The annual Chili & Salsa Showdown that kicks off the Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival saw 147 entries this year from all over the Centennial State. Six winners — three in the commercial, and three in the non-commercial competition — emerged with cash prizes and supreme bragging rights.
Of the businesses competing in the commercial division, Double D’s BBQ Shack and Prime on a Dime most impressed the panel of celebrity judges. Double D’s captured first-place awards for red chili and green chili, while Prime on a Dime won the salsa category.
Here’s what the award-winning businesses said made their submissions stand out in the 2026 competition.
Double D’s BBQ owners Elmer and Jaymi Chavez show off their hardware after winning first place in the red and green chili competitions in the commercial category of the 2026 Chili & Salsa Showdown.
Double D’s green chili submission paid tribute to a family recipe
Double D’s BBQ owners Jaymi and Elmer “Chico” Chavez celebrated a hat trick of major awards this year, taking the top honor at the Governor’s Harvest Table at the 2026 Colorado State Fair and following up with two first-place awards in the annual Chili & Salsa Showdown — one for best red chili and one for best green chili, both in the commercial category.
The event that precedes the annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival saw 147 entries this year from all across the state, with first-place winners taking home $500 prizes in the commercial category and $200 prizes in the non-commercial category.
Jaymi Chavez told the Chieftain that her red chili entry was a Chile Colorado dish that used five different chiles ground down to make a “delicious, deep, rich, and red” dish mixed with steak.
The winners: Pueblo Chili & Salsa Showdown: Double D’s BBQ Shack takes top honors
Their green chili entry was a tribute to Jaymi Chavez’s late mother.
“We made it the way my mom used to make it,” she said. “A lot of people flour the pork when it’s frying — my mom never did that. She’d thicken it afterwards, let the pork simmer and get really, really tender. She’s not with us anymore. That’s why I’m (emotional).”
Chavez said that while Double D’s came short of its goal of sweeping the competition with an award for salsa as well, winning two out of three commercial categories was “amazing.”
“We’re a barbecue place, but we can cook anything,” she said.
Anthony Gallegos of Prime on a Dime won the commercial salsa competition in the2026 Chili & Salsa Showdown at the 2026 Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival.
Habaneros gave Prime on a Dime’s salsa a spicy edge
Anthony Gallegos of Prime on a Dime Catering, winner of the salsa category, said the business has been making its signature salsa for years.
“We use it on a lot of things on our menu. We used to do burritos also when we ran a food truck,” he said.
Prime on a Dime opened as a food truck in 2019, but has since switched to focus on catering.
Gallegos said that the “roasted flavors” of Pueblo chiles, jalapeños, and habaneros likely elevated his salsa, along with the flavors of the fresh garden salsa ingredients that formed the base of the dish.
See the 2026 Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival in photos
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Chiles spin in a roaster during the 32nd annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Zachary Allen/The Pueblo Chieftain)
Heat-wise, the salsa was probably about a seven out of 10, he said.
“The habaneros kind of kicked it up and the chiles were a little hotter this year,” he said.
This year’s first-place award was the second for Prime on a Dime at the competition: in 2022, it took home first prize in green chili, second in salsa, and third in red chili.
More: What makes a great chili? Experts weigh in at Chili & Salsa Showdown
“I’ve been trying to come back and win first, first, first, and each year the competition is a little stiffer,” Gallegos said. “There’s a lot of different entries, and people coming from across the state. There’s a lot of good competition here.”
“It’s what we do all the time,” he said. “Consistency is key.”
Justin Reutter covers public safety, county government, and business news for the Pueblo Chieftain. Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com or follow him on X @jayreutter1. Support local news; subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Creators of Chili Showdown’s award-winning dishes share their secrets
