Easy Wendy’s Chili Copycat Recipe

This Easy Wendy’s Chili Copycat Recipe is a delicious version of America’s favorite chili. It’s beefy chili goodness made at home.

Wendy’s has been serving its rich and meaty chili since 1969.  The gluten-free menu item is delicious as a side dish, main dish, on top of a potato, or as part of the Wendy’s Taco Salad.

Wendy’s sets the standard for great chili and it is surprisingly easy to make at home.

How To Make Wendy’s Chili (Copycat) at Home

To make the chili, you need the following ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cans chili beans
• 2 cans Ro*Tel
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup of water
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 2 -4  Tablespoons cumin

If you are very observant, you will notice in the picture above that there are three cans of tri-colored beans.  Why?  Wendy’s Chili is made with more than one kind of bean.  According to Wendy’s website, “Prepared Pink Beans and/or Prepared Pinto Beans, Prepared Red Kidney Beans” are listed as ingredients.

However, I find that using canned chili beans produces better results.

To make the chili, brown ground beef and onions until the beef is no longer pink.  I like to use my Instant Pot since I can both saute and slow cook with only one pot to clean.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can adapt the recipe and brown the beef and onions on the stovetop and then simmer the chili on the stove or finish cooking it in a slow cooker/CrockPot.

Once the beef has cooked, add the Ro*Tel, chili powder, cumin, tomato sauce, and 1 cup of water.  For convenience, I take the 8-ounce container of tomato sauce and use that for measuring my water.

If you like cumin like I do, then you might want to go heavy and use 4 tablespoons (which is equal to 1/4 cup).  If you aren’t sure, start with 2 tablespoons.  You can do a taste test after about an hour.  You can always add more cumin, but you cannot take it away once it has been added.

Stir all of the ingredients together and allow it to slow cook for 4-8 hours.

I love being able to recreate recipes at home because it allows me to choose what ingredients go into it.  I prefer to use organic when I can, including grass-fed beef.  This recipe can be made using non-organic ingredients, if necessary.

For those who want to know, like the original, this recipe is gluten-free.  However, it is not low carb.

When I was working on developing this recipe, I went to Wendy’s website to see what ingredients are in the real thing.  According to Wendy’s, their chili has:

Chili: 

Chili Base (Chili Sauce [Water, Tomato Paste, Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Calcium Chloride), Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Chili Pepper, Spices, Flavor Enhancer (Dextrose, Salt, Yeast Extract, Modified Corn Starch), Citric Acid, Garlic Powder, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Onion Powder, Xanthan Gum], Onions, Celery, Green Peppers), Water, Ground Beef (Beef, Salt), Chili Beans (Prepared Pink Beans and/or Prepared Pinto Beans, Prepared Red Kidney Beans), Soy Lecithin. CONTAINS: MILK AND SOY.

Large container of Wendy’s Chili

The one thing that my recipe does not have is celery and I doubt you will even miss it.  Actually, there are a few other ingredients missing in my Wendy’s Chili clone, such as Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Yeast Extract, Modified Corn Starch, Milk, and Soy.  I don’t think anyone will miss those ingredients.

What goes with Chili?  Cornbread, naturally.  Be sure to check out these different cornbread recipes at Southern Kissed:

• Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread
• Skillet Cornbread
• Peppered Cornbread