The wife and I do not eat fast food very often. Sure when we were teenagers, we ate fast food from all the big restaurant chains, but not so much now. So why Wendy’s Copycat Chili?
Well for two reasons. The first is that I love making copycat recipes. And secondly, I love a good chili. And the chili from Wendy’s is pretty dang good. Almost as good as some of my Gourmet Chili Recipes.
This chili recipe is a little different from my other chili recipes in that it has no onions or any fresh peppers, except for the canned green chili peppers. I’m trying to remember the last time I had a chili without onions in it?
When I was making this recipe, my wife immediately asked what that unique smell was. It was either the roasted diced tomatoes or the smoked paprika.
If you’ve never tasted smoked paprika before, you might be in for a surprise. Very different than regular paprika. Don’t worry though, If you don’t have smoked paprika on hand, don’t fret, just use regular paprika. It won’t change the overall flavor that much.
Oh and if you don’t have any fire-roasted diced Tomatoes available, just use the regular kind. I will change the flavor just a bit, but it will still be delicious.
If you’ve never been to Wendy’s or if you have never tried their delicious chili, check out this picture of Wendy’s chili. It kind of looks just like this one doesn’t it?
Copycat Rating
Since the goal of a Copycat Recipe is for it to taste exactly like the original, it’s only natural to rate this recipe against the original. This Copycat recipe rates a solid 8 out of 10 in my opinion.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this copycat chili recipe from Wendy’s (see recipe card for quantities): Lean Ground Beef, Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Tomato Paste, Pinto Beans, Red Kidney Beans, Diced Tomatoes, Green Chilies, Onion Powder, Ground Cumin, Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes and Water.
How to Make Wendy’s Copycat Chili
- In a large pot over medium-high heat add ground beef, 1 tsp salt and pepper. Cook until browned.
- Drain any excess fat if necessary. Add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
Recipe Video
Printable Recipe Card
Wendy’s Copycat Chili
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Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 12 oz Tomato Paste
- 15 oz Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz Diced Tomatoes, fire-roasted with garlic
- 8 oz Green Chilies, diced
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- ½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Cup Water
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat add ground beef, 1 tsp salt and pepper. Cook until browned.
- Drain drippings if necessary. Add remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
Recipe Video
Love this chili. I made it one night for my family when it was a snowy day and they just loved it. A good comfort food. A keeper for me.