Team Chili Cook-Off

This fiery team building favorite combines creativity, resourcefulness, and skill. Each group starts with chili basics like meat and tomatoes. But collecting other ingredients means bartering while completing fun challenges.

Home Team Building Activities In-Person Team Chili Cook-Off

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In-Person

Bring five-alarm fun to your event!

There’s just something magical and inspiring about chili. Somehow, this hearty southwestern staple inspires pride and a fierce competitive spirit in a way few other foods do. Cooks regard their cherished recipes as highly personal. And nearly everyone seems to feel their own unique version is somehow the world’s best. Best of all, fun is always a key ingredient in these competitions.

Our carefully optimized approach kicks off with an icebreaker designed to divide your group into smaller team. Each is provided a table with stove, cookware and all necessary utensils. But there’s more to this event than cooking – teams will put their heads together to come up with a suitable brand name for their chili creation. They’ll also need to come up with a marketing angle.

Once the spicy aroma of chili fills the air, the all-important judging begins. Scorecards tally points based on creativity, presentation and taste. Only one team can triumph as the reigning champions! But this is truly one of those programs where everyone’s a winner.

A group of seven people stand behind a table, smiling and wearing chef hats and aprons for a Chili Cook-Off event. They are preparing a chili dish with a pot on a portable stove in front of them. Various ingredients and garnishes are laid out on the table. A sign reads 'We can stop your heart and revive it too!' indicating a playful theme. The group is enjoying a team building culinary event.

A long table is set up with various colorful supplies and food items for a team activity. On the table, there are stacks of colored paper (green, orange, purple, black, and yellow), maracas, skewers, stickers, and Doritos chip bags. Further down the table, there are bowls of jalapeños, cans of chili ingredients, spices, and sauces, suggesting preparations for a chili-themed event. The table is neatly organized with bandanas as placemats, adding a colorful touch to the scene.

A woman and a man participate in a culinary team building event. The woman is smiling as she stirs a pan filled with ingredients while wearing a white apron. Various food items like cheese and sour cream are visible on the table in front of them. The man behind her is also wearing an apron, standing by the food preparation area.

A table displays several gold trophies in the shape of large spoons and medals with '1st' on them. The medals are attached to red, white, and blue ribbons. The trophies and medals are for the culinary team building winners.

A man wearing a red sports jersey and a black apron is smiling while stirring a pot on a stove during a culinary team building event. He holds a set of tongs in one hand and is wearing plastic gloves. In front of him are cups of beer, a bag of Doritos chips, and a green bowl.

Four people standing around a small round table with a red bandana tablecloth. The group is participating in a chili cook-off team building event. The table features a sign that reads 'Out of Compliance Chili' with some illustrations, along with bowls of chili. The group is smiling and wearing aprons with chili cook-off branding.

A large group of people posing together in a celebratory manner at an indoor chili cook-off team building. The participants are smiling, waving, and cheering while wearing aprons with chili cook-off branding.

A table display featuring three glasses of Rhinegeist Brewery beer, placed in front of a hand-drawn sign that reads 'Hot In, Hot Out' with a cartoon chili pepper illustration. The setup also includes small tasting cups, white plastic spoons, and napkins. A couple of real chili peppers are used as part of the decor.

A creatively arranged display featuring small cups of chili garnished with shredded cheese and jalapeños, paired with a dollop of sour cream on the side. The setup includes three glasses of beer placed behind the chili cups, with plastic spoons inserted into each. The presentation is adorned with paper flames, giving a fiery theme to the display. In front, there is a hand-drawn sign that reads 'R-Rated Chili, We Are' alongside a bold illustration of a smiling mouth and a bowl of chili. Several real jalapeño and yellow peppers are placed around the setup.

A woman is participating in the team building chili cook-off. She's wearing a red apron is smiling while cooking at a table filled with ingredients and kitchen tools. She is holding a small container to add seasoning to a pan filled with chopped vegetables and sausages. On the table, there are various ingredients, including cans, chopped onions, cilantro, a bottle of cooking oil, and a glass of red wine.

A tray featuring a plate of chili garnished with shredded cheese and green peppers. Accompanying the main dish are small bowls of black beans and pinto beans, both garnished with cheese. A glass of light beer with a celery stick garnish and lime slice, along with tortilla chips wrapped in paper inside a glass labeled 'Iggy's Veggie Deli,' are also on the tray. A folded yellow bandana napkin sits beside the plate.

A creatively presented chili dish served on a tray with various playful decorations. The main bowl of chili is topped with black olives, sour cream, and cheese, arranged in a circular pattern. A smaller cup of chili sits beside it, also topped with black olives. The tray includes colorful plastic figures, a bottle of hot sauce, and a card that reads 'Custard’s Last Stand.'

A group of five people smiling and posing, holding a tray of food. They are participating in a chili cook-off team building activity. Three of the participants wear bright aprons, one in orange and one in lime green. The man in the center is holding a red tray with an arrangement of colorful vegetables and food items.

Two women participating in a team building chili cook-off. Both are focused on preparing food at their respective stations. The woman on the left is stirring ingredients in a bowl, wearing a brown polka-dotted cardigan over her apron. The woman on the right is cooking something on a skillet while wearing a black shirt and apron.

A group of five people standing together, smiling and holding a dish they prepared during a team building chili cook-off event. The group is standing indoors, with each person wearing an apron of different colors (blue, orange, and white). They are posing proudly with their food creation, likely showcasing it for the competition. The atmosphere is lighthearted, and the participants appear happy and engaged.

A group of six participants posing at a team building chili cook-off event behind their table. The table displays a sign reading 'One and Done Chili' with a description and a tray of chili servings garnished with toppings. The participants are smiling and wearing 'Chili Cook-Off' aprons.

A man in a blue shirt and black apron is carefully chopping an onion at a table during a team building chili cook-off event. He is wearing disposable gloves, and there are herbs, chopped vegetables, and a small bowl with ingredients on the table in front of him.

A woman in a colorful blouse and an orange apron is preparing a dish at a table during a team building chili cook-off event. She is adding fresh herbs to a bowl, with various ingredients like cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream visible on the table in front of her.

A group of individuals stands together, smiling, behind a table at a team building chili cook-off event. Some are wearing brightly colored aprons in shades of orange, blue, and green. The table in front of them displays two creatively presented chili dishes, along with small golden trophies.

A close-up of a skillet on a cooktop, filled with ground beef, chopped onions, corn, cilantro, and diced orange bell peppers. Ingredients are in the process of cooking, preparing for a chili dish created by participants of the team building Chili Cook-Off

Team size

16 - 200

Time needed

1.5 – 2.5 hours

Space requirement

Each team will need a table large enough to accommodate a portable stove, ingredient prepping and creation of a marketing strategy. 20 sq ft per person is a good rule of thumb. For very large events, either a ballroom or outdoor space works well.

Ideal for

Friendly competition
Resource management
Negotiation skills
Creating a memorable group experience
Fun

Tailoring

Lots of great options here. Turn up the excitement by adding our famous Salsa or Winery team building challenges. Choose to incorporate southwestern trivia challenges. You can designate members of your own group to act as official chili judges, or let TeamBonding staff handle the judging.

Chosen By:

"TeamBonding made me look so good! I received so many positive comments about our Chili Cook-Off and everyone had a great time. You got everyone involved and it was truly amazing how this team builder got the creativity of all of our teams flowing. I can’t count how many people told me it was our best team builder ever!"

Shea Homes

"The Chili Cook-Off went very well. It was a huge success and everyone really enjoyed it!"

Campbell Soup

"Thank you for all of your help---the Chili Cook-off was a huge success with NBC Universal Cable Sales!"

NBC Universal

“This is the greatest activity we’ve ever done. You KILLED IT”

CHI Health at Home

"Our Chili Cook-Off was an absolute blast, and a big hit with everyone. Andrew and Joanna were phenomenal to work with; Andrew's ability to engage our entire group was awesome. The positive feedback is echoing through the office, creating a fantastic buzz this morning. Working with your company has been a pleasure from start to finish, and we look forward to working with you again for our next team-building event."

IEW Construction Group, Inc.

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Team Chili Cook-Off

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