Chugwater Chili

Five ranch families in a Wyoming town of 200 people started blending chili seasoning in 1986 for the Chugwater Chili Cookoff. The mix kept winning. Neighbors kept asking for bags of it. So the families did what ranchers do — they turned a good thing into steady work.

Chugwater Chili has been produced in the same small town ever since. The current owners, Karen Guidice and Justin Gentle, bought the company in 2015. Justin is the son-in-law of a previous owner, so the handoff stayed close to the original circle. They've expanded the product line and distribution, but production still runs out of Chugwater, population roughly 200 on a busy day.

The original chili seasoning blend remains the flagship. It's a straightforward mix — no MSG, no preservatives, no anti-caking agents — that turns a pot of beans and ground beef into the kind of chili that wins cookoffs in cattle country. The blend works because someone with actual ranching roots developed it for actual ranch kitchens, not for a focus group.

Beyond the chili mix, they've added steak seasoning, dip mixes, red pepper jelly, and beef sticks. The steak rub has quietly built its own following in the grilling community. Everything ships daily from Wyoming, and you can find the seasoning in Albertsons and Safeway locations across the Rocky Mountain region.

The price point is hard to argue with. A packet of the original blend runs a few dollars, and the larger canisters offer solid value for how far the seasoning stretches. This isn't artisan-priced spice in a hand-stamped jar — it's ranch-kitchen practical.

The Wyoming SBDC featured Chugwater Chili as a success story. Farm Credit profiled the business for its community roots. For a brand born from a cookoff in one of America's smallest towns, four decades of staying independent and staying local is the real win.

Products

• Original Chili Seasoning Blend (packets and canisters)
• Steak Seasoning and Rub
• Dip Mixes
• Red Pepper Jelly
• Beef Sticks
• Gift sets and variety packs

Why We List Them

• Independently owned since 1986 — no corporate parent, no outside investors
• Born from Wyoming ranch families and still produced in Chugwater (pop. ~200)
• No MSG, no preservatives, no anti-caking agents
• Featured by Wyoming SBDC and Farm Credit as an independent success story
• Ships nationwide and available in regional grocery chains
• 40 years of continuous production from the same small town