Wendy’s chili at home is a thick, mild beef and bean chili: browned ground beef simmered with tomato juice, tomato purée, kidney and pinto beans, onion, celery and green pepper, seasoned with chili powder, cumin, garlic and a pinch of cayenne. This copycat simmers on the stove for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or cooks in a slow cooker, and makes 8 servings.
How to make it: Brown 2 pounds of ground beef to 160°F and drain it. Stir it into a 6-quart pot with the tomato juice, purée, beans, chopped vegetables and spices. Cover and simmer on low, stirring every 15 minutes, or cook on low in a slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve with cheese, sour cream and crackers.
Why You’ll Love It
- Tastes like the drive-thru: mild, tomatoey and beefy, with soft beans and small bits of vegetables.
- Two ways to cook: simmer it on the stove or leave it in the slow cooker.
- Makes a big pot: 8 servings, with leftovers that taste even better the next day.
- Pantry spices: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano and cayenne.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: 2 pounds, browned well and drained.
Tomato juice and purée: 1 quart of tomato juice and 29 ounces of tomato purée. Together they make the smooth, thick base that sets this chili apart from chunky versions.
Beans: one 15-ounce can each of red kidney beans and pinto beans, drained.
Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, 1/2 cup diced celery and 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper. Chop them small so they melt into the chili.
Spices: 1/4 cup chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, black pepper, a little sugar to round out the tomatoes, and a pinch of cayenne. Use less chili powder for a milder pot.
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 quart tomato juice
- 29 oz tomato purée
- 15 oz red kidney beans, drained
- 15 oz pinto beans, drained
- 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped (one medium-large onion)
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup chili powder (use less for milder chili)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
How to Make Wendy’s Chili
1. Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks, until it reaches 160°F. Drain off any excess fat to keep the chili from being greasy.
2. Combine. Transfer the cooked ground beef to a 6-quart pot or slow cooker. Stir in tomato juice, tomato purée, kidney beans, pinto beans, onion, celery, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, oregano, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Mix well to combine.
3. Simmer. For stovetop: Cover the pot and simmer over low to medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. For slow cooker: Set the slow cooker to low heat and cook for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Season and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot with toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips. Enjoy!
What Is the Secret to Wendy’s Chili?
The restaurant’s chili famously started as a way to use grilled hamburger patties, chopped into small pieces, which is why the beef has that browned, crumbly texture. At home, the closest match is ground beef browned hard in a skillet and broken into small crumbles. The other keys are a smooth tomato base from juice and purée rather than chunky tomatoes, two kinds of beans, and finely chopped onion, celery and green pepper that soften into the sauce during the long simmer.
Tips for the Best Copycat Chili
- Brown the beef well. Let it sit in the hot pan long enough to get color before you break it up.
- Drain the fat. It keeps the chili from turning greasy on top.
- Chop the vegetables small. Fine pieces cook down into the chili the way they do in the restaurant version.
- Simmer low and stir. A thick tomato base can catch on the bottom, so keep the heat low and stir regularly.
- Season at the end. The flavors concentrate as it simmers, so taste before adding more salt or chili powder.
- Make it a day ahead. Like most chili, it tastes even better after a night in the fridge.
Variations
- Spicier: add more cayenne or a diced jalapeño with the vegetables.
- Milder: cut back on the chili powder and skip the cayenne.
- Ground turkey: swap it for the beef and cook it to 165°F.
- Chili beans: use canned chili beans in sauce in place of one of the plain beans.
- Chili mac: stir cooked elbow macaroni into leftovers.
To turn chili into a pasta dinner, try Chili Mac, which simmers uncooked elbows with beef, beans and tomatoes in one pot.
Storage: How Long Is Chili Good in the Fridge?
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, airtight containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stove until it’s steaming hot, to 165°F. For longer storage, freeze it in portions and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
What to Serve With It
Top it with shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped onion or green onions, and serve with saltine crackers, tortilla chips or cornbread. Finish with a homemade Wendy’s Frosty for the full meal.
More hearty ground beef and bean dinners: creamy potato hamburger soup, slow cooker 15 bean soup, cheesy hamburger potato casserole, Philly cheese steak sloppy joes and French onion meatloaf.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the secret ingredient in Wendy’s chili?
Well-browned, crumbled beef in a smooth tomato base. The restaurant uses chopped grilled hamburger; at home, hard-browned ground beef comes closest.
What’s in Wendy’s chili?
This copycat uses ground beef, tomato juice and purée, kidney and pinto beans, onion, celery, green pepper and chili spices.
How long is Wendy’s chili good for in the fridge?
Homemade chili keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef first, then cook everything on low for 3 to 4 hours.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze it in portions and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
How do I make it thicker?
Simmer it uncovered for the last part of the cooking time so some liquid cooks off.
Is it spicy?
It’s mild. Add more cayenne or a jalapeño if you like heat.
Final Notes
Brown the beef well, chop the vegetables small and let it simmer low. If you try it with turkey or turn the leftovers into chili mac, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Wendy’s Chili: A Hearty, Homestyle Classic
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef fresh
- 1 quart tomato juice
- 29 oz tomato purée
- 15 oz red kidney beans drained
- 15 oz pinto beans drained
- 1 1/2 cups onion chopped (medium-large onion)
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1/4 cup chili powder use less for milder chili
- 1 tsp ground cumin use more for real flavor
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks, until it reaches 160°F. Drain off any excess fat to keep the chili from being greasy.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to a 6-quart pot or slow cooker. Stir in tomato juice, tomato purée, kidney beans, pinto beans, onion, celery, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, oregano, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Mix well to combine.
- For stovetop: Cover the pot and simmer over low to medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. For slow cooker: Set the slow cooker to low heat and cook for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot with toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
