I tried 5 different kinds of canned chili, and there's only one I'd eat again

When I think of canned chili, I think of Hormel's, so I tried it first as a control of sorts.

I followed the can's instructions and warmed the chili in a microwave-safe bowl for two to three minutes, stirring halfway through.

Hormel's chili was the most bean-forward. Each bite was mostly beans. The flavor was very mild, and I couldn't pick up much spice.

I needed to take out my can opener for this chili, as it was the only one without a convenient pull tab. 

Upon taking it out of the microwave after two minutes, I noticed a skin had formed on top of the chili. Fortunately, when I mixed it in, it didn't seem to affect the texture or flavor.

I got a lot more spice from Wolf Brand's take but no heat. The spices were the predominant taste, with the chili and beans adding a little texture but not a lot of flavor.

This option was also much smoother than Hormel's. I could see this pairing well with cheese for a delicious chili dip.

This meat-free take on chili has bits of tofu in it, but it's so convincing I didn't realize it was vegetarian until reading the can afterward.

It was the best-looking chili of the bunch, sporting a thin, pourable consistency. I heated it up in the microwave for two minutes.

I could smell and taste the bell peppers, which gave the chili a nice, bright profile. There was a lightness to the flavor and texture that I also enjoyed.

Amy's take had a more homemade taste to it. It's labeled as a medium chili, but I didn't find it too spicy, despite having a low tolerance.

Faced with limited options at the supermarket, I decided to throw this chili mac into the mix.

Like Amy's chili, this Campbell's Chunky meal had a pourable consistency and was easy to transfer into a microwave-safe bowl. I heated it up for just under three minutes. 

This chili tasted better than it looked.

The macaroni offered a surprisingly nice texture. Unlike some of the other options, which had a bean-forward flavor, the soft pasta made for a lighter bite that required less chewing.

It was also the first chili I taste-tested that had a noticeable tomato flavor. It wasn't gourmet by any means, but for canned chili it was pretty decent and had a nice, mellow taste.

This soup comes in a microwave-safe bowl, which is convenient to take on the go.

I heated it up for a minute and 15 seconds and gave it a stir before digging in. The plastic lid was a little tricky to remove without touching the hot metal rim or spilling the chili.

This veggie chili was the thinnest of the bunch, more reminding me of a minestrone soup. I liked that I could see the vegetables, but it just didn't scream chili to me.

It was the spiciest of the ones I tried, but not overpoweringly so.

If you're a passionate chili fan, chances are the canned variety won't impress you. As found in this taste test, these options generally sacrifice flavor and texture for convenience.

Though the Amy's organic chili had a nice, bright flavor and was the best looking of the bunch, I kept going back to the Campbell's Chunky chili mac.

I know pasta isn't a traditional ingredient in chili, but let's face it: None of these canned versions held a candle to the homemade stuff.

For a microwaveable meal, the chili mac was pretty tasty. It's the one I'd actually want to eat again.

This story was originally published on February 2, 2022, and most recently updated on November 6, 2024.