The Ultimate Guide To Chili Cookoff Competitions

The best chili cooks in the world have their recipes and methods down to a science and often participate in highly competitive chili cookoffs. These folks don't mess around — the contests take place throughout the year and are taken very seriously by participants and judges. Many cookoffs are sponsored by the International Chili Society (ICS), and the money raised goes to worthy local and national charities. Annual ICS memberships cost $45 (corporate memberships are $500), and contestants pay entry fees to cook at the events. The ICS holds its World Championship in varying locations, and the prizes are pretty impressive.

There are other chili cookoffs that the ICS does not sponsor, and these can be less formal; all are tons of fun. The monetary prizes might be smaller or nonexistent, but these contests are great for learning the ropes. We'll start with the rules for ICS-sanctioned chili cookoffs and then dig deeper into specific ones. Two notes, though: The word "cookoff" is spelled in different ways, so we'll go with how each contest spells it. And every legit cookoff has particular safety and sanitation rules provided by local health and sponsoring organizations.

Amateurs and pros are invited to participate in this family event each year in the Peach State. It takes place in November and is open to caterers and restaurants and amateurs; there's also a people's choice award. In 2022, the top honors were given to Park 82 (caterers/restaurants), Brookhaven Bucks (amateur), Dusty Boot Cookshed (most spirited team), and $hitty Chili (people's choice).

The Atlanta Chili Cook Off is a fun event with live music, vendors, kids' activities, prizes, and trophies. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted. The amateur division is the only one that receives monetary awards, with first place receiving $1,000, second place $500, and third $250. The 2022 application showed contestant entry fees of $75, which pays for a 10-foot by 10-foot booth, a 6-foot table, and serving cups. Equipment like tents and power outlets cost extra. Participants have to cook 7 to 10 gallons of chili and keep uncooked food at 41 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked food at 140 degrees. To enter, applicants fill out an online form, submit it, and wait for an acceptance or denial. Those who get in pay the fees in advance.

This one does take place in Texas, in the city of Snook. Chilifest is a massive undertaking, a two-day event on the last weekend in March. The lineups feature some major musical acts, like Jamey Johnson and Whiskey Myers. Attendees show up in RVs or with tents and camp out, and winners can receive up to $1,500.

The Chilifest rules state that the chili must be cooked on-site with raw ingredients — premixed spices are not allowed. No fillers of any kind, including beans, may be used. Each team can only submit one entry, which must be in a 16-ounce cup. Those cups have to be filled to approximately ½ inch from the top unless otherwise specified, and late submissions are not permitted. We told you they take this stuff seriously!

This cookoff is different because it's more of a festival with a chili contest rather than vice versa; the main focus is live music. It draws in more than 35,000 people and is sponsored by Chilifest Incorporated. Proceeds are donated to local charities. Contestants are not required to provide free samples to the attendees — they probably wouldn't have enough for that many people, anyway. The judges make the decisions, and, as with other chili cookoffs, the cups cannot be tampered with in any way.

Heading west to California, we have Orange County's annual Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cookoff. Sponsored by the City of Tustin Parks & Recreation department, this cookoff is a one-day affair that happens in early June. It benefits local nonprofits and also has a salsa competition, kids' activities, and live entertainment.

Applications are completed online and are handled by the Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Committee. The contestant form shows that this is an ICS-sanctioned event, with categories for judges chili, restaurant chili, last call chili, ICS red and homestyle chili, and judges salsa. Some categories are voted on by attendees who purchase tickets. You must be an ICS member to participate in the two ICS cookoffs and can enter as many categories as you like.

The chili booths measure 8 feet by 8 feet, and contestants bring their own stoves (usually propane camping stoves) because open fires are not allowed. Electricity is provided but must be requested ahead of time. Regular attendees give their tickets to the chili booths and vote on ballots, which get tallied up at the end. Those are counted by judges who are chosen from the community; the ICS categories are judged by chili experts. As for quantity, the ICS needs 4 gallons per entrant, and the ballot categories require 20. The awards ceremonies are at 5 p.m.

The setting for Highland Business Partnership's Chili Cookoff is the North Jersey town of Highlands, which is not far from New York City. Highlands' website shows that this winter event happens in late February at the Quarterdeck at Seastreak, a catering venue with a waterfront location. There are two cookoffs: one for professionals and another for amateurs. Proceeds from the event go to the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade.

Entrants must send in the application form with $10 and, if approved, agree to make 3 or more pounds of chili and arrive 45 minutes before starting time. The chili has to be maintained at a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit and can be brought in a Crock-Pot or something similar. The organizers provide cups, spoons, and napkins, and there's a limit of 48 participants.

The registration form also shows that the $35 admission fee for guests includes chili tasting, two beer tickets, and two voting ballots. There's also a panel of judges who vote separately from ticket holders. The Highland Business Partnership's Chili Cookoff lasts from 3 to 7 p.m., and the winners are announced around 6 p.m., according to the registration form.

The Sertoma Chili Cookoff's website states that this ICS-certified event is held in February in Springfield, Missouri, as part of a three-day festival. The registration form shows that 8-foot by 10-foot booth fees range from $225 to $300, depending on how soon you apply. That's not a small sum (and electrical hookup fees are extra), but the winner gets to compete in the ICS World Championship Chili Cook-off.

The Sertoma Chili Cookoff takes place at the Springfield Expo Center and benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, according to Eventbrite. This is a one-day event, but they manage to pack a lot in; there's also a high-stakes poker tournament and a cornhole tournament, live music, and a beer garden. Tickets are priced from $20 to $50.

Cooking teams (with a maximum of eight people) follow ICS rules for the Sertoma Chili Cookoff. Per the FAQ page, cooking starts at 6:30 a.m., and each booth must cook up a minimum of 10 gallons. Besides grand champion and best in show, awards are also given out for rookie of the year and people's choice. The Sertoma Chili Cook-off Rules and Information Booklet claims that since its 1981 inception, the event has raised more than $2.7 million.

This is the big one — ICS's world championship event. They've been doing this for more than 50 years, and the festivities have been held in various locations. The ICS World Championship Chili Cook-Off attracts hundreds of groups from across the country to participate, and ticket holders enjoy tastings, live entertainment, car shows, and beer gardens. Admission is free, but you have to buy tasting tickets to sample the goods and vote. The total prize purse is $75,000.

Qualifying contestants who have won at state-level ICS cookoffs can participate in the championship, but there are other chili challenges open to the community; cooks can also compete in more than one category. There are the main ICS categories, two youth divisions according to age, a McCormick Community Challenge, a World Open, and a Pace Setter Chili Challenge. WMBF News claims that these championships attract more than 30,000 chili lovers.