama needs quick and simple, folks).
Then it hit me–I can make this even easier by cooking it in my Instant Pot! Copycat Skyline chili in the pressure cooker? Yes, please!
Now, it’s one of my favorite Instant Pot ground beef recipes!
New to Pressure Cooking? Check Out These Helpful Resources:
- Everything You Need to Know to Get Started Making Easy Pressure Cooker Recipes
- How to Reheat Leftovers in the Instant Pot
- How to Make Your Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes in the Pressure Cooker
- 6 Useful Accessories to Get the Most Out of Your Pressure Cooker
And just like that, this Instant Pot Skyline chili recipe was born. It has replaced the Skyline cans in our home, and it got two thumbs up from my Cincinnati native hubby.
If you love Cincinnati chili, you should definitely give this one a try. If Cincinnati chili is new to you, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its uniqueness.
So go ahead! Try making Skyline chili in the pressure cooker and see what you think!I’m sure you’ll be in the “love it” camp, too!
How to Make Cincinnati Skyline Chili in the Instant Pot
Brown the beef. To start, you’ll use the Saute function to cook some ground beef and onions in olive oil.
Once the beef is browned, add the garlic and stir for a minute.
Turn off the Saute function and drain any excess grease, if necessary, then return the beef, onions, and garlic back into the insert pot.
Add liquids. Next, you’ll add in some beef broth and tomato sauce, which serves as the base of the chili.
Add seasonings. Now it’s time to add the seasonings that give Cincinnati chili its unique flavor!
Pressure cook. Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position, then use the Manual/Pressure Cook setting to select a 5 minute cook time.
Once the cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure. After the pressure has released and the valve drops, carefully open the lid and remove the bay leaf.
Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend the chili to a consistency similar to Skyline Chili.
Now it’s ready to serve over a bed of spaghetti and top with finely shredded cheese (shred your own cheese for the best melting)! Add onions and beans if you wish.
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot (I have the DUO60 model)
- Immersion Blender
More Instant Pot Chili Recipes You’re Sure to Love:
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Chili
- Classic Chili in the Pressure Cooker
- White Chicken Chili in the Instant Pot
- Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili (Copycat Skyline Chili)
Making Skyline Chili in the pressure cooker is a quick and easy way to enjoy the Cincinnati classic from anywhere! It’s a simple and tasty recipe, perfect for a weeknight!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2 tsp garlic
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 Tbs chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 oz (1 square) of unsweetened chocolate OR 1 Tbs cocoa powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- For Serving:
- Serve over cooked spaghetti. Top with shredded cheese, onions, and beans as desired.
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Press the Saute button.
- Add beef and onions, breaking apart the beef as it cooks.
- Once beef is brown and onions are becoming translucent, add garlic and stir to combine, cooking for one more minute.
- Drain excess grease if necessary and return mixture to insert pot.
- Add broth, stirring to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients, except for salt and pepper, stirring to combine well.
- Press the Cancel button to stop the Saute function. Place the lid on the Instant Pot.
- Set the vent to the sealed position. Using the Manual setting, select a 5 minute cook time at high pressure.
- Once the cook time is complete, you can perform a quick release or natural release.
- After pressure has released, carefully remove lid and then remove the bay leaf.
- If desired, use an immersion blender to achieve consistency similar to Skyline Chili.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Serve over cooked spaghetti and top as desired.
Notes
Did you make it and love it? I appreciate your 5-Star Rating!
I love seeing my recipes come to life "in the wild"--don't forget to tag @marginmakingmom or use #marginmakingmom on Instagram so I can see your creation!
Adapted from The Midnight Baker
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 866mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 28g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
We’re going to have to try this. I think we have a Skyline Chili place down here in Florida, but I have never been. Looks really good!
Julie, yes there is one in Florida! It’s one of the few that exist outside of Ohio. Let me know what you think if you try it! 🙂
Made this it’s excellent, taste just like my coney 3 way chili back home in Tulsa I suggest it
Yay! Thank you for your sweet comment–I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Mary!
There is one over on Clearwater beach
Do you have to boil this down after finishing making it? Seems like it would be very watery with 2 c of broth plus the tomato sauce.
Hi Linda! I don’t boil mine down afterward, but I do use an immersion blender to sort of puree the beef, which thickens it up a good bit. I’d say if you’re not going to blend it, it will be more soupy with that amount of liquid. But once blended, it’s thick enough for me. However, you can certainly decrease the liquid from the get-go if you’d like. The broth could be reduced to 1 or 1.5 cups if you are afraid it will be too watery for your taste. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
I made it tonight. What a nice taste of Ohio, for this Buckeye transplanted in Texas! I used the water you called for. I did half the recipe for my Mini, as I was not sure if I could do the whole recipe in a mini. It came out fabulous! Thank you so much, this is going in my dinner rotation!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Linda!
You never ever Brown the ground beef before cooking. It is boiled in water and stirred to break up the chunks. Browsing changes the flavor.
Hi Carol! Yes, you can boil the beef (I actually tried that before when making this recipe on the stove top), but I found it easier/faster to brown the meat instead (and I like the flavor of browned meat). But, if you don’t prefer the browned flavor, boiling is certainly an option!
This is an absolutely awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing. My family loved it!
Is it ok if I post this on my FaceBook IP page, with your name and website?
Thank you
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for offering to share the link on your FB page–that would be fine with me! 🙂
After researching several recipes, I decided to go with this one. I am over-the-top happy I did because I cannot taste any difference at all! Wow!!! I used my immersion blender and it perfected it! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Hi Jill! Thank you so much for your feedback–I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!:)
This recipe is the bomb. So easy and tasted just like Skyline Chilli. Thank you.
Thank you, Debbie! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
I love Cincinnati Chili and was excited to make this but doubling all the ingredients did not work with the cooking time. I think I’m going to have to finish cooking this down on the stove.
Hi Tiffany! Sorry it didn’t turn out as expected. Since there is very little evaporation of liquid during pressure cooking, increasing the pressure cook time wouldn’t help, BUT you can always use the Saute function to simmer uncovered after pressure cooking if you want more liquid to evaporate. I hope that helps! 🙂
Really good and perfect texture for chili dogs or other meals where chili is a sauce. My family loves chili and preferred options do not include a bunch of chunky vegetables so this works great!
Thank you, Suzanne! I’m so glad to hear your family enjoys it. I love it on chili dogs, too! 🙂
I made this and while it is very tasty, it didn’t meet my skyline chili expectation as far as flavor profile. I’ll try a few adaptations to the spices and see if I can come closer to the taste of skyline! Thanks for the recipe though, it’s still better than “normal chili”!
Thanks for your feedback, Bo–Let us know what tweaks you make once you get it closer to your liking!
I added extra all spice, Worcestershire, onion powder and cardamom and it was perfect! I did by taste so do t have measurements.
Thanks, Meg! Love the idea of adding cardamom!
Chrysti
Next time you’re in Cincy, check out the envelope package spices for Skyline, as well as Gold Star. I too am from Tennessee with a Cincinnati native hubby. We happen to be on team Gold Star however.
Thanks for the tip, Gina! I didn’t know they made seasoning packets–I’ll have to look for them! 🙂
I look forward to making this. I have a question about the level of pressure for the Instant Pot.. does one just assume high pressure?
Hi Terri! Yes, I use high pressure. I’ll add that to the recipe for clarity! 🙂
Everybody loved it. I added 1/4 tsp onion powder and 2 glugs of Worcesteshire sauce.
During the immersion blending step, I forgot to take the bay leaf out! So the texture was a bit different (won’t forget that next time!) but it was still good! Can’t wait to try it again for some upcoming guests. Thanks!
Hi Scall! Thank you so much–I’m so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed it! (I have forgotten to take out the bay leaf before, too, so you’re not alone there, haha!)