Texas chili cookoffs–sometimes held in conjunction with barbecue cookoffs but often separate events in their own right–pit chili heads to see who can make the best chili con carne. Each “bowl of red,” as Frank X. Tolbert would have said, may boast its own secret mix of spices and seasonings but each has one thing in common: the lack of beans.
Texas chili, unlike variations in many other states, is devoid of beans. Yes, you’ll also find bean cookoffs and Texans definitely love beans–but chili is chili and beans are beans and the two do not meet in the same dish.
Below you’ll find our calendar of some of the major Texas chili cookoffs throughout the year.
Table of Contents
Texas Chili Cookoff Calendar
January
Galveston, Yaga’s Chili Quest and Beer Fest
Held on the Strand, this chili cook-off takes advantage of cooler weather to warm up with a spicy bowl of chili. The Saturday event includes four rounds of chili sampling as well as a 5K run, Beer Fest, washer tournament and more.
March
Houston, Houston Kosher Chili Cookoff
The largest kosher food event in the Bayou City.
April
Dallas, Pendery’s Charity Chili Cookoff
Sincy 1870, Pendery’s has been supplying cooks with chili powder and spices, plenty of which are used during this annual Dallas cookoff. Competitors also qualify for points for ICS, CASI and OTICCC cookoffs.
Seguin, Texas Ladies’ State Chili Cookoff
Women from around the state test their skills at this chili cook-off. Along with taste tests, visitors enjoy live entertainment.
Snook, Chilifest Music Festival
The liveliest time to visit Snook is in mid-April, when it celebrates Chilifest, a two-day blowout with a chili cook-off and live music drawing up to 50,000 visitors. The festival has featured well-known musicians such as Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, and Pat Green. The proceeds from the annual event benefit local charities.
July
San Antonio, Texas Open Chili Championship
Held under the auspices of the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI), this event tests chili cooks as they compete for honors in Chili and Junior Chili.
September
Blanco, Ladies State Chili Championship of Texas
Held in Yett Memorial Park, women test their skills in this competition whose first three winners qualify for the Terlingua International Chili Cook-Off.
Blanco, Just a Chili Cook-Off
Held the day after the Ladies State Chili Championship of Texas, this Blanco cookoff is actually far more than just chili! Watch for a margarita mix-off, bean bash, costume contest, BBQ chicken and beef cookoffs and more.
October
Flatonia, Czhilispiel
When tiny Flatonia needed a doctor years ago, local citizens decided to send a hometown girl to medical school. To fund her education, they began this chili cook-off (now one of the largest in Texas) and festival. There’s lots of music, a quilt show, “the world’s largest tented biergarten,” and a barbecue cook-off as well.
Pflugerville, Pflugerville Pfall Chili Pfest
This annual event features a Chili Cook-off and tasting as well as live music, vendors, food and drink, a jalapeño eating contest, kids’ area and the Heat Wave Car Show.
November
Cedar Park, Texas Humane Heroes Annual Chili-Cookoff
OK, it’s not on the scale of the Terlingua cookoffs (see below) but this fun chili competition is held on the grounds of our local animal shelter and serves as one of their major fundraising events every year. Along with vendors, music and more, tickets include tastings at each of the many competitor booths. And, unlike most cookoffs, it’s dog-friendly!
Terlingua, Original Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff Frank X. Tolbert-Wick Fowler Memorial
Held the first weekend in November , this Texas-size event brings chili aficionados from around the world to this tiny town in the Big Bend region. Chefs compete all year to earn points to qualify for this cookoff. Spectators can purchase tickets that include camping, the opportunity to judge chilis, live music and more.
Terlingua, CASI Terlingua International Chili Championship
Held at Rancho CASI de los Chisos in Terlingua, this four-day celebration begins each year on Wednesday and culminates on Saturday with the Terlingua International Chili Championship©. On Friday, watch for the International Bean Championship©, International Hot Wings Championship© and International Salsa Championship©.
Dallas, Big Tex BBQ and Chili Challenge at the State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas may be known for its fried food cook-off but you’ll also find a great chili cookoff (and BBQ) cookoff as well.
A few years ago we had the honor of updating the late John Kelso’s Texas Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff.
The guidebook includes the story of a chili cookoff curiosity in Terlingua, the granddaddy of the Texas chili cookoffs!
Scandal Rocks Chili Cookoff
Don Eastep had no idea he’d win the 37th annual Original Terlingua Frank X. Tolbert–Wick Fowler Chili Cookoff when he turned in a bunch of chili samples he didn’t even cook.
“How could you possibly win with a conglomeration of chilis?” a sheepish Eastep said in 2003 after he’d been busted for cheating at this cookoff in the desert, considered the granddaddy of them all. “That was the last thought in my mind—that it would win. And when it did there was nobody who was more shocked.”
Eastep, who wasn’t even qualified to enter the cookoff, said it all started out as a joke. Posing as his brother, Larry Eastep, who had qualified to cook but didn’t attend, Don Eastep took a tasting cup around to the various cooks and got them to toss dollops of their chili into the cup.
Then Don transferred the mix into his brother’s entry cup, entered the chili—and won.
Don says that when he was announced the winner from the podium he was “absolutely stunned.”
When officials found out what had happened, Eastep had to give back the trophy and other awards.
Eastep was driving back to his home in Illinois when we reached him on the phone for an explanation.
“The bottom line is I should not have done it.” he said. “And when they called the winning number, I wish at this instant that I would not have responded.”
“We caught the scoundrel, the Benedict Arnold that he is,” said Tom Nall, one of the chili judges who was fooled by the entry. “We’ve got to set up guards on the border to make sure he never comes back.”
The Tolbert-Fowler cookoff is one of two big chili cookoffs held in Terlingua on the first Saturday in November. The other cookoff, the Chili Appreciation Society International cookoff, had nothing to do with the 2003 scandal.
