Wendy's Copycat Chili : A Delicious Recipe for Homemade Chili (2024)

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Wendy’s copycat chili is an homage to a classic fast food favorite, with its rich and hearty flavor that satisfies even the biggest appetites. While it may be convenient to stop by a Wendy’s restaurant and pick up a cup of this savory stew, it’s also easy to make at home with a few simple ingredients.

One of the things that sets Wendy’s chili apart from other fast food chili is the use of whole beans. Many fast food chains use ground or mashed beans in their chili, but Wendy’s uses whole kidney beans that are cooked until they are tender and flavorful. This gives Wendy’s chili a more authentic and hearty texture, and makes it a favorite among chili lovers everywhere.

Here’s a Recipe for Homemade Wendy’s Chili

This is what you’ll need to make this copycat recipe:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How To Make It

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef over medium heat until it is browned, stirring occasionally to break it up into small pieces.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir to combine.

Reduce the heat to low and let the chili simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve the chili hot, garnished with your choice of toppings such as shredded cheese, diced onions, and sour cream.

Ideas for Chili Toppings

Chili is great by itself, but is better with a few toppings.

  • Shredded cheese
  • Diced onions
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Diced avocados


This recipe makes about 6 servings of Wendy’s chili, which is perfect for a hearty meal on a cold day or for game day gatherings. The combination of ground beef, beans, and vegetables creates a filling and flavorful dish that is sure to please everyone. The spices add just the right amount of heat, while the tomato paste and diced tomatoes give the chili a rich and savory taste.

Wendy's Copycat Chili : A Delicious Recipe for Homemade Chili (1)

Wendy’s Chili Copycat Recipe

Wendy's copycat chili is an homage to a classic fast food favorite, with its rich and hearty flavor that satisfies even the biggest appetites.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: spicy

Servings: 4

Calories: 502kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef over medium heat until it is browned, stirring occasionally to break it up into small pieces.

  • Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

  • Stir in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

  • Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir to combine.

  • Reduce the heat to low and let the chili simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Serve the chili hot, garnished with your choice of toppings such as shredded cheese, diced onions, and sour cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 923mg | Potassium: 1525mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2072IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 9mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Is Wendy’s Chili Gluten-Free?

Does Wendy’s Chili Have Gluten? Wendy’s chili does not contain any ingredients that contain gluten. However, Wendy’s cannot guarantee that their food is completely free of gluten as there is a risk of cross-contamination in their restaurants. If you have a severe gluten intolerance, it is always best to speak with a member of the Wendy’s team before ordering.

Wendy’s Chili: A Healthy Option?

While Wendy’s chili is certainly a delicious and satisfying choice, it’s important to note that it is not the healthiest option on the menu. One serving of Wendy’s chili (about 1 cup) contains about 240 calories, with 9 grams of fat and 27 grams of protein. This makes it a good source of protein, but it is also high in sodium and has a significant amount of saturated fat.

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Wendy's Copycat Chili : A Delicious Recipe for Homemade Chili (2024)

FAQs

What makes Wendy's chili taste so good? ›

Wendy's chili is made with a blend of beef and spices that create its unique flavor. The beef is slow-cooked and blended with a mix of chili spices, including chili pepper, cumin, garlic, and onion.

How does Wendy's make their chili? ›

The Wendy's Chili recipe ingredients are simple at their core, but at Wendy's it's all about blending our signature beef with the perfect mix of hearty vegetables, chili beans and savory spices. The result is a taste that's both satisfying and sentimental, and it's the perfect comfort food anytime of the year.

What is the secret to amazing chili? ›

Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.

Does Wendy's put sugar in their chili? ›

Chili Concentrate: Chili Sauce (Water, Tomato Juice, Tomatoes, Calcium Chloride, Seasoning (Sugar, Salt, Corn Starch, Dried Chilies, Spices, Flavor Enhancer [Dextrose, Salt, Yeast Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Modified Corn Starch], Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Xanthan gum), Beans (Pink Beans, Red ...

What is the sand in Wendy's chili? ›

Wendy's Chili: Sand

One key ingredient to Wendy's chili is an anti-caking agent called silicon dioxide. Street name: sand or glass powder.

What adds the most flavor to chili? ›

If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.

How to make chili taste homemade? ›

Make your own spice blend

Although canned chili will already have some seasonings, fresh herbs and spices will add bolder flavor. You can upgrade your chili using ingredients you likely already have on your spice rack, such as chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Is Wendy's chili made from leftover burgers? ›

Yes, the meat in Wendys chili is made leftover from unsed burgers that are past the hold hold time. The chili meat is good for seven days after, usually is used within the next day.

Does Wendy's sell their chili in a can? ›

We Should. We Could. We Canned.

Enjoy the classic taste of Wendy's® famous chili from the comfort of your own home.

What brand is Wendy's chili? ›

Conagra Brands, Inc.

How unhealthy is Wendy's chilli? ›

According to the Wendy's website, a large chili contains 1,270 milligrams of sodium. This is approximately 55 percent of the recommended daily sodium allowance for adults, which is under 2,300 milligrams. Furthermore, the chili has 15 grams of total fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, and 31 grams of total carbs.

What not to put in chili? ›

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

Why do you put brown sugar in chili? ›

The brown sugar gave it a sweet/tangy flavor that reminded me of BBQ-sauce! Th chili was so good - it was hard to stop eating it! I did had some extra veggies (1 cl. garlic, 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 1 hot pepper) and used a can of diced tomatoes rather than tomato juice.

Why would you put vinegar in chili? ›

With only about 1 tablespoon per pot added toward the end of the cooking process, the vinegar will make the flavors more vibrant without overwhelming the dish with its biting tang. Through just a splash, everything becomes a little brighter, and the chili's flavors are more balanced.

What does Wendy's use as fillers in their meat? ›

Our signature square hamburger patties have no fillers or additives because we know the beef is what matters when it comes to making the best hamburger in the game.

Does Wendy's use real beef in their chili? ›

Okay, so we told you that Wendy's uses its leftover hamburger patties to make its chili, but how does that work, exactly? When a Wendy's chef makes a hamburger patty, it will stay fresh for a little while. However, if they make too many and leave them sitting out for too long, the meat will start to dry out.

Is Wendy's chili made with leftover burgers? ›

Yes, the meat in Wendys chili is made leftover from unsed burgers that are past the hold hold time. The chili meat is good for seven days after, usually is used within the next day.

What is chili magic? ›

Bush's Chili Magic Campfire Style chili starter brings tender pinto beans together with smoky chipotle and green bell peppers for quick, unforgettable chili any night of the week.

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