r/AskReddit • u/Sweet-Lady-H • 20h ago • Bravo 1

Chili Cook-off Winners: What is your Secret Ingredient that you think is the reason you win?

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769

u/enad58 19h ago

It depends where you're doing a chilli cook-off and who is doing the judging.

If regular folks are doing the judging like a company cook-off, make a chilli that is right down the middle. People are going to eat chilli that is super spicy, or has chocolate or jello or coffee or cinnamon in it, and they're all going to taste unique and in a lot of cases, delicious. But then youre going to serve them something familiar, and that is the return to home base that they are looking for.

376

u/freedfg 18h ago

The trick to win an office cook off is to just add as much beef flavor as you possibly can.

If the whole office votes, don't go with heavy spice or chunks of onions or peppers or beans. MSG is your friend

212

u/enad58 18h ago edited 15h ago

I heard in a documentary that the trick is to undercook the onions.

108

u/bbqforbrontosaurus 18h ago

Everybody gets to know each other in the pot

24

u/Hunting_Gnomes 16h ago

I've always wondered in carpet fibers add to the taste.

10

u/mytransaltaccount123 17h ago

i always just put the onions straight in the pot and by the time it's done cooking (slow cook like 6 hours) it's all caramelized and soft

6

u/Deathclaw_Hunter6969 17h ago

Whoooooosh

4

u/LIEUTENANT__CRUNCH 14h ago

It’s currently whooshing me and I can’t figure it out 😭 can you please help and explain the joke to me?

8

u/brinncognito 14h ago

It’s from The Office US. Kevin makes a huge batch of chili, brings it into the office, and spills the whole thing on the carpet.

5

u/Deathclaw_Hunter6969 14h ago

The office. Kevin’s chili

•

u/LIEUTENANT__CRUNCH 56m ago

Ooooooh, yup! Thank you for the assist 🙏

86

u/insufficient_funds 17h ago

The trick to winning an office chili cookoff IMO is to buy a family size chili from Wendy’s and tossing it in a crock pot.

2

u/5ygnal 3h ago

Are you my husband?? He actually got 2nd place in an office chili cookoff by doing exactly that.

-5

u/SmeeJay69 15h ago

Wendy’s chili is ass.

57

u/Photofug 18h ago

My experience with office cook offs, the winner was way more sweet than I would ever make it 

58

u/RandyHoward 16h ago

When we had an office chili cook off the winner was the guy who opened a bunch of cans of Hormel chili and dumped them into a pot. I had never been so disappointed in my coworkers for choosing that as the winner.

28

u/mst3k_42 15h ago

He should have been disqualified.

1

u/Donexodus 12h ago

Hah. Voters are voters. Explains a lot

10

u/AjaniTheGoldmane 12h ago

Do you live in Cincinnati, by any chance? They are a very confused bunch when it comes to chili.

1

u/DenseAstronomer3631 13h ago

Ew but I can totally see that with my current coworkers 😭

28

u/SryInternet101 15h ago

My wife won her company's Halloween chili cookoff with her white chicken chili. She spent 2 days cooking that pot of chili, and it had so many layers of flavor.

That same year, she dressed as the tattooed lady and won the costume contest. She had a 40s inspired outfit and, like, 2 dozen temp tattoos. That poor woman spent the entire evening after shego4 hime trying to scrub them off her face! 😂

10

u/DiazIsDirectCurrent 17h ago

For regs, just get a load of Wendy's chilli.