Copycat Wendy’s Chili Recipe

Looking for a Wendy’s Chili recipe? Nothing beats a warm bowl of chili on a cold day and ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the chili at Wendy’s. My grandmother loved it too and it was kind of our little treat to sneak off to Wendy’s for Chili and fries. 

If you have ever had Wendy’s Chili, then you know how delicious is it. I love the taste, but I always prefer homemade, so I have perfected this Wendy’s chili recipe copycat that is both delicious and EASY to make.

This would be the perfect chili for a tailgate party or family gathering as it is very affordable to make, and serves a lot of people!

How to make Wendy’s Copycat Chili ­Recipe

Have you ever wondered what makes their chili so delicious?

We’ve played around with this copycat recipe and I think we’ve come pretty close to perfection here.

Here’s the ingredient list for what you’ll need to make this delicious chili:

2 lb. of brown ground beef, drained (you can also use ground turkey)
2 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (stewed tomatoes also work) 
1 16 oz. can of kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz. can of pinto beans, drained
1⁄4 Cup celery, diced
1⁄4 Cup green bell pepper, diced
3 tbs. chili powder (chili seasoning to taste)
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1⁄2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Cup of water

Favorite Chili Toppings / optional ingredient list
Onion to sprinkle on top (optional)
Grated cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Chopped green chiles (optional) / green pepper
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper

Directions ­for making this Wendy’s copycat Chili Recipe

Brown the 2 lb. of ground beef on the stove top. Drain the fat and then rinse with warm water to drain more of the fat. (I usually try to start with a very lean ground beef in the first place)

Add all ingredients to a large pot. (brown ground beef, chili beans, and everything else from the ingredients list)

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 2­-3 hours on low. This is also a great recipe for the crock pot!

Before I serve this chili, I like to add a dollop of sour cream and add grated cheese and chopped red onions. So yummy!  Enjoy!

If you are an Instant Pot fan, I’ve also shared my Instant Pot Chili recipe, it’s a good one!

And don’t worry, it’s an EASY chili recipe as well because I’m all about the easy, especially when it comes to comfort foods like homemade chili! 

This copycat version of Wendy’s famous chili recipe really is the perfect chili recipe and works wonderfully for game day and is also great as a left over the next day!

There are so many different ways to make this recipe and as you make it more in your own kitchen, you can play around with things like adding fresh tomatoes (we like to do this in the summer months when our garden is performing) or serving with a side of tortilla chips. The first time you make this copycat Wendy’s chili, you’ll get a feel for the variations that your family might like.

We love to serve this chili over a hot baked potato (I’m an Idaho girl!) and find that it always works wonderfully as a side dish for sandwiches at lunchtime. And, if you want to really serve this copycat version of chili just like they do in a Wendy’s restaurant, you might consider baking some homemade french fries to serve with the finished product! What a great way to truly create a meaty chili meal that any fast food fan of Wendy will love!

It really is the perfect copycat recipe!

Looking for more copycat recipes?

Speaking of copycat recipes, they are my favorite! Nothing like making knock offs of your favorite restaurant items without even leaving the house! You can make homemade recipes just like the real thing and then the only changes you will need to make are the ones that you make as you perfect your copycat recipe to be even better than the store bought version. Then, the only difference in the finished product is the fact that you made it better at home!

• Starbuck’s Java Chip Frappuccino 
• Copycat Ding Dong Recipe
• Texas Roadhouse Honey Butter 
• Whatchamacallit Candy Bar
• Homemade Orange Julius Recipe

It’s never a bad thing when you can make your favorite recipes in the comfort of your own home. It’s even better when it saves you time and money! We’ve been making so many of these recipes for a long time! I usually keep the main ingredients on hand and as the seasons change, I start adding the remaining ingredients to my shopping list so we can enjoy our favorite copycat versions at home!

Looking for more soup recipes? 

It’s no secret that soups are the ultimate comfort food – especially as we head into fall and through the winter months. I love to try new recipes but also have some old favorites that never let me down. When these isn’t time for making a homemade soup recipe, I’ve always got tomato soup in the pantry, but that never quite as good of a job as pleasing the palate as a wonderful homemade soup in a large pot, slow cooker or pressure cooker.

The aroma alone can be a mood changer as it fills your home with all of the wonderful smells of home cooking.

• Sweet Potato Soup with Leeks and Bacon
• Best Fall Soup recipes
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Instant Pot Italian Soup
• Asian Style Vegetable Soup

Once you have a line up of favorite go-to recipes, it’s easy to keep ingredients on hand. SO many of my recipes include chili beans, that I’ve always got those and other types of beans on hand for when the need arises. There are so many things you can make with canned beans, they are a great filler and they are affordable.

Other ingredients that are helpful for last minute soup recipes include canned green chili, chili pepper, tomato juice, onion powder, canned corn, canned peas, chili sauce, tomato paste, etc. As you start too cook soups more and more you’ll start to get a feel for what items because “stock up” items when you grocery shop.

Print the Recipe

Copycat Recipe! Wendy's Chili Recipe

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If you have ever had Wendy’s Chili, then you know how delicious is it. I love the taste, but I always prefer homemade, so I have perfected this copycat Wendy’s chili recipe that is both delicious and EASY to make.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. of ground beef, browned and drained
• 2 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 16 oz. can of kidney beans, drained
• 1 15 oz. can of pinto beans, drained
• 1⁄4 C. celery, diced
• 1⁄4 C. bell pepper, diced
• 3 tbs. chili powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 C. water
• Toppings:
• Onion to sprinkle on top (optional)
• Grated cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

Instructions

Brown the 2 lb. of ground beef. Drain the fat and then rinse with warm water to drain more of the fat.

Add all ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 2­-3 hours on low. This is also a great recipe for the crockpot!

Notes

Before I serve this chili, I like to add a dollop of sour cream and add grated cheese and chopped red onions.

Here are a few chili and soup bowls that are on my wish list right now:

Keri Lyn

The creative and frugal mind behind She Saved for over 12 years now, Keri Lyn shares her adventures in parenting along with her love for family travel, country living and brand marketing. A self-proclaimed “brand loyalist”, Keri Lyn is known for her strong and enthusiastic voice when it comes to the products and brands that she loves. Passionate about family and the challenge of raising good humans (through the teen years, no less!) Keri Lyn has also served as a brand ambassador to many brands including her time as a Hilton Mom Voyage travel writer and currently an O Mag Insider for O, The Oprah Magazine and the 2019 recipient the O-verall Contribution O-ward.