The BEST Wendy’s Chili copycat recipe to recreate the famous hearty delicious chili with beef, beans, veggies and lots of amazing flavor.
A bowl of homemade Beef Chili is always a comforting Dinner, but sometimes we get a craving for Wendy’s famous chili. With this copycat recipe, you get homemade chili plus the iconic drive-thru flavor. Don’t forget a Wendy’s Frosty for dessert!
Grabbing some Wendy’s Chili for lunch is a no brainer when the weather starts turning cold. Their chili hearty, flavorful, and filled with the perfect amount of heat to warm you up. It’s almost unbelievable that a fast food chili could taste as good as chili from scratch, but it is actually really yummy! The good news is that with this copycat recipe, you don’t have to head to the drive-thru when you are craving a delicious bowl of the famous chili.
With its perfect blend of beef, beans, and veggies, Wendy’s Chili has become a beloved comfort food for many. While there’s no exact list of Wendy’s chili ingredients, this Wendy’s Chili recipe has all the same flavors and textures, down to their signature brothy consistency. Folks will swear you just poured store-bought cups of their chili in the pot!
A standard order of Wendy’s Chili comes with saltine crackers, but since you are making homemade chili, you can step up the sides! Instead of plain crackers, top a delicious bowl of chili with equally delicious Ranch Saltines. Of course there’s the classic chili side, cornbread! Serve a big bowl of chili with Sweet Cornbread to compliment the warm flavors or if you love spicy heat, try it with some Jalapeno Popper Cornbread Muffins!
Why should you make Wendy’s Chili at home?
While grabbing a bowl from the restaurant is convenient, there’s something special about recreating this classic dish in the comfort of your own kitchen. First off, it is way cheaper because you can make a huge pot for the same cost of a couple orders. And a big pot means delicious leftover chili for lunch all week long! Plus making a homemade Wendy’s Chili recipe means you get to control the ingredients and make it even better than the original version!
How to Make Wendy’s Chili
- Beef: In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Let it sear and form a crust to get a delicious char, then break it up into bigger chunks as you cook it. Drain the fat.
- Combine: Add the canned beans and tomatoes with the liquid from the cans to the beef, then stir in the veggies, spices, tomato sauce, and water. Mix it well and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Simmer: Lower the heat to simmer, meaning small bubbles as it cooks. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 2 hours.
- Serve: Stir the butter into the chili mixture until its melted and fully incorporated into the broth. Serve with crackers and your favorite toppings.
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FAQs for Wendy’s Chili
Yes Wendy’s Chili is made with onion both at the fast food restaurant and in this homemade version. The great thing about making it home is you can skip the onions if you don’t like them, just use onion powder.
Wendy’s Chili is a robust and hearty soup-like dish featuring a combination of beef burgers, beans, and vegetables cooked to perfection. This mouthwatering recipe has garnered a reputation for being hearty with bold spices in a thinner broth and lots of beefy flavor.
Wendy’s chili can be considered a relatively healthy option compared to some other fast food choices. It contains a good amount of protein, fiber from the beans and vegetables, and is relatively low in saturated fat. However, it’s important to note that the chili does contain sodium and should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
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Key Ingredients
- Ground Beef: The ground beef forms the base of the chili, providing richness and depth of flavor. At one point Wendy’s original recipe was made with leftover hamburger patties, so let the beef get a nice sear before stirring to recreate that tasty char.
- Tomatoes: Tomato sauce contributes a luscious and tangy element to the chili, binding all the flavors together. The canned tomatoes, with their natural sweetness and acidity, provide a bright and fresh taste to balance the richness of the beef and beans.
- Canned Beans: These canned kidney beans and pinto beans add heartiness and creaminess to the chili. You want to use the liquid from the can to add flavor and a silky consistency to the broth.
- Veggies: The combination of yellow onion, celery, and green bell peppers adds depth and complexity to the chili while also packing it with vegetables for a healthy hearty chili.
- Jalapeno: There’s just enough jalapeno to add a subtle heat without making this chili spicy. You can leave them out for a totally mild chili or add more if you love spicy food!
- Chili Seasoning: The chili seasoning ingredients are the secret behind Wendy’s Chili’s irresistible taste. Cumin and chili powder infuse smoky and earthy flavors, while black pepper and salt enhance the overall seasoning.
- Water: Wendy’s Chili is a brothy chili so water is added to get that thinner consistency. If you prefer a thicker chili, you can skip this step, and you’ll still get that delicious Wendy’s Chili taste.
- Butter: A bit of butter at the end adds a touch of richness and silky texture, without adding a whole lot of calories. The butter helps mellow some of the bold spices, for a distinctive creamy flavor.
Can Wendy’s Chili be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! Wendy’s Chili actually benefits from being made ahead of time as it allows the flavors to develop and deepen further. Prepare the chili as instructed, let it cool, and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, reheat it gently on the stovetop for a more flavorful meal.
Variations
- Meat: Instead of ground beef, use ground turkey or chicken. Wendy’s chili was created to use up leftovers, so why not make this with leftover burger patties or even Homemade Beef Meatballs.
- Veggies: Add extra vegetables like carrots, zucchini, or corn to enhance the nutritional value and make it even heartier. You could also use more veggies to replace the meat, just cook them in oil first to make up for the beef fat.
- Spicy: Increase the heat by adding crushed red pepper, more diced jalapenos, hot pepper sauce, or even chipotle peppers if you love your chili with a spicy kick.
Slow Cooker Wendy’s Chili Recipe
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain the fat.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to a slow cooker.
- Add all the remaining ingredients (except the butter) to the slow cooker.
- Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 3-4 hours.
- Stir occasionally during the cooking process to ensure even distribution of flavors.
- About a half hour before serving, add the butter.
- Cook the remaining time, stir well and serve.
Wendy’s Chili Bar
Do you remember Wendy’s Super Bar, aka their amazing salad and chili bar they had in the 1990s? Indulge in the nostalgia of dining-in at a fast food place by setting up your own chili bar, complete with this homemade Wendy’s Chili recipe. The secret to a perfect recreation is Baked Potatoes! Don’t forget the butter (or get real authentic with margarine), sour cream, and green onions for the ultimate trip down memory lane. For the salad bar, a simple iceberg salad mix will do along with lots of croutons, cheddar cheese, onions, tomatoes, and any other favorite salad bar toppings.
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How to Store
- Store: Allow the chili to cool completely, then transfer it to an sealed container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Reheat: It’s best to reheat chili on the stove top over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through, to deepen the flavors.
- Freeze: Divide the chili into freezer-safe bags, leaving some headspace for expansion. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stove top.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef , 85/15
- 29 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 29 ounces canned kidney beans , not drained
- 29 ounces canned pinto beans , not drained
- 28 ounces canned tomatoes , chopped (not drained)
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 1 jalapeno , diced, de-seeded and de-veined
- 2 stalks celery , chopped
- 1 green bell pepper , chopped
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed stockpot brown the ground beef.
- Drain the fat.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients (except the butter) and bring to a boil.
- Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered (please keep at a simmer level) for 2 hours stirring occasionally.
- Add in the butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated.
- Serve.
Nutrition
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Sabrina, this recipe is spot on! Love it, love it, love it! Since you made such a perfect copycat recipe for the chili, would you PLEASE make a copycat version of Quizno’s discontinued green chicken chili verde soup? I ate it every day for two weeks years ago, then they stopped serving it, and I have been heartbroken ever since. I even begged to buy the information on the ingredients. I kind of think it came in a bag and they just added water and chicken, but I still dream about that soup. If you could come up with a semi version, I would be forever grateful and sing your praises until you became viral, lol.
I’m so glad you love it so much! I’ll definitely add your request to my research list. I don’t think I’ve ever had it but I’ll start digging and see what I can come up with when I get a chance. Thanks for the suggestion.
Very good!!
Should I add tomato paste to it or no?
Do you want to add it in replace of something or in addition. If you add tomato paste it will thicken the chili. If that’s ok with you, then go for it. Enjoy!
Perfect, simple, lovely chili. Will be making this again several times over the cold winter months. Thank you!
This is an awesome recipe I have made a couple of times exactly as it is written, but tonight I was out of jalapeño peppers so I went canned chipotle peppers about 3 chopped up and it gave the chili a little bite and a great smoky flavor. Thanks again for sharing.
Excellent! Accompany servings with saltine crackers, dollops of sour cream and added hot sauce. Yum!
I made this recipe tonight…I cut it in half since it’s for 1-2 folks in my house but I kept the full cumin measurement (by mistake) and did about 3/4 of the chili powder requirement because…that’s my business. Delicious!! Definitely printed and stashed away ?
Made this recipe this weekend for the first time and my family loved it! Definitely will be making again! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi
I have A lot of tomatoes to use up. Can I just chop those up for canned?
TY 🙂
Absolutely!
I added a clove of minced garlic & fresh parsley (since my herb garden is doing so well) & I used a yellow pepper instead of the green pepper. I made mine in the crock pot…DELICIOUS!!
Would a red pepper be ok if I don’t have a green pepper?
Sure 🙂
Interesting as it may be This is not the perfect copycat recipe.. Wendy’s does not use jalapenos what is to be perceived as is actually Anaheim peppers and also is not green bell peppers…their also is tomato paste in the recipe and no butter…refer to the hack Masters recipes…Todd Wilbur at top secret recipes site.. it’s hard to argue with the man that’s has 33 years experience professionally reverse engineering well over 1500 famous recipes
Back in the day Wendy’s always drained and rinsed their beans, there was a can of tomato base/sauce and then a larger can of diced tomatoes, so many cans of water after you dumped the tomatoes, a spice pack, then the old chili meat was boiled and chopped, added, then everything simmered. I’ve heard that they have made many changes in the way they make it now, tomato base comes with the veggies already in it, they use microwaves to boil the meat before they chop it;.
This is great chili! Quick, easy and tasty!love it in winter, it makes the house smell so good as it simmers. It makes a lot so I put it in quart containers and freeze it.
I’m so glad you love it so much, Jeff.
This is the best chili! It has tremendous flavor and so easy to make. I use ground bison and ground turkey to reduce the fat a bit. I do add a couple of bay leaves and a couple of teaspoons of Mexican Oregano (since I can never leave well enough alone). I would recommend this recipe to anyone who is a real fan of Wendy’s Chili!!!
Thank you Cynthia! Glad you enjoyed it!
It may not be Wendy’s but it is one great pot of chili. I made it stove top and drained the beans in error. I used one can of everything because I am the one I am cooking for. I used half of the other ingredients as well and just seasoned up or down to my liking. I had no celery and no green pepper. I accompanied it with Krusteaz honey cornbread!! Good eating!!
Hi did everyone use two stalks of celery? I only used 1 because two just seems way too much and I feel like them only meant 2 celery sticks. I hope still chili comes out good. 🙁 help please!
I used the 2 stalks of celery, large ones at that. It was not too “celery-ish”.
I also substituted “Bush’s Southwestern Style Pinto Beans in a … red chile sauce with mild jalapeno peppers” for the pinto beans and did not add the jalapeno called for in the recipe (my husband does not like spicy hot food) but you can taste the chili, once mixed before it’s fully cooked and add jalapeno to your taste (jalapenos come in different sizes).
I used petit diced tomatoes & their juice instead of chopping whole canned tomatoes & adding their juice and made my own chili powder from an online recipe, going mild on the heat, because I didn’t have any (plus your own spice mix will probably be fresher & therefor more flavorful than a store’s brand.)
Tip: if you find the chili to be too wet, you can thicken it with a bit of corn meal and cook a little longer.
We liked the chili very much.
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Deborah. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Made this today took out the celery and jalapeños. And subbed with turkey meat. Has great flavor but way to liquidy for my liking. Uh
I haven’t made this yet but is it possible to substitute tomato juice for the tomato sauce? If so would I use the same amount?
It’ll be thinner if you use juice vs the sauce. You might want to add a bit of tomato paste to thicken it a bit before adding. Good luck!
This is an excellent recipe. I have made it many times. You actually need the sugar, butter and a lot of chili powder to get it just right. (But some may prefer less spice of course) Thank you for the recipe and detailed directions.
This was delicious! Only change I made was that I added more chili powder and used hot chili beans instead of mild, because I wanted a kick to my chili. I highly recommend!!
Great recipe! I personally thought the 1/4 cup chili powder was too much, so will be adjusting that down next time. And possibly less tomato sauce – too tomatoey for us, so counter-balanced it with a bit of brown sugar and double the butter. But definitely a keeper!
Just made tonight and my husband and I are making this our go to chili! Absolutely delish!!! Thanks so much for this recipe! Love, love, love it!!!
If I made this in an instant pot, how long would I have to cook it?
I’ve not tested it using an instant pot but I’m sure you could find a similar recipe online and use that as a guide. Good luck!
Made this exactly and it is just like Wendy’s.
$$$$
I don’t like chunks of tomatoes…what do you
Suggest for the 28 ounces chopped tomatoes?? Also not a fan of jalapeños – would it be the end of the world if I left them out?!!!! Help!!
I would recommend pureeing the chunks of tomato with an immersion blender to help reduce. You could also substitute with more tomato sauce but you may need to add tomato paste too to thicken it up. Hope this helps.
I hate recipe review when they aren’t exact but i felt I should for anyone in my position. I have the pickiest of eatiers so I left out the jalepenos and chili powder and only used a few shakes of cumin and these finiki eaters devoured their plates. They requested to have it again. I was completely shocked so I had to add a review Incase they’re others out there who don’t like the traditional heat of chili.
Thanks for the feedback, Lisa.
Made this in the slow cooker on high for about 6 hours. Made frito pies with it. My family loved it and asked me to keep the recipe. Definitely making this again.
Yum! Love using it for Frito pies!
The recipe states 12 servings. Is this 1 cup serving?
Yes, I had about a cup for a serving.
I have made this many times now. It’s easy, and the taste is excellent. I usually make a double batch and keep lots stashed away in the freezer.
Just a question: 1/4 cup chili powder seems like a LOT. I have had Wendy’s Chili often and the difference between what I use in my recipe and this is WHOA! A lot. Is this amount correct? (I know the old start with less and taste taste taste…just wondering).
That’s the correct amount, it’s a big pot of chili 🙂
Can you please tell me what kind of tomato sauce you used? Did you use the normal plain sauce or a sauce with added ingredients like basil/oregano? Same with the chopped canned tomatoes please. Thank you. 🙂
I just used regular tomato sauce and canned tomatoes. 🙂 Enjoy!
Chili powder can be quite variable on the heat – Can you share what brand you use?
McCormick brand. 🙂
You absolutely nailed it. I cannot tell the difference to the real thing. In fact this is so much better and fresher. I did leave out the pinto beans though in an attempt to make it more Keto friendly. I also added shredded cheddar.
Yay!! Thank you so much, Mark.
Adding 2 teaspoons of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt brought the flavor up to almost an exact match to Wendy’s chili.
Thank you
Let’s edit the time, 3 to 4 hours instead of 7 hours lol… sorry…
This is the best “Copy Cat” Wendy’s chili I have ever had. It’s a go to every time I want chilli. I put it in the slow cooker for 7 hours, and it’s wonderful, especially on hot days here in Florida. I don’t change a thing. Been fixing it for several years for family and friends and it’s a big hit. Thanks so much, your the best!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Anthony!
I have been looking for a copycat recipe for Lance Oatmeal Cookie. I don’t know when they stopped making them or delivering them in my area (if they still make them). My favorite oatmeal cookie. If you come up with this recipe I would love you to send it to me.
I have just found your site. Thanks
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll add it to my list to research.
Made the chili recipe today. I used a red pepper rather than green. The chili is wonderful. This recipe is a keeper.
I’ve never made chili before so I picked this one and my wife and son absolutely loved it
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Let me start by saying two things. 1) I. Hate. Chili. and 2) I am not a rate/review kind of person, and this is actually probably the first time I have ever done it, but I feel this needs to be said. I LOVED this recipe! I just had left overs for dinner and I already cannot wait to have it for lunch at work tomorrow. I’ve shared it with three people today alone because I am so impressed with it. We put it together in the Crock-Pot Tuesday evening (today is Thursday), put it in the fridge, and cooked it on low for 8 hours yesterday. Aside from a couple recommendations by other reviewers, we made it exactly as it says and we we won’t change a single thing when making it next time. The only things we changed was draining the beans, as someone said it makes it chalky or pasty I believe, and then we cooked the meat with the cumin, salt, pepper and 1/2 of the chili powder. I had never heard of using butter in chili, but I dropped it in the Crock-Pot just before serving since I wanted to follow the recipe as much as possible. I don’t know if it did anything or not, but again the final outcome was so perfect we will continue using it. My wife, a chili lover, thanks you for finally giving me a recipe I will make for her!
Yay!! Your comment just made my day! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know.
This is the first time using this recipe, i just put all in Crock-Pot. And I don’t have any cumin ? which I thought I did. Will that make a big difference? Thanks in advance
Sorry that I didn’t see this sooner. The cumin shouldn’t have affected it too much, hopefully it turned out delicious for you!
This is my go to recipe when I want some lovin..Lol. I learned to use pickled tamed jalapenos for the taste and barely any heat. Thanks for this!
Hello Sabrina, I have just searched up fro simmering 2 hours on stove, to cooking a instant pot 40mins high pressure.
can you do this in the instant pot?
I haven’t tested it so I’m not really comfortable giving a recommendation. You might be able to find a recipe online with similar ingredients to follow as guideline. Good luck!
Do I throw the celery, onion,jalapeno bell pepper in when frying ground meat? Or after? Your cooking instructions Arnt very detailed I apologize I’m a beginner and need detailed instructions
Can you email me detailed instructions please? Thanks!
No, you brown the beef alone then just add everything else in together. No need to add the vegetables to the beef. Wendy’s does not caramelize the vegetables in their chili.
Great recipe, simple to make, Just the right amount of kick to it and I’m not even a big chili person but the family is and they love it.
I love that you DON’T drain the beans. There is so much flavor and nutrition in them. I never drain my beans and it always turns out so flavorful and delicious and it adds body!! The gas equation is nominal. I’d rather have the flavor and nutrition for sure!!
I’m not a huge fan of chili, but when I want it, my go to is Wendy’s. I don’t think this recipe is a true Wendy’s copycat, but it doesn’t matter
at all because the result of this recipe is a really really good chili. I’m not a fan of spicy hot food, but even with the jalapeno this chili has only a mild kick. The only thing I did differently was, I drained and rinsed the beans and replaced the liquid with an additional cup of water. This recipe is easy to make (I’m a bachelorette with a crockpot, lol). My only warning is, if you’re going the crockpot route, you need one that’s at least 7qts to make the recipe as measured. Thank you for this recipe, it’s a keeper. I’ll be eating chili more often, for sure.
So glad you loved it!
Or, hmm, cut the recipe in half . . .
I followed the recipe except for cutting the chili powder in half. I can tell the flavor was good, but it was extremely salty for us. I will use less salt and less cumin the next time.
Me and my 11 yr old granddaughter made this today, both my daughters and granddaughters love Wendy’s chili, my youngest daughter is pregnant and craves Wendy’s chili almost daily.. needless to say this recipe was a HUGE hit today with my entire family and a few friends that were over today, so much so I had to go to the grocery store and buy more ingredients to make a double batch if this chili tomorrow for the football game and for the up coming snow storm we’re getting.. and for me the most important thing about this recipe is my granddaughter who is 11 is able to follow the recipe and basically make it on her own with my guidance of course. Thank you for giving us all the better than Wendy’s chili recipe..
So glad everyone enjoys it! Thanks for the 5 stars, Sasa!
Ok so I’ve been making this every week and it’s absolutely delicious. This is my second post. The reason why I’m posting again is because I’ve been making this a “crock pot” meal. So on that note – when making this in the crock pot; Completely omit the water. You don’t need it at all. Thanks for sharing this perfect recipe! Yummy!
This is DELCIOUS! I am a huge fan of Wendy’s chili and this is so close to their recipe. My family loves it, no matter if it’s 100 degrees outside or if it’s 30. I make this often!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!