Game Day Chili: The Best Canned Chili to Buy for the Big Game

If you’re having people over for the Big Game (you know the one I’m talking about), you’re going to be tempted to make a big ol’ pot of chili. In fact, you may have landed on this page because you were looking for a good game day chili recipe, in which case, hello! We don’t do that here! But we’re still so happy you stopped by, because we have good news to share: You can skip all of the chopping and simmering, and simply heat up the best canned chili for game day instead.

I led our most recent canned chili taste test, and while the canned chili I’m about to recommend wasn’t our top pick, it’s perfect for a crowd for a few reasons. That chili is (drumroll, plz)…Stagg Chili Turkey Ranchero Chili with Beans. All of our taste testers agreed that, of all the canned chili we tasted, this one was the most like homemade. You can taste chili powder and cumin. You can see bits of diced bell peppers and onions. It’s incredibly savory, like it was simmered on a stove top all afternoon. But the biggest selling point is actually the turkey. I know, I know. Turkey chili is never better than chili made with beef, right? This chili challenges beef’s hegemony. See, what you’ll find in this can isn’t ground turkey, it’s shredded turkey. Like, nice, stewed dark meat. But, still, it’s turkey, so people who don’t eat red meat can enjoy.

I get it. You might feel weird about serving canned chili at the big game day party you yourself volunteered to host, but everyone will be happy you have more time to chill, drink beer, and hang out with them (unless they are shitty friends). Put out a bunch of chili bar fixins—shredded cheddar, sour cream, Cheetos for crumbling, etc.—hide all the empty cans in the recycling bin, and enjoy yourself!

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.