This Wendy’s chili recipe is a cozy, copycat version of the fast food favorite. Loaded with ground beef, beans, veggies, and bold, zesty spices, every bite is hearty, nourishing, and satisfying. It’s perfect with baked potatoes, tortilla chips, and all your favorite toppings!
Wendy’s Copycat Chili that You Can Make at Home
If you grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, chances are you remember sitting in a red booth at Wendy’s with a warm cup of chili, maybe a baked potato on the side, or tortilla chips for scooping. It was cheap, hearty, and just plain good! For us, this meal was (and continues to be) the ultimate comfort food for busy weeknights and after-school pit stops. My homemade version channels all that nostalgia with simple ingredients, bold flavor, and plenty of cozy vibes!
Ingredients Notes and Tips
- Ground beef: Use 80/20 or 85/15 for the best flavor. Be sure to drain the excess grease after browning.
- Tomatoes: A mix of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and Rotel gives the chili depth and mild heat.
- Beans: Both kidney and pinto beans mimic the original recipe. Drain and rinse them well.
- Spices: The combination of chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder, and a touch of sugar brings out the signature Wendy’s flavor. Don’t omit the sugar, since this ingredient helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes, creating a richer, multi-dimensional tomato flavor.
- Simmer time: At least 1 hour for the flavors to meld, but even longer is great too. Stir occasionally and adjust the seasoning to taste as you go.
How to Make Wendy’s Chili
- Cook the ground beef, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a Dutch oven or other large pot.
- Drain off the grease and return the meat mixture to the pot.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for at least 1 hour. Don’t ignore it completely, though! You’ll want to stir the pot occasionally so that the bottom doesn’t burn or scorch. Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving, if desired.
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Watch How to Make It
Wendy’s Copycat Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel) with juice
- 1 cup water or beef broth
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste if you like it spicy)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the beef, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease and return the beef mixture to the pot.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomatoes with green chilies, water or broth, both types of beans, chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Mix well.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and add extra salt, sugar, cayenne, or a splash of broth if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
For a true copycat Wendy’s chili experience, serve the bowls with toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and sliced green onions. Spoon it over baked potatoes or scoop it up with tortilla chips. Wendy’s chili is also delicious alongside this 3 ingredient biscuit recipe, this Southern cornbread recipe, sweet cornbread, jalapeño cheddar cornbread, Jiffy Mexican cornbread, cornbread muffins, this cast iron cornbread, this Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, Jiffy corn muffins with sour cream, or these easy one-bowl pumpkin muffins.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make ahead: The flavor improves with time, so feel free to prepare the chili a day in advance.
- How to Store: Refrigerate leftover chili in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze in an airtight container or large Ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the chili overnight in the fridge and reheat it gently on the stovetop.
- Reheat: Warm the chili over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water to loosen if needed. You can also reheat individual bowls in the microwave.
Recipe Variations
- Beans optional: Use different types of beans (such as black beans, navy beans, or garbanzo beans) or omit them entirely if you prefer a more meaty chili. If you’re omitting the beans completely, you’ll need to substitute with an additional 1-1 ½ lbs. of ground beef.
- Different meat: Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey or ground chicken instead. You can also swap out 1 lb. of the beef and replace it with 1 lb. of ground sausage.
- Different liquid: Instead of water or beef broth, use beer for a more yeasty flavor.
- Seasoning: For a slightly different flavor profile, use about 2 ½ tablespoons of a store-bought chili seasoning or try homemade taco seasoning.
FAQs
- Can I make Wendy’s chili in a slow cooker? Yes! Brown the beef and aromatics first, then combine everything in the Crock Pot and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- What kind of beans are in Wendy’s chili? The classic recipe uses both red kidney beans and pinto beans, as shown here.
- Is Wendy’s chili spicy? Not really. It has a mild kick from the chili powder and spices, but it’s not overly hot. If you like more heat, add more cayenne, a diced jalapeño, or a splash of hot sauce.
More Chili Recipes to Try
Beef Chili Recipe
1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Texas Chili
3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
I used 3 cans of beans kidney and pinto and decreased beef to 1#. Used a chili seasoning packet and added chipotle pepper seasoning – about 1 tablespoon, and more cumin. I also used chicken broth because that’s what I had, 2 cups and only 15 oz tomato sauce. Pretty good actually!
We’re so glad you were able to adjust it to suit your preferences! Thank you for your feedback, Linda.