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“Chilli con carne sauce in a jar” sounds like it should be a crowded aisle — pasta sauce has one, curry has one, why not chilli? In practice the true version (a finished, spiced tomato sauce you just heat and stir through browned mince) is a narrow category, dominated by two or three UK brands. What’s far more common on the shelf is a jarred seasoning mix — a spice blend, not a sauce, that you use to build your own from scratch with tinned tomatoes and mince. Both solve the same Tuesday-night problem, so this list covers both, clearly labelled, rather than padding out three real sauces to a false ten. If you want zero prep beyond browning the meat, go straight sauce. If you don’t mind five extra minutes and want more control over heat and thickness, the seasoning jars are genuinely the better product.
| # | Product | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben’s Original Chilli Con Carne Medium Sauce | $4-$7 per 450g jar | Amazon · eBay |
| 2 | Homepride Chilli Cook-In-Sauce | $6-$9 per 500g jar | Amazon · eBay |
| 3 | Loyd Grossman Mexican Chilli Classic Sauce | $5-$8 per 350g jar | Amazon |
| 4 | Schwartz Chilli Con Carne Recipe Mix | $3-$6 | Amazon · eBay |
| 5 | Santa Maria Chili Con Carne Seasoning | $8-$12 | Amazon · eBay |
| 6 | Penzeys Chili Con Carne Seasoning | $6-$9 | Amazon · eBay |
| 7 | Hanna’s Chili Con Carne Seasoning | $7-$10 | Amazon |
| 8 | McCormick Original Chili Seasoning Mix | $1.50-$3 | Amazon · eBay |
The picks, in detail
Ben’s Original Chilli Con Carne Medium Sauce
The most widely stocked ready-to-use chilli con carne sauce (formerly sold as Uncle Ben’s). Brown the mince, stir the jar through, simmer 10 minutes — no seasoning decisions required. A dependable, mild-to-medium house sauce rather than anything with real heat.
- 450g jar, ready-to-use cooking sauce
- Tomato base with select peppers and adzuki beans
- Medium heat rating
- No pre-cooking of spices needed
- Genuinely zero-thought — just add browned mince
- Consistent flavour jar to jar
- Widely available
- Medium heat is mild by chilli standards
- Less depth than building your own from a seasoning mix
- Sweeter tomato base than a from-scratch chilli
Homepride Chilli Cook-In-Sauce
A thicker, more savoury cook-in sauce than Ben’s Original, with a gentler, smokier heat profile. Homepride’s cook-in sauces are built to be a complete base rather than a light seasoning, so the finished chilli comes out noticeably thicker straight from the jar.
- 500g jar, ready-to-use cooking sauce
- Thicker consistency than most rivals
- Mild-medium, smoky heat
- Suitable for vegetarians as a base (before adding meat)
- Thick, rich texture without reducing
- Smoky note reads as more complex than most jar sauces
- No artificial colours
- Still on the mild side for chilli purists
- Less common in US grocery stores than online
- Sweetness can dominate if you don’t add extra chilli
Loyd Grossman Mexican Chilli Classic Sauce
A spicier, tomato-forward jar sauce built specifically for chilli con carne, with a hint of beer and lime that lifts it above the more generic supermarket own-brand jars. The closest thing on this list to a “restaurant-style” ready sauce.
- 350g jar, ready-to-use cooking sauce
- Tomato base with beer and lime notes
- Medium chilli rating
- No added artificial preservatives
- More distinct flavour profile than the mainstream options
- Genuinely medium heat, not mild-labelled-as-medium
- Good base for adding your own kidney beans
- Smaller jar than Ben’s Original or Homepride for a similar price
- Less widely stocked outside specialty grocers
- Beer note isn’t for everyone
Schwartz Chilli Con Carne Recipe Mix
Tier 2 — a seasoning mix, not a ready sauce: a 41g spice blend of chilli, cumin and paprika that you add to browned mince and a tin of tomatoes yourself. The most recognisable name in this tier and the easiest to find on a US shelf.
- 41g spice sachet/jar blend
- Chilli, cumin and paprika base
- Requires adding your own tinned tomatoes
- Sold individually or in packs of 6
- Easiest seasoning-mix brand to find in a US grocery store
- Lets you control thickness and heat by how much tomato you add
- Cheaper per serving than a ready sauce
- Not a ready sauce — requires 10-15 minutes more prep than the tier-1 jars
- Needs you to supply your own tinned tomatoes and beans
- Heat level is fixed by the mix, less adjustable than building from raw spices
Santa Maria Chili Con Carne Seasoning
Tier 2 — a Scandinavian import spice mix (cumin, paprika, chilli, oregano, garlic) sold in a resealable pouch. Best value of the seasoning-mix tier at 80 portions per pack.
- Resealable pouch, ~80 portions
- Cumin, paprika, chilli, oregano, garlic, jalapeño
- Requires adding your own meat and tomatoes
- No added ready-sauce base
- Best cost-per-serving of any option on this list
- Resealable pouch keeps the rest fresh between uses
- Complex spice blend for a seasoning mix
- Pouch, not jar — check packaging if “jar” specifically matters to you
- Full from-scratch prep, same as any seasoning mix
- Less common on US shelves than Schwartz or McCormick
Penzeys Chili Con Carne Seasoning
Tier 2 — genuinely sold in a glass jar rather than a packet, built from ancho chile, tomato powder, cumin, Mexican oregano and allspice. The most complex, layered blend in this tier, aimed at cooks who want restaurant depth from a jar.
- True glass jar packaging (0.9oz or 2.4oz)
- Ancho chile, tomato powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, allspice
- No fillers or anti-caking agents
- Requires adding your own meat and tomatoes
- Most complex, layered spice profile of any seasoning mix here
- Actual glass jar, closest packaging match to the article’s literal promise
- Small-batch spice-shop quality
- Pricier per ounce than the supermarket seasoning packets
- Smaller pack size means more frequent reordering
- Only available via Penzeys stores or online, not most supermarkets
Hanna’s Chili Con Carne Seasoning
Tier 2 — another true glass-jar spice blend, in a smaller 4 fl oz format, for home cooks who want a reusable pantry jar rather than a single-use foil packet.
- 4 fl oz glass jar
- Premium-quality spice blend
- Reusable jar once emptied
- Requires adding your own meat and tomatoes
- Genuine glass jar in a pantry-friendly small size
- Reusable jar after the seasoning is gone
- Good option if you cook chilli infrequently and don’t want a large pouch
- Smaller quantity than the Santa Maria pouch for a similar price
- Niche/specialty brand, less familiar than Schwartz or McCormick
- Full from-scratch prep required
McCormick Original Chili Seasoning Mix
Tier 2 — the most mainstream US seasoning packet. Not sold in a jar, but included because it’s the one most American shoppers already have in the cupboard and can substitute directly for any of the above.
- 1.25oz foil packet
- Chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion base
- No MSG, no artificial flavors on current formulation
- Requires adding your own meat and tomatoes
- Most widely stocked chili seasoning in US supermarkets
- Cheapest single-use option on this list
- Familiar, consistent flavor most US cooks already know
- Packet, not a jar at all — the biggest fitment mismatch on this list against the literal search term
- Least distinctive flavor profile of the seasoning-mix tier
- No reusable jar or pouch, single-use packaging
Buying tips
- Tier 1 above (Ben’s Original, Homepride, Loyd Grossman) are ready sauces — heat and stir through browned mince, done in 10-15 minutes.
- Tier 2 (Schwartz through McCormick) are seasoning mixes — you supply your own tinned tomatoes, and usually kidney beans, and get more control over final thickness and heat.
- If the word “jar” matters to you specifically (not just “chilli con carne sauce” generally), the Penzeys and Hanna’s seasoning mixes are true glass jars, while McCormick and most supermarket packets are foil sachets.
- None of the tier-1 sauces run genuinely hot — if you want real heat, start from a tier-2 seasoning mix and add your own fresh or dried chillies rather than relying on a mild ready sauce.
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