If you walk down the canned goods aisle in a grocery store, there are plenty of what I call “pantry heroes.” These are the items that we use in a pinch for a complete meal (chicken noodle soup), a meal anchor (tuna) or a meal-builder (canned tomatoes). And as the weather starts to cool down, it's prime time for one of the fan-favorite pantry heroes, canned chili. Crack open a can of chili and you can go in a few different directions. You can heat it up and eat it as-is, spoon it on hot dogs or baked potatoes or turn it into a game-day dip by melting in some cream cheese and topping it with shredded cheddar. Growing up, my family was a homemade chili crew and I learned how to make the dish from my parents. My dad's chili was spicier than my mom's, but no matter which version was on the table we'd have saltine crackers, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions and a little cooked, plain spaghetti noodles on the side.
Homemade chili will always have my heart, but I can also appreciate the need for a quicker option for easy suppers and speedy party snacks (looking at you, Frito pie). It's good to know that when you're in the mood for a warm bowl of chili on a cold day and don’t feel like cooking, you’ve got options. If you haven't shopped for chili lately, you might be surprised by the choices you have. Do you hate (or love) beans? There’s a chili for you. Don’t eat meat? There’s a chili for you. Want it spicy? Yep, there’s an option for you, too. But how in the world do you choose? That's where I come in. I tracked down 15 popular brands (meat, no meat, beans, no beans) and put them to the test to find the best canned chili. After lots of scooping and sampling, my taste testers and I ranked them worst to best. Read on to find out which cans you should add to your cart and which ones you should leave on the shelf.Related: How to Make Chili 10x Better, According to My Chef-Husband?? SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Parade Eats newsletter. ??
What To Look for When Shopping for Canned Chili
Before this tasting, I didn’t know that the world of canned chili had so many varieties. It can get a bit overwhelming! After trying 15 brands, the most important tip when shopping for canned chili is solid advice for buying any packaged food: check the ingredients list. It will give you a better idea of what to expect (at least based on the company's description) as well as what's going on inside that can.If you’re looking for a certain heat level, look for “mild,” “medium” or “hot" on the label. And if you’re watching your sodium intake or want to limit artificial flavorings, take a few moments to check out the nutritional information on the can. Another thing to keep in mind is that most of these brands have a lot of fillers, including flours, oats, cornstarch and soy proteins, so if you’re trying to avoid anything ingredient in particular you'll need to do some thorough label-reading.
Also, if you don't eat pork, you'll definitely want to take a moment to do your research before choosing a chili. Often, the type of meat that’s used isn’t clearly labeled on the front of the can and many brands use a combination of beef and pork.Related:Panera Soups, Ranked: The Bowls Worth Ordering (And Which Ones to Skip)
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How I Tested These Canned Chilis
Courtesy Kellye Fox
To track down the 15 canned chili contenders I went to Walmart, Aldi, Trader Joe’s and Albertsons in the the Chicagoland area. I gathered an array of brands and styles—meaty, beany, bean-free and vegetarian. Each can was covered and marked with a number so the taste testing team (me, my husband and our teenage daughter and adolescent son) wouldn't be swayed by the brands.Each chili was warmed and tasted plain—no crackers or toppings. I ladled a small amount into each paper bowl and we analyzed the appearance, smell, texture (soupy, thick, meat, beans) and overall flavor (richness and spice balance) of each. As we tasted our way through the cans we thought about the crave-worthiness of each option and also if the chili was versatile enough to eat solo and also use as a topper or dip mix-in.
15 Popular Canned Chilis, Ranked Worst to Best
Which brands delivered warm, cozy, delicious satisfaction? There can only be one winner. Keep reading to see which can we liked the most.
15. Hormel Chili No Beans
Hormel has some experience in the chili business. The iconic brand has been making and canning chili since 1935, which made it extra surprising when we removed the paper coverings on the cans and realized this brand finished last. The pro is that there was a generous amount of meat, which I later discovered was beef and pork. The cons were the off-putting smell (which I’ll guess is the soy flour and oatmeal) and the extreme blandness. Related: I Tried 13 Popular Beef Jerky Brands and Found a New Favorite
14. Amy's Organic Medium Chili With Beans
Amy’s is one of the few canned chili brands that had real vegetables, like onions and green peppers, which was especially appealing because that's also what I use in my homemade chili. Visually, this chili looks like meat. (I imagine the organic tofu and red beans were blended to resemble meat.) We thought this option might have been better with just beans and veggies (and no tofu) and it definitely needed needed more spices and more salt, which is how it ended up at the bottom of the pack.
13. Chili Man Chili With No Beans
Chili Man is another beef/pork mix chili, but the color is much darker than the others. My husband said the appearance and texture reminded him of summer camp chili because it’s a thick, pureed mix of meat, which I didn't find appealing. Texture aside, the spice balance was pretty decent. Tomato paste, chili powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper were all players in this chili, but they weren’t enough to make up for the texture.Related: I Tried 10 Store-Bought Tomato Soups To Find Out Which One Is Worthy of Your Grilled Cheese
12. Brookdale Original Chili No Beans
I’ve tested quite a few of Aldi’s store-brand items, and they’ve been hit-or-miss. Their Brookdale canned chili landed in 12th place because we thought the chili powder was pretty heavy-handed and a balance of seasonings would have improved the flavor. Texturally, we were pleased with the middle-of-the road consistency. It wasn't too soupy or too thick. There weren’t any beans, but there was a decent amount of meat, making it pretty hearty.
11. Yellowstone Angus Beef Chili No Beans
The Yellowstone Cowboy Cuisine line debuted in 2023 with “homestyle” Angus beef chili among their offerings. We were excited about this because it smelled like a slow-simmered chili with visible pieces of bell pepper and streaks of grease from the meat. There were also chunks of tomato, which we hadn't experienced yet. My daughter felt that the tomato was too overpowering, and we all thought that the taste didn’t live up to the smell and look. It had the classic brownish-dark red from chili powder, but the spices were way too subtle. Related: I Tried 13 Popular Jarred Alfredo Sauces and the Winner Was Abundantly Clear
10. Campbell's Chunky Chili With Beans
When I think of Campbell’s, chili doesn’t necessarily come to mind. Nonetheless, it made the top 10 for a reason! We liked the medium (not too thick, not too thin) consistency and the flavor was okay. What we didn’t like was the ratio of meat to beans (more beans than meat) and the very prevalent chili powder flavor.
9. Trader Joe's Turkey Chili With Beans
I don’t know about my kids, but I was excited to try this because I’ve used ground turkey in my chili before and enjoyed it. Trader Joe’s landed at number 9 because it had a decent balance of meat and beans and included lots of vegetables, like onions, jalapeños, bell peppers and green chile peppers. What we didn't love? It was pretty bland. The spices listed on the label were subtly present, but we wanted more. This is the type of canned chili that could be enhanced at home, if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet. Related: I Tried 11 Different Brands of Canned Baked Beans and the Winner Had a Surprising Secret Ingredient
8. Chili Man Chili With Beans
Like the Chili Man Chili without beans, this also has a pork and beef mix, along with beef fat, onion powder, chili powder, salt and garlic powder. This version appealed to us because there was a better blend of spices, although the chili powder was still a bit heavy-handed. If you’re into beans, there’s a generous amount here. Overall, the consistency was chunkier (which we liked) and we thought it tasted better than the other Chili Man version.
7. Hormel Chili With Beans
Hormel Chili with beans is obviously better than the no-beans version. I guess the beans really do add a flavor component that—in my opinion—make for a better classic chili. We loved the big chunks of meat and the fact that the beans held their shape. (Some of the other brands had mushy beans.) My husband and kids thought this one lacked a bit in the seasoning department. Salt, chili powder, green chilies, jalapeño peppers and onions were listed, but they weren’t easy to detect. Still, it was a pretty decent can of chili and a good value.
Related: I Tried 8 Popular Honey Mustard Brands and the Winner Was a Tangy-Sweet Delight
6. Great Value Chili With Beans
Walmart’s Great Value chili was the first can we tasted, and we loved the thick texture. It had a prominent beef flavor and a decent blend of spices. It fell short with the slightly mushy beans and a little too much acidity from the tomatoes. The chili powder (yes, again) was a bit high, but it was better than the others.
5. Yellowstone Angus Beef Chili With Beans
In keeping with our pro-bean theme, this Yellowstone chili was more appetizing with the beans than without. We tried this early in our tasting, and we were impressed that it had veggies, which seemed to complement the flavor of the meat and beans.
While it was good, more meat could have been added to balance all of those beans. And my daughter observed a lingering acid from the tomato. Flavorwise, it was respectable, but a few more shakes of salt and garlic powder wouldn’t have hurt.
Related: I Tried 15 Different BBQ Sauces and I Didn’t See the Winner Coming
4. Wolf Brand Chili No Beans
Wolf's was the thickest chili of the bunch, but that wasn't a bad thing. It’s a thick, smoky, Texas-style, hearty chili, which we enjoyed. What stands out is that there’s pork, chopped beef and beef broth, which makes the flavor super meaty. There are minimal spices, but there's something about the combination of flavors that just works. This would make a great topping for hot dogs. And if you want chili with vegetables, this brand would make a great base—just sauté your favorite veggies and stir them in.
3. Armour Star Original Chili With Beans
Unlike many of the other brands, all four of us agreed that Armour’s chili didn’t need much. The meat (pork and beef) and bean balance were even, and the consistency was like a traditional chili. The beans also held their shape. My husband said he’d definitely eat this with saltine crackers. It took me several bites to like it, but like most of the others, the amount of seasonings could always be improved. (Are you seeing a theme, here?)Related: I Tried 9 Yellow Mustard Brands and the Winner Won by a Landslide
2. Wendy's Chili With Beans
I’ve tried the fast food version of Wendy’s chili many times, and this is a pretty decent alternative, but it's not 100% the same as what you'd get at the drive-thru. Maybe if I cooked this chili for hours like it’s served in their restaurants, it would be a closer comparison. Regardless, what we loved about this brand were the vegetables, non-mushy kidney beans and big chunks of real beef. As always, I thought it could use a little spike in seasoning to balance everything out, but it's still a tasty can of chili that's worth adding to your pantry.
1. Steak 'n Shake Chili With Beans
I'm a fan of Steak n' Shake's mushroom Swiss burger and their milkshakes are delicious too, but until this taste test I didn't know that the burger joint sold canned chili. This brand was tops thanks to its ideal consistency (not soupy or too thick), the meat and bean size and a spice level that trumped the others (finally!). I think this would work well as a topper or eaten alone. Our only hesitation was the lighter color of the chili, but it tasted the best and that was the assignment!
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