Wendy’s chili recipe is a crowd-pleasing, hearty beef chili perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re tailgating for the big game, hosting friends and family at home, or simply preparing a cozy weeknight dinner, this recipe is one everyone will want again and again.
I am going to share a few key secrets to making my Wendy’s Copycat Chili recipe, just like Wendy’s restaurant. Be sure to read through this post before printing the recipe card.
I wanted a fool proof recipe for chili and this recipe turned out perfectly. It is so delicious! And easy. Lots of meat too.
— Shirley W.
Why You’ll Want to Make Wendy’s Chili Recipe
This copycat Wendy’s chili recipe offers a comforting and hearty meal that’s both flavorful and filling. It’s an excellent choice for feeding a crowd or enjoying as leftovers throughout the week.
- Flavor: The combination of ground beef, two types of beans, and a blend of spices creates a rich and savory flavor reminiscent of the original Wendy’s chili.
- Difficulty: This recipe is straightforward and suitable for cooks of all levels, with clear instructions for both stovetop and slow cooker preparations.
- Time-Saving Tip: Double your recipe and freeze individual portions for quick and convenient meals on busy days.
- Serving Suggestions: Pair this chili with a Wendy’s Frosty, and you have a dinner that the whole family will love.
Before You Get Started
Here are some quick and easy tips to ensure your dish turns out perfectly every time:
Simmer the chili slowly to allow flavors to meld together.
Use lean ground beef to reduce greasiness.
Drain and rinse the beans to remove excess sodium.
Ingredients You Will Need For Wendy’s Copycat Chili
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Ground Beef: Use lean ground beef for best results. Cook and drain well.
- Tomatoes: A mix of stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce adds depth.
- Beans: A combination of kidney beans and prepared pinto beans.
- Vegetables: Green bell peppers, onions, and celery add classic chili flavor.
- Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, and a touch of sugar for balance.
How I Found What Is Really in Wendy’s Chili Recipe
This recipe started when I checked out a cookbook with restaurant recipes from the library. I was newly married (1982) and was trying to find the perfect chili recipe that tasted like our favorite take-out chili. We were on a newlywed budget, so creating a less expensive chili just like Wendy’s was my goal.
I copied the recipe on the small index card, minus the beans. It took a few years to convince my husband that beans are good in chili. Over time, I had to glue the small card onto a bigger one, and we made a few changes, like using stewed tomatoes and canned green chilis.
It didn’t start as the perfect recipe; it sort of evolved over the course of 20 or so years. You can tell by our recipe card. Many pots of chili have been made using this recipe card.
Why This Chili Recipe Tastes Like Wendy’s
I changed the recipe from when I originally published this post by looking carefully at the ingredients listed on the Wendy’s website. Then I checked the restaurant’s website recently, and Wendy’s changed their beans, which is also reflected in this newer updated version.
What Is The Secret Ingredient In Wendy’s Chili?
There are really several things that make a Wendy’s copycat pot of chili amazing. I have carefully researched and broken down the ingredients to give you the most authentic Wendy’s chili recipe top secret tips.
- This first secret might surprise you, but time is the key! It’s all about the cooked beef patties they put in the chili. I’ll teach you how to create this flavor at home, read on.
- There is a touch of sweetness with the 6 grams of sugar per cup.
- Wendy’s chili has two kinds of beans in the recipe.
Wendy’s takes leftover char-grilled patties and puts them in the fridge for the next batch of chili. When ready to make chili, they put the patties in a pot of boiling water. Boiling the burgers reduces the fat content, so the chili will not be greasy. Also, boiling brings back some of the moisture to the meat after sitting in the fridge.
For my recipe, I start with a fresh hamburger. After it is cooked, I drain it and use paper towels to remove the excess grease. However, if you have hamburgers for dinner, I suggest frying a few extra pounds and keeping them in the fridge to make Wendy’s chili the next day.
I originally got this recipe in the early 1980s. I am updating this post in 2024, so I checked back on the restaurant website, and they have changed their beans in the ingredients list. They did have kidney beans and pink beans listed. However, now they have chili beans listed as prepared pinto beans and kidney beans.
Again, I referred to the restaurant’s ingredient list on their website. Each serving of chili contains 6 grams of sugar.
How To Make Wendy’s Chili Recipe
Cook Ground Beef
Cook hamburger in a large pot over medium heat. Break apart the hamburger as you stir it. You will want your hamburger to be pea-size pieces. Cook until there is no pink left in the meat.
Drain off the fat. I like to tip the pan and then spoon off any grease. Then, I blot the meat with paper towels to remove the last bit of fat.
Combine Ingredients and Simmer
Next, add onions, green peppers, and celery to the cooked hamburger. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes to tenderize the vegetables. This step infuses the veggies and meat’s flavors together. Then, add onions, green peppers, and celery to the cooked hamburger. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes to tenderize the vegetables. This step infuses the veggies and meat’s flavors together.
Add tomatoes, beans, seasonings, and water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat low, and simmer covered for 1 hour.
If you find that your chili is too runny, be sure to visit my post Tips For How To Thicken Chili In A Slow Cooker.
Hospitality Tips
This Wend’s chili recipe, along with my Texas Roadhouse Copycat Chili Recipe, Ground Turkey Chili, Copycat Zippy’s Chili and Cincinnati Chili, are great to serve when hosting a large crowd for the big game or an easy get-together with friends.
Make your next gathering easy with my How To Host A Chili Bar. There are great chili dinner ideas, make-ahead tips, decor ideas, and topping recipes. By setting up a chili food bar, you create a customizable experience where guests can build their own bowls of chili with various toppings and sides.
Leftovers and Freezing Instructions
Refrigerating Chili
- Allow chili to cool completely before storing.
- Place in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezing Chili
- Store in heavy-duty freezer bags or airtight containers.
- Freeze flat for easy stacking and label with the date.
- Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating Chili
- Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Use the microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each.
⚖️ Need a big batch to feed a crowd? You can easily change the number of servings in the recipe card below by tapping 2x or 3x. The ingredient measurements will automatically double or triple. You can then tap print and there you have it, a recipe for a crowd.
Do you have a question about the recipe? Feel free to ask in the comments below. I’m here to help!
Secrets Revealed For Wendy’s Chili Recipe
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
You can add any recipe from Intentional Hospitality to your shopping list to plan a full menu!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, 90% extra lean
- 1 cup onions, diced small
- 1/3 cup green pepper, diced smal
- 1 cup celery, diced very small
- 1 20 ounce tomato sauce
- 1 14 oz stewed tomatoes, canned, slightly purred with a blender
- 1 14 oz kidney beans, canned, rinsed, and drained
- 1 14 oz pinto beans, canned, rinsed, and drained
- 2 teaspoons cumin, I believe this is what they call "spices" in their list of ingredients.
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, mild
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Cook hamburger in a large pot over medium heat. Break apart the hamburger as you stir it. You will want your hamburger to be pea-size pieces. Cook until there is no pink left in the meat.2 pounds ground beef
- Remove from heat. Drain off the fat. I like to tip the pan and then spoon off any grease. Then, blot the meat with paper towels to get the last bit of fat from the meat.
- Over medium heat, add onions, green peppers, and celery to the cooked hamburger. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes to tenderize the vegetables.1 cup onions, 1/3 cup green pepper, 1 cup celery
- Add tomatoes, beans, seasonings, and water. Stir well to incorporate the ingredients.1 20 ounce tomato sauce, 1 14 oz stewed tomatoes, 1 14 oz kidney beans, 1 14 oz pinto beans, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 cups water
- Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer covered for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes to be sure the chili is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Notes
- Allow the chili to cool down to room temperature, but don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the room temperature is above 90°F).
- Once cooled, transfer the chili into airtight containers or resealable plastic bags. Ensure the containers are food-grade and close tightly to keep out air and moisture. For larger batches, divide the chili into smaller portions to make reheating easier and to ensure it cools and stores properly.
- Use a marker or sticky label to write the date on the containers so you’ll know how long the chili has been stored. This will help you track when the chili needs to be eaten or discarded.
- Place the containers of chili in the back of the refrigerator where the temperature is coldest, typically at or below 40°F (4°C).
- Allow the chili to cool down to room temperature, but don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the room temperature is above 90°F).
- Use thick, durable freezer bags or airtight freezer containers. Label and date your freezer bags.
- Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze for 24 hours. Then remove it from the cookie sheet and stack in your freezer.
Sounds like a great chili recipe. I make a vegetable chili I make where I add in hominy, black beans, chopped red pepper and diced squash. I like to make a big batch and freeze it in small containers for quick lunches. Hope your family has a Happy Thanksgiving.
Blessings,
Victoria
Victoria,
What a great idea adding hominy, black beans, red pepper and squash. I will try doing that next week, after all our Thanksgiving left overs are gone. :)
I have eaten Wendy’s Chili and it is awesome! I’m saving this and want to make it soon
This was a family favorite recipe when my kids were little. It’s our go-to chili recipe for that first GA cold snap.
I’ve never found celery in any bowl of chili I’ve ever eaten from Wendy’s
You will find a list of all the ingredients, including celery on the Wendy’s website nutrition page. However, my copycat recipe does not include items such as Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Xanthan gum since this is adapted to home cookes who do not need items found in commercially produced foods.
Wendy’s Website: chili nutrition
I will need to try absolutely love wendys chili
I hope you like this copycat recipe. We had 6 kids and this was a much more grocery budget frindly way to serve them great chili.
I wish people would not rate recipes 5 stars when have not tried yet. It’s misleading:(
Agreed!
It’s frustrating for bloggers to have people do this too. I want to know what people think after they make the recipe. Is there something that was hard to follow that I could go in and change. I have made a few changes over the years to recipes because of tips my readers have given me that made it easier or better for them.
I wanted a fool proof recipe for chili and this recipe turned out perfectly. It is so delicious! And easy. Lots of meat too. The only thing I changed was adding twice the amount of chili powder. Very good!!
Thanks for commenting Shirley, I have added your review to the top of the post to let others know how much you enjoyed this recipe.