Here’s How to Make Award-Winning Chili, According to Chili Cook-Off World Champions

These seasoned cook-off winners stress the right timing, restraint, and above all, balance.

There are as many chili recipes—and opinions—as chili cooks, but some stand out from the rest. rudisill/Getty Images

I think of the year’s end as chili season’s beginning. While many of us have our own tried-and-true recipes, why not check in with some professionals to see how we measure up? I sought out three world champion chili makers, all repeat winners of the International Chili Society’s (ICS) World Championship Chili Cook-off (WCCC), to get their opinions on what an award-winning batch looks like. Unsurprisingly, all three hail from Texas, where chili is the official state dish.

The ICS was founded in 1967 as a friendly cook-off in Terlingua, Texas. Now the ICS sanctions nationwide regional cook-offs throughout the year while raising money for charities. WCCC hopefuls need to qualify by winning a regional competition first.

Meet the Champs

Donna Foley is originally from the Houston area, but lived and worked in Chicago for seven years.