Move over, hot dogs -- there’s a new challenge
that’s calling taco lovers to take a seat at the competitive eating table.
The first ever Taco Cabana World Taco Eating Championship will take place in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 20. Taco
Cabana has teamed up with Dr. Pepper to host the challenge with Major League Eating, the organization that holds the annual Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island,
Brooklyn.
Contestants, who will have 10 minutes to eat as many tacos as possible, are competing for a share of the $10,000 prize and to possibly earn a spot in the Guinness World Records, as a
judge will be on hand to record the winning number of tacos eaten.
“We’re unveil[ing] a one-of-a-kind spectacle that’s unlike anything we’ve ever done before -- a
celebration that features world-class eaters, the thrill of a Guinness World Record attempt and the kind of global exposure that takes Taco Cabana to new heights,” says Ulyses Camacho, president
and COO of 150-unit Texas-based Taco Cabana.
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Potential contestants can register at https://majorleagueeating.com/contests/1031.
This the first official Major League Eating-sanctioned
taco eating championship, but there have been previous competitions, such as the Pacific Park World Taco-Eating Championship, which was last held in Santa Monica in 2019. The winner of that
competition is a very familiar face to those who follow competitive eating; Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, the current world hot-dog-eating champion, who came in first by devouring 82 L.A.-street-style
tacos.
Chestnut broke the hot dog world record again last month in the 2025 Nathan’s competition, chugging down 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, per CNN. His 17th
championship comes after Chestnut was banned from the competition in 2024 after he had announced a deal with plant-based food company Impossible Foods. He was allowed to return to the competition this
year after publicly pledging his allegiance to Nathan’s.
No word yet on whether Chestnut will compete for the taco title in Austin next month.