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Wendy’s chili is the thick, hearty, perfectly spiced copycat that tastes just like the drive-thru classic you love, made right on your own stovetop. We make a big pot on chilly game days, and Jason swears it beats the original scooped up with crackers or piled over our Frito pie.
Two kinds of beans, plenty of tomatoes, and a secret splash of vinegar at the end give this chili that unmistakable Wendy’s flavor.
Wendy’s Chili Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 82 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: About 1 hour 37 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 493kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Thick, hearty, and savory with mild chili spice and a tangy finish
- ✋ Difficulty: Beginner easy, as simple as our award winning chili
Quick Answer
To make Wendy’s chili, brown ground beef in a large dutch oven and drain the grease, then cook the celery, onion, and bell pepper until softened. Stir in chili seasoning and spices, add water to deglaze, then add kidney beans, pinto beans, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and sugar. Simmer covered for one hour, then stir in white vinegar before serving.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Two beans make it hearty. Kidney beans and pinto beans give the chili its signature thick, stick-to-your-ribs texture just like the original.
- A splash of vinegar is the secret. Stirring in white vinegar at the very end brightens the whole pot and nails that distinct Wendy’s tang.
- Three kinds of tomatoes build depth. Tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes with green chiles layer in rich, savory tomato flavor.
- Browning the beef adds flavor. Getting a good sear on the ground beef before simmering develops a deeper, meatier taste.
- A long simmer melds everything. Letting the chili gently simmer for an hour lets all the flavors come together and thicken beautifully.
- Just enough spice. A packaged chili seasoning plus garlic and onion powder keeps it mild and family-friendly, exactly like the drive-thru.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes just like the Wendy’s drive-thru classic, only better and homemade.
- It is thick, hearty, and feeds a crowd on game day or a cold night.
- It is freezer friendly and reheats beautifully, like our turkey chili.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives this Wendy’s chili its thick texture and signature flavor. See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Ground beef: An 80/20 blend adds the best flavor and just enough richness for a hearty chili.
- Kidney and pinto beans: The classic two-bean combo that makes this chili thick and filling.
- Celery, onion, and bell pepper: The trio of vegetables that builds the savory base of the chili.
- Three kinds of tomatoes: Tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes with green chiles for deep tomato flavor.
- White vinegar: A small splash at the end is the secret to that signature Wendy’s tang.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this Wendy’s chili your own.
- Make it spicier: Add cayenne, a chopped jalapeno, or hot diced tomatoes for more heat.
- Use ground turkey: Swap the beef for lean ground turkey for a lighter version.
- Cook it in the slow cooker: Brown the beef and veggies first, then simmer everything on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Add extra beans: Toss in black beans or extra kidney beans to stretch the pot even further.
- Pile it over spaghetti for a Cincinnati twist like our Skyline chili.
How to Make Wendy’s Chili
- In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, then drain any excess grease.
- Add the celery, onion, and green bell pepper and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the chili seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the water and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and sugar, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. Take it off the heat and stir in the white vinegar before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not skip the vinegar, since that final splash is what gives the chili its signature Wendy’s tang.
- Use undrained beans so the bean liquid helps thicken the chili and add flavor.
- Break up the stewed tomatoes with your spoon as it simmers for a smoother texture.
- Simmer with the lid on and stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Let it rest before serving; chili always tastes even better after it sits for a bit.
- Taste and adjust the salt and spice at the end to suit your family.
- This chili tastes even better the next day, so it is perfect to make ahead.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Wendy’s chili is fantastic on its own in a bowl, topped the classic way with shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, and a handful of oyster crackers or saltines.
For a heartier meal, ladle it over a baked potato, spoon it onto a hot dog, or pile it over corn chips like our Frito pie casserole.
If you love a big pot of chili, try our award winning chili and creamy white chicken chili next.
Wendy’s Chili FAQs
The signature flavor comes from a combination of two kinds of beans, three kinds of tomatoes, a mild chili seasoning, and a secret splash of white vinegar stirred in at the end. That tangy finish is what sets it apart from regular chili.
Yes. Brown the ground beef and saute the vegetables on the stovetop first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients except the vinegar and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring in the vinegar just before serving.
No, this copycat is mild and family-friendly, just like the drive-thru version. The diced tomatoes with green chiles add flavor more than heat. If you want it spicier, add cayenne, hot sauce, or a chopped jalapeno.
This chili thickens naturally from the two kinds of beans and the long simmer. For an even thicker pot, let it simmer uncovered for the last 15 minutes, or mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
Absolutely. Let the chili cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if it has thickened too much.
Chili is delicious with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced onion, and crackers on top. It also pairs well with cornbread, over a baked potato, on a hot dog, or piled over corn chips for an easy Frito pie.
Craving another big pot of chili? Try our award winning chili next.
Wendy’s Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 2 stalks celery small diced
- 1 small sweet onion small diced
- 1 green bell pepper small diced
- 2 1.25 ounce packages chili seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup water
- 16 ounce can dark red kidney beans undrained
- 16 ounce can pinto beans undrained
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 14.5 ounce cans stewed tomatoes
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up into crumbles, 8-10 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the celery, onion, and bell pepper to the pan, stir it in to mix with the beef, and cook until the veggies have softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chili seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the water to the pot and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and sugar, stir until combined. Try to break up any large pieces of stewed tomatoes if you can.
- Bring the chili up to a simmer, cover it and simmer for one hour, occasionally stirring to make sure nothing burns on the bottom of the pan.
- Before serving, take off the heat and stir in the white vinegar.
Notes
- Toasting the spices is really what amps up the flavor in this.
- Multiple toppings can be used, see some ideas above.
- You can serve this over other things, see above on what we like to serve with.
- This makes a large batch but you can easily double to make more.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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