Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys

Name: Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 lb 85/15 ground beef, raw; 2 cups cold beef broth; 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 1 large yellow onion, finely diced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp chili powder; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground allspice; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp kosher salt; 10 all-beef hot dogs; 10 soft hot dog buns; Yellow mustard, for serving; 1/2 cup finely diced onion, for topping; 2 cups finely shredded mild cheddar

By Iren Pavlenko · Last updated: 9 Nov 2026

A thicker Cincinnati chili built to stay on a hot dog bun, served with mustard, onion and cheddar. It holds for hours on WARM for game days and crowds.

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Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

A thicker Cincinnati chili built to stay on a hot dog bun, served with mustard, onion and cheddar. It holds for hours on WARM for game days and crowds.

Ingredients

2 lb 85/15 ground beef, raw
2 cups cold beef broth
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
10 all-beef hot dogs
10 soft hot dog buns
Yellow mustard, for serving
1/2 cup finely diced onion, for topping
2 cups finely shredded mild cheddar

Directions

Pour the cold broth into the slow cooker and whisk in the tomato sauce and tomato paste. This batch uses less liquid than the spaghetti version, so measure carefully.
Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice and salt, and whisk until smooth.
Crumble in the raw beef and mash it until the pieces are very fine. Fine texture matters more here because the chili has to sit on a bun.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 3 1/2 hours. Stir at the 30 minute mark.
Check the thickness at the end. If it runs off the spoon, uncover the pot and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes until it mounds slightly.
Stir in the vinegar and Worcestershire and taste for salt. Switch the pot to WARM.
Heat the hot dogs by simmering them in a pot of water for 6 minutes or until hot through. Warm the buns in a low oven for a few minutes.
Set a hot dog in each bun, stripe it with mustard, then spoon on a generous layer of chili.
Top with diced onion and a heap of cheddar. Serve right away, with extra chili in the pot for refills.

Notes

Use natural-casing all-beef hot dogs for the best snap. The chili will thicken further on WARM, so loosen it with a splash of broth if needed. It holds for 4 hours on WARM with the lid on. Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours, store up to 4 days, and freeze in flat bags for 3 months.

What makes coney chili different

Coney chili is thicker than a pasta-topping chili, so it stays on the bun instead of running off. Less broth and extra tomato paste cook down into a spoonable, almost paste-like meat sauce. Fine crumbles of beef cling to the hot dog in each bite.

A soft bun matters, because a firm roll pushes the topping out.

Swaps and one to avoid

Beef or turkey franks work if you cannot find natural-casing ones. Steam the buns for a few minutes in a covered pan. Do not use thin, watery chili as the topping, because it turns the buns to mush.

Serving a crowd

Keep the chili on WARM and let guests build their own with mustard, onion and cheddar. Put out chips and pickles on the side.

Storing

Cool and refrigerate within the stated time, and freeze flat in bags. Reheat with a splash of broth.

Simmer the hot dogs separately in a little water or steam them on the stovetop. Tuck each into a bun, spoon over the chili and add a stripe of mustard before the cheese.

Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys at a glance

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients: 18, led by 85/15 ground beef, cold beef broth, (8 oz) tomato sauce, tomato paste

Tips for Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys

Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys FAQ

How long does Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys take?

Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys takes 5 hours of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.

How many people does Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys serve?

This recipe makes 8 servings.

What do I need to make Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili: Cincinnati Coneys?

18 ingredients, led by 85/15 ground beef, cold beef broth, (8 oz) tomato sauce, tomato paste. Amounts are in the recipe card above.

Iren Pavlenko

Hi, I'm Iren Pavlenko. I read the top-ranked slow cooker recipes for a dish side by side and write down what they disagree on and what they all leave out — the cut, the pot size, and both the LOW and HIGH times. I write these guides so your weeknight dinner doesn't turn into a dry roast because a recipe never said which of those four things mattered.

Part of: 10 Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili Recipes for Spaghetti Night