What Is a Chili Cook-Off?
A chili cook-off is a friendly competition where chefs bring their best chili recipes, guests taste and rank all entries, and at the end you crown a champion. It's part potluck, part competition, and 100% delicious.
Whether it's a backyard showdown between friends or a neighborhood championship, a cook-off adds excitement to any gathering. Instead of just eating great chili, guests get invested in the competition. Whose secret recipe will reign supreme? Will the newcomer dethrone last year's champion?
Campfire Vote makes the voting easy. Chefs register their chili, everyone tastes and ranks after the meal, and the app calculates final rankings instantly. No more arguing about whose chili was best; let the votes decide!
What You'll Need
The Chili
Each chef brings their chili — aim for 6-12 total entries for a good competition
Slow Cookers & Pots
Keep chili warm throughout the event — slow cookers work great for serving
A Prize
A trophy, bragging rights certificate, or the honor of being called the chili champion
Campfire Vote
Create your cook-off, share the code, and let guests rank chilies from their phones
Step-by-Step Guide
Before the Cook-Off
- Create your cook-off in Campfire Vote — Log in as host and start a new Chili Cook-Off. Only you pay and chefs/guests join for free! You'll get a unique party code to share.
- Send invitations — Invite your chefs and guests. Let them know what time to arrive and when chili should be ready. Share the party code so chefs can register their entries.
- Coordinate equipment — Make sure you have enough slow cookers or warming stations. Some chefs may bring their own equipment.
- Set ground rules — Decide on chili styles allowed (any style vs. specific), heat levels, and any ingredient restrictions.
Day of the Cook-Off
- Chefs prepare their chili — Chili takes time! Plan for 2-4 hours of cooking. Some chefs may prefer to cook at home and bring finished chili.
- Everyone joins Campfire Vote — Have chefs register their entries in the app. Guests can join as tasters.
- Label all entries — Use numbered cards or creative names. Make sure each chili is identifiable for voting.
Tasting Time
- Set up the tasting station — Arrange all chilies with tasting cups, spoons, and labels. Provide toppings like cheese, sour cream, and crackers.
- Let everyone taste — Encourage sampling all entries before voting. Have water and bread to cleanse palates between tastings.
- Open voting — Once everyone has tasted, start the voting phase. Give 10-15 minutes for guests to rank all entries.
- Crown the champion — Move to results and reveal the rankings! Award the trophy to your chili champion.
Chili Styles to Consider
Different chili styles bring unique flavors to the competition:
🌶️ Texas Red
No beans, no tomatoes — just meat, chilies, and spices. The purist's choice.
🫘 Classic Chili con Carne
Ground beef with beans and tomatoes. The crowd-pleaser that everyone loves.
🍗 White Chicken Chili
Chicken, white beans, green chilies. A lighter, creamy alternative to red chili.
🥬 Vegetarian & Vegan
Beans, vegetables, and spices. Perfect for inclusive cook-offs with dietary restrictions.
Pro Tips
- •Provide tasting cups — Give each guest a set of small cups with numbers matching each entry. This helps them keep track while tasting.
- •Offer toppings on the side — Let guests taste the chili first, then offer toppings. This gives a fair comparison of the actual chili.
- •Have backup sides — Cornbread, tortilla chips, rice, and coleslaw complement chili well. Ask non-competing guests to bring sides.
- •Make it an annual tradition — Keep a record of winners. Create a traveling trophy that the champion holds until next year's cook-off.
- •Consider heat levels — Warn guests about especially spicy entries. Some hosts have a "mild" and "hot" category.