Lone Star Chili Cook-off
The Lone Star Chili Cook-off, now referred to as the Texas Chili Cook-off, is an annual New York City chili competition organized by the New York Texas Exes to support its scholarship endowment.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Lone Star Chili Cook-off is an annual chili competition held in New York City during May. The event was formerly known by the Lone Star Chili Cook-off name and is described in current reference material as the Texas Chili Cook-off. It is organized and run by the New York Texas Exes, the New York City alumni chapter associated with the University of Texas at Austin. Rather than operating as a conventional packaged-food or restaurant brand, the name identifies a recurring culinary event, community gathering, and fundraising platform. The cook-off began in 1994 with fewer than 100 attendees and eight competing chili teams. Over time, it expanded substantially, reaching attendance of more than 1,500 people, 36 participating teams, and a judging panel of nine professionals with food-industry experience. The event combines competitive cooking with Texas cultural identity, alumni networking, public tasting, and charitable fundraising. Proceeds benefit the New York Texas Exes scholarship endowment, linking the event's popularity to educational support. Teams may contain up to five members and must prepare five gallons of chili for service at the event. Competition awards recognize the highest-ranked chili entries as well as audience preference and presentation. The published prize structure has included first-, second-, and third-place awards, a People's Choice award, Best Presentation, and Best Restaurant Chili. Prizes have consisted of Shiner Bock beer, a Texas-associated product noted in the event material as otherwise unavailable in New York City at the time described. Judging is structured in stages. Teams are divided into three groups, with three judges evaluating each group. The leading three teams from each group advance to a final round in which all nine judges evaluate the finalists. Entries are assessed on color, heat, texture, and flavor or taste. This format gives the event both a large public-tasting dimension and a formal competitive framework. The event's documented results include victories by Whaley Hot in 2010, WildER Turkeys in 2011, Austin Chili Limits in 2012, and Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2013. The 2013 edition was widely regarded in the reference material as the most competitive edition to that point. The 2020 cook-off did not take place because of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Its enduring identity rests on the combination of Texas-themed food culture, a New York-based alumni community, volunteer team participation, and scholarship fundraising.
History
The Lone Star Chili Cook-off began in 1994 as a small New York City event connected to the local University of Texas alumni community. Its early edition attracted fewer than 100 attendees and featured only eight chili teams. The event was organized by the New York Texas Exes, the New York-based alumni chapter of the University of Texas at Austin, and its fundraising purpose was to support the chapter's scholarship endowment. The cook-off subsequently developed into a larger annual gathering held in May. The available reference material describes growth to more than 1,500 attendees, 36 competing teams, and nine judges with professional food-industry experience. This expansion made the event both a public cultural occasion and a structured culinary competition. Its identity combines Texas associations with the setting of New York City, using chili as a vehicle for alumni engagement, social participation, and charitable giving. The competition's operating model requires each team to have no more than five members and to prepare five gallons of chili for service. Entries are evaluated in multiple rounds. The 36 teams are divided into three groups, with three judges assigned to each group. The top three teams from each group proceed to a final round judged by the full nine-member panel. Evaluation categories include color, heat, texture, and flavor or taste. Awards have included first, second, and third place, People's Choice, Best Presentation, and Best Restaurant Chili. The documented prize structure has used Shiner Bock beer, with the quantity varying by award. Best Presentation and Best Restaurant Chili were identified as additions to the award structure in 2011. The use of a Texas-associated beer reinforces the event's regional theme while giving winners a distinctive prize. The published results show a series of named competing teams and winners. Whaley Hot won in 2010; WildER Turkeys won in 2011; Austin Chili Limits won in 2012; and Red Hot Chili Peppers won in 2013. The 2013 edition was characterized in the source material as the most competitive to that point. The 2020 edition was canceled because the COVID-19 pandemic affected New York City. Reference material describes the event under its newer Texas Chili Cook-off name while noting that it was formerly called the Lone Star Chili Cook-off. No reliable source material supplied here establishes the event's founder, a corporate owner, individual executives, financial figures, or a definitive date for the name transition. The event is therefore best understood as a community-run, alumni-affiliated annual competition rather than a conventional commercial consumer brand.
- 2020
Event canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic
[1]No cook-off was held because of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.
- 2013
Red Hot Chili Peppers won
[1]Red Hot Chili Peppers won first place in an edition described as especially competitive.
- 2012
Austin Chili Limits won
[1]Austin Chili Limits took first place, while Soy Caliente won People's Choice.
- 2011
Additional award categories documented
[1]Best Presentation and Best Restaurant Chili were included among the awards documented for the competition, alongside the main rankings and People's Choice.
- 2010
Documented 2010 competition
[1]Whaley Hot won first place; More Cowbell placed second; Austin Chili Limits and Big Tex & the Southern Sweethearts tied for third.
- 1994
First cook-off held
[1]The inaugural event took place with fewer than 100 attendees and eight competing chili teams.
Products and positioning
A Texas-themed culinary and fundraising event in New York City, positioned at the intersection of competitive chili cooking, University of Texas alumni community, regional identity, and scholarship support.
Culinary event · 1994
Annual chili competition
The central offering is a May chili competition in New York City. Participating teams prepare five gallons of chili, which is served to attendees and assessed through staged judging. The format combines public tasting with formal competition and awards.
Audience award
People's Choice
People's Choice gives attendees a role in determining a winning chili in addition to the professional judging process. It broadens the event beyond expert evaluation and functions as a public-engagement component.
Event awards
Competition awards
The documented awards include first, second, and third place, People's Choice, Best Presentation, and Best Restaurant Chili. Published prizes have consisted of Shiner Bock beer, with quantities varying by award.
Brand decisions
2020
Cancelation of the 2020 cook-offOtherBackground
The annual event was scheduled within the period when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted public events in New York City.
Action taken
The 2020 cook-off was not held.
Aftermath
The available source does not document the event's subsequent attendance, format, or operating changes.
Recent events
- 2020
The 2020 cook-off was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Other
The annual event was not held in 2020 because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.
- 2013
Red Hot Chili Peppers won the 2013 competition[1]
Other
Red Hot Chili Peppers took first place in the documented 2013 Texas chili competition, an edition described as especially competitive.
- 2012
Austin Chili Limits won the 2012 competition[1]
Other
Austin Chili Limits placed first in 2012. Come and Take It Chili Co. and Dog's Mustache Chili Co. placed second and third, while Soy Caliente won People's Choice.
- 2011
WildER Turkeys won the 2011 competition[1]
Other
WildER Turkeys won first place and People's Choice in 2011. T Love and Special Sauce received second place and the presentation award, while Dog's Mustache Chili Co. placed third.
- 2010
Whaley Hot won the 2010 competition[1]
Other
Whaley Hot won first place in 2010. More Cowbell placed second, and Austin Chili Limits and Big Tex & the Southern Sweethearts shared third place.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/lone-star-chili-cook-off · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled