This Wendy's Chili recipe is a perfect replica – it's full of flavour thanks to green chilies, chili powder, cumin and two types of beans.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Extra-lean ground beef – Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef to make this chili lighter in calories or use chunks of sirloin to make it heartier.
- Yellow onion – red onion or shallots would also work.
- Celery – leave this out if you don’t have any on hand.
- Green pepper – any colour bell pepper can be used.
- Canned green chilies – substitute for diced fresh or pickled jalapenos, or leave it out altogether if you’re not a fan of spice.
- Worcestershire sauce – you can leave this out, but it adds great flavour to the chili!
- Chili powder – make your own chili seasoning using a combination of ground cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Sugar – brown sugar, honey or maple syrup would all work in place of white sugar.
- Cumin – coriander is the best substitute here.
- Onion powder – you can substitute this for garlic powder in a pinch.
- Paprika – cayenne will work, but it has more of a kick.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used too.
- Kidney and pinto beans – use any bean combination of your choice like black beans, white beans, chickpeas or lentils.
- Crushed tomatoes – substitute for canned diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes instead.
- Beef broth – you can use chicken or vegetable broth, but the flavour will be slightly different.
How to make Wendy's chili
Step 1: Assemble your ingredients.
Step 2: Brown the grown beef.
Heat a large pot on the stovetop over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking up and browning for 3-4 minutes.
Step 3: Add the veggies.
Add the onions, celery and green pepper, and sauté until softened.
Step 4: Mix in the seasonings.
Stir in the green chilies, Worcestershire, chili powder, sugar, cumin, onion powder, paprika, salt & pepper and garlic, sauteeing for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 5: Add in remaining ingredients then simmer.
Stir in beans, crushed tomatoes and beef broth, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a fitted lid, stirring chili occasionally.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Serve in a bowl with your desired toppings and enjoy!
Variations for Wendy's chili
There are a few different ways you can customize this Wendy's copycat chili recipe to make it your own:
- Meat: Swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner option.
- Toppings: Garnish with your favourite toppings cheddar cheese, crushed corn chips, bacon crumbles, avocado, fire roasted corn, sour cream, shredded lettuce, green onions or hot sauce.
- Spice: For a bit of extra heat, stir in some cayenne pepper, pineapple habanero or mango salsa.
- Veggies: Stir in extra vegetables like corn, mushrooms, red bell peppers and more.
- Side dishes: Serve your chili with garlic bread, cornbread or a baked potato.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Wendy’s chili is made of ground beef, onion, celery, green pepper, green chilies, kidney beans, pinto beans, crushed tomatoes and beef broth. It’s super flavourful thanks to the wide range of seasonings including Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, sugar, cumin, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic.
This copycat Wendy’s chili recipe makes enough for 8 servings. Without additional toppings, there are 255 calories per serving. In comparison, one small serving of the restaurant’s recipe has 240 calories, and a large serving has 330 calories. My serving size is likely on the larger size with higher protein. Plus, it doesn't contain any preservatives or chemicals!
To make this chili in the crockpot, sauté the ground beef then add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. To make it in the Instant Pot, brown the ground beef, then add the veggies and saute until softened. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes then do a quick release of the pressure.
Yes, you'll need to brown the ground beef before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftovers of this Wendy's copycat chili recipe in an airtight container the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, transfer the chili to a pan on the stove top and reheat over medium-heat or reheat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Add on your fresh toppings and dig in!
Freezing this recipe
This Wendy’s chili freezes perfectly, and it’s one of my favourite meal prep recipes! It can be frozen in single serving containers to pack for lunches or you can freeze a big batch in freezer-safe Ziploc bags for up to 3 months. Just be sure to allow the chili to cool to room temperature or cool it down quickly in the refrigerator before freezing it.
To reheat individual servings from frozen, just microwave it for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring halfway through. You could also let the chili defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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Wendy's Chili {Perfect Copycat}
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 (127mL) can green chilies
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (540mL) can kidney beans, drained
- 1 (540mL) can pinto beans, drained
- 1 (796mL) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over med-high heat. Add ground beef, breaking up and browning for 3-4 minutes. Add onions, celery and green pepper, sauteeing another 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in green chilies, Worcestershire, chili powder, sugar, cumin, onion powder, paprika, salt & pepper and garlic, sauteeing for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in beans, crushed tomatoes and beef broth, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a fitted lid, stirring chili occasionally.
- Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Dusty says
Great recipe!
Prep time is more like an Hour.
Tina says
It would be great if you posted the brands that you use. I had to become Sherlock Holmes to figure out the green chiles were Old El Paso chopped green chiles. Whew!
Taylor Stinson says
If you Google canned green chilies, Hatch and Old El Paso show up immediately. I didn’t know that was so difficult.
Samantha says
How could I make this in crockpot??
Taylor Stinson says
You should be able to saute the beef ahead of time then add everything in and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Morgan says
Great recipe, only chili my partner likes and requests.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m SO happy to hear that! Thank you 😀
Keara says
Oh my goodness! So good and just like Wendy’s
Ada says
I make this yesterday in it was great all 4 of my boys eat in me in my husband love it that’s the only reason we go to Wendy’s
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Keith says
II have made this twice and each time it comes out great!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so glad you like it!
Kenneth Johnson says
unbelievable…great. thank you..
Beth says
I made this and it was great!! It tasted just like Wendy’s chili—especially the next day.