Dixie Chili

About Dixie Chili

Founded in 1929 by Nicholas D. Sarakatsannis, who immigrated from Greece and later settled in the Cincinnati area, Dixie Chili is one of the oldest Cincinnati-style chili businesses in the region. Sarakatsannis worked at Empress Chili before developing his own recipe and opening Dixie Chili in Newport, Kentucky, in a small storefront just north of Eighth Street. More than 95 years later, the business remains family-owned, with its chili still prepared in Newport using lean beef, fresh onions, garlic, and a blend of spices based on the original family recipe.

Dixie Chili Cincinnati-Style Chili

Dixie Chili is served in several traditional Cincinnati ways, beginning with chili by itself and continuing with combinations of spaghetti, shredded cheddar cheese, onions, beans, and fresh chopped garlic. A 2-Way combines chili and semolina wheat spaghetti, while a 3-Way adds aged cheddar cheese. The 4-Way adds chopped onion, the 5-Way adds pinto beans and onion, and Dixie Chili’s 6-Way includes fresh chopped garlic. Cheese coneys are another longtime menu item, made with a hot dog, mustard, chili, chopped onion, and shredded cheddar cheese on a steamed bun.

Buy Dixie Chili Online

You can find Dixie Chili at its Northern Kentucky restaurants and in select grocery stores around the Cincinnati area, but canned chili makes the original recipe easier to prepare at home. Here at Candy Retailer, we carry Dixie Chili in 10oz cans. Dixie Chili also sells the same 10oz cans in 12-count cases through its official store. Since the chili comes fully prepared, you only need to heat it before serving it over spaghetti, on coneys, with traditional Cincinnati chili toppings, or in dishes such as chili dip and baked potatoes.