There are few ingredients in Texas cooking as iconic as Gebhardt’s chili powder, so when our Brisket Chili Recipe went viral on YouTube last month, we were shocked to hear numerous claims that the beloved Gebhardt’s chili powder brand had gone out of business.
The conversation got increasingly hysterical as people poured into the comments reporting that Mexene, another authentic Texas chili powder, had also closed operations, suggesting the 2020 pandemic as a possible culprit.
Excuse me, what? I had a new bottle in my hand, purchased a week earlier.
Bearing in mind that both of these brands survived the actual Great Depression, I was skeptical and got to work untangling a mess of internet rumors by tracing this story back to the original dark root.
And oh did it get juicy...
Is Gebhardt’s Chili Powder Discontinued? We Speak Directly to the Source.
No, Gebhardt’s Chili Powder IS NOT discontinued.
On November 30th, 2022, we spoke directly with Conagra, the owner of the Gebhardt Brand, and they set the record straight.
Gebhardt’s is not discontinued, nor has it ever been discontinued--nor do they have plans to discontinue the product.
Gebhardt’s is physically sold in Texas, Mexico, and a few locations throughout the southwestern United States.
(Links are affiliate links to products we think are helpful and we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if purchased.)
Online, it’s available globally.
Reliable online retailers include Walmart.com and Amazon.com, both of which will ship this beloved chili powder to foodies worldwide.
Stores throughout Texas that carry Gebhardt’s include Wal-mart, HEB, Kroger, and Brookshire’s.
While resellers attempt to offer a 3oz. bottle for $11, the actual retail price is $2.98. So super affordable.
How Did We Get Confused? The Chili Powder Drama Unfolds…
In late 2011, the bulk 5-pound bags (4 to a case) were discontinued by Conagra, followed by a mob of food bloggers who did zero research and repackaged an inaccurate message that all Gebhardt’s Chili Powder was discontinued.
It didn’t help that in 2012, some grocery stores in northern cities like Chicago began removing it from store shelves where it presumably underperformed.
(Gebhardt’s has always been available online in consumer-friendly 3 oz. bottles.)
As the rumor spread, small chili powder manufacturers offered alternative products on their websites marketed as “just like Gebhardt’s…since it’s been discontinued”, alluding to the misconception that Gebhardt’s wasn’t available at all anymore.
All of this panic and misinformation flowed into search engines from blogs, forums, and websites, eventually dominating the first page of Google.
(At the time of writing this post Google still actually answers this query wrong, so I am writing this post in hopes to eliminate any confusion. Your backlinks are appreciated.)
THEN THE CHILI POWDER HITS THE FAN…
Buckle up cause here is where it gets juicy!
An internet chili powder supplier, (who we will not name due to claims that will soon become evident), allegedly claimed that they could still buy Gebhardt’s from Conagra and sold this potentially counterfeit chili powder in bulk on their website to competition chili teams, restauranteurs, and tex mex food companies.
Their explanation to internet customers was that due to the hefty amounts they buy in, they were able to continue purchasing Gebhardt’s chili powder from Conagra and distributing it in their own packaging.
A rival supplier absolutely threw down the gauntlet with a $5,000 reward for anyone who could produce the UPC of a Conagra 25 lb. pail or a 50-pound case of Gebhardt’s, which they claim has never existed, thus claiming the first supplier was defrauding customers by labeling a dupe as the real thing.
The reward is currently still being offered, so I guess if you can track down the UPC of this fabled 50 pound case of Gebhardt's you could be $5,000 richer.
Was it an Imitation Product or Not?
Lawyers got involved. Threats were made.
You can read ALL the tea here on the texmex.net site where they certainly put up a good argument that the very last case of bulk-sized Gebhardt’s Eagle Brand Chili Powder was manufactured in late 2011 and likely purchased by Sysco Foods, the largest buyer of Gebhardt’s Chili Powder in the country at the time.
It is a JUICY story, friends.
(And yes dear reader, I really did sit up with a Dr Pepper at 2 am, devouring this entire web page dedicated to spilling ALL THE TEA on this delicious chili powder drama.)
If you are a Texan or a foodie I highly recommend giving it a scroll.
What About the Rumor that Mexene Chili Powder has been Discontinued?
Mexene Chili Powder is now and has always been available online and throughout the southwest. Here is their website still promoting their beloved Texas chili powder.
This was a weird rumor…I searched for hours and can find no evidence that Mexene was ever rumored to be gone from shelves.
Leave it to YouTube to get people all riled up. Come get riled up with us on my YouTube channel where we cook things and discuss hot food gossip at 2 am over Dr Pepper.
Where Can I Purchase Gebhardt’s Chili Powder Right This Second?
Have questions? Need help? Have an addition or a suggestion to a recipe? Drop me a comment below!
If you make this recipe, I would LOVE to see it!
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Mike Ludwig says
I am the owner of TexMex.net and am still offering the $5000 reward.
Would like to talk to you about Gebhardts and its rich Texas history.
Sarah Penrod says
Sounds great Mike!
Tony says
@Sarah Penrod, TexMex site is no longer live… texmex.net
has expired and is parked free, courtesy of GoDaddy.com.
Get This Domain
Sarah Penrod says
Weird! I will look into this and update the site!
Peter says
Out here in California, I've not had trouble finding Gebhardt's chili powder. Regional chains under the Save Mart (FoodMaxx, Lucky, Save Mart) and Kroger (Ralphs) umbrellas carry it, while those operated by Albertsons (Safeway, Vons) don't.
Mexene is a different story. I've not seen it in stores at all (supposedly some markets in SoCal carry it). Normally, I order directly from Teasdale, but their webstore is still down. I was in Dallas on business last month, so I took a side trip over to Kroger and stocked up. I first checked Tom Thumb, which is owned by Albertsons, and they didn't carry Mexene (and I don't recall if they carried Gebhardt's either).
Sarah Penrod says
I'm working on my own right now so hopefully we will get that recipe out soon.
Cliff Stark says
I have recently purchased both Mexene and Gebharts from Amazon. However, I am having no luck in finding out what peppers are used in each blend. Do you or anyone hear know what particular peppers are used?
Sarah Penrod says
Powdered mild red chiles is usually all they will say. My guess is guajillo, ancho, and perhaps chile negro. It's not spicy at all.
Mike Ludwig says
@Cliff Stark, ancho Chile is the one used in Gebgardts. Grown across the Texas borders in the cooler Mexican mountainous regions it is known as the Poblano. When sun dried it is the anchor.
Mike says
Do NOT buy Gebhardt's. When the conglomerate ConAgra (there is con in the name, keep that in mind) they CHANGED the formula.
In typical conglomerate fashion, they decided to put garbage in it, specifically, Silicon Dioxide and Ethoxyquin. The SD is not so bad, though unneeded, but Ethoxyquin is developed by Monsanto...and was originally registered as a PESTICIDE!!!
It is also used as a preservative for processed pet foods...
Conglomerates are fine with poisoning people. Look at any of the products ingredients and you will see horrible ingredients.
Buyer Beware!
Sarah Penrod says
Thanks for keeping us informed Mike!
Tom says
I bought Gebhardt when I was living in Houston. I’m in Toronto now and the only way to get it is from 3rd party gougers in the US selling it on Amazon.ca for $37.49 a bottle / $48.42 for a 3 pack / $84.83 for a 6 pack + $18.76 shipping. Tried pasting a pic but it won’t take it here.
Joe Drizzler says
The mexene.com website is currently down, and when I contacted the parent company (Teasdale Latin Foods) I got a reply confirming the website being down and online orders not being available. I was told the only way to find it locally is to ask the grocery store to carry it. You can still find it on Amazon, but you're going to pay $6 or more for a little 2 oz bottle.
Sarah Penrod says
This article isn't even that old and these companies are already changing things up! Maybe I should buy Mexene and figure this out. Lol! Although it is still easy to find Gebhardt's and Mexene in Texas grocery stores, I really feel for my readers around the world and we are working on finding a chili powder manufacturer that everyone can access. I still think Amazon is best for getting these items shipped to you with no fuss.
Mike Ludwig says
@Sarah Penrod, my company in San Antonio TX duplicated gebhardts in 2012 when Conagra discontinued the 5 lb containers. Customers call me all the time to order from 1 lb to 50 lb. The biggest reason Gebhardts is still the most popular is No Salt, No Msg.
Mike Ludwig
jfo says
I am so glad this came up in search. I am in NC& love to cook, and without fail & end up looking up chili recipes a few times a year & think about getting the above products, and without fail I read both rumors. One of my biggest bones about the Internet & I have been on since before AOL, is the abundance of misinformation. Thank you for the time you took to debunk these rumors & I will be checking your site & subscribing to your channel
Sarah Penrod says
Thank you!
Sara says
Well, I’m having trouble finding Mexene. It has a smokier flavor, which I prefer.
I used your link above for Teasdale. When you click shop now, it says “page not found “.
When you click products>Mexene, you get: “Sorry, no products in this collection.”
About a month ago, I finally bought some from Amazon, expensive, but I couldn’t find it anywhere in Victoria or other online.
After much research, I found an online article that said it was sold to a Louisiana company that only sells it in bulk. There is at least 1 supplier who repackages and sells the smaller sizes. I looked for the details, but couldn’t find it… sorry. The story seems to fit and I don’t think I dreamed it, lol. However, I can’t provide the article.
I did see today that Kroger online says they have it in stock, in store, but won’t ship. I’ll look on my next Houston trip.
THX,
Sara
Sarah Penrod says
Thanks I will check out these links. I just put them in but maybe the company changed their website!
mmaannggaa says
The fuss was NEVER about Gebhardt's Chili POWDER but about Gebhardt's Chili QUIK - a special blend! You browned your ground beef, then added water &/or tomato sauce w/CHILI QUIK & you didn't need to add anything else & you had perfect chili. I know, because my Momma raised me on it & I made it for my family until CHILI QUIK was discontinued.
Check out these 2 images of CHILI QUIK labels that show the ingredients & directions to make chili con carne:
https://digital.utsa.edu/digital/collection/p15125coll9/id/3380
https://digital.utsa.edu/digital/collection/p15125coll9/id/3331/
Mike Ludwig says
@mmaannggaa, my company duplicated Gebhardts Chili Quick.Most agree ours is better than Gebhardts and that happened by accident. We use only Fiesta Spices in San Antonio...the best in the world. Small family business that is 3 generations strong since 1953. When Conagra & Gebhardt was producing the Chili Quick the main ingredient was the Chili powder. Gebhardts never sold any garlic, onion, cumin or black pepper. They got low bid for the other 5 ingredients. You can order OUTLAW CHILI Quick at texmex.net. the 1 lb bulk pkg makes 10 lbs of meat for $12.
That is $1.20 per lb of meat..
Mike