The Best Canned Chili Brands for Chili Dogs

This is a brand that sometimes frustrates me because not every store carries it and even the ones that do don’t always have it in stock. However, when it is available, I make sure it is the brand I end up purchasing (even if it means spending a little more).

The thing I really like about this brand is it is chili I could eat just as chili. This is important because there are times when I’m not in the mood for a second chili dog and just want to scoop some of the chili into a bowl instead. And, of the three brands on this list, this is the only one I really can say that about. However, I will confess, the fact is is a little on the soupy side does make the chili dogs a little sloppier.

As far as spices go, this one is easily one of my favorites because it has a good blend of seasonings that make it bold without crossing over the line and being spicy. I don’t mind spicy. But, I don’t want spicy chili on my chili dog.

This brand makes my list primarily because of availability. Regardless of which store I go to, chances are I’m going to be able to find this brand on the shelf. And, that reliability does score some points with me because there are times when I would just prefer to run up the street to Walgreen’s rather than drive a few blocks further to one of our grocery stores.

As far as overall quality goes, I still like the Campbell’s Chunky brand better. But, this brand does have its merits too. The flavor is decent and I would score it above most other canned chili brands because of a good blend of seasonings.

One other thing I found I like about this brand is the variety of flavors I can choose from, something that has allowed me to go without beans one night or experiment with turkey (which I actually thought was pretty decent). I also have the choice to have a mild chili or spicy chili. Again, I wouldn’t pick the latter for hot dogs. But, it’s still nice to have that option.

As far as flavor goes, I would score this brand right up there with the Hormel brand. There’s a good blend of seasonings in the chili, it’s chunky rather than soupy (a big plus when it comes to chili dogs) and definitely one of my favorites.

In fact, if I were to base this solely on taste, I would probably rank this a little higher than the Hormel brand (especially since it is also usually a little less expensive). What bumps it down one spot below Hormel is, again, the availability. While Hormel is available almost everywhere, I can only find this brand at select stores. Plus, it (along with most other brands) doesn’t have as many varieties as Hormel does.