Look no further for the best Wendy’s copycat chili recipe! Full of meat, beans, and the perfect blend of spices, you won’t find a better copycat recipe that is as close to a match to Wendy’s chili recipe.
Homemade Copycat Wendy’s chili is the perfect way to warm up on a cold fall day. Our family’s version of this timeless chili recipe will become your favorite version to make too!
LOVE CHILI? Be sure to try out our other amazing chili recipes like our Best Homemade Chili Recipe, or our families’ Halloween tradition of making Mom’s Slow Cooker Chili, or if you’re looking for a little bit of spice try our Slow Cooker Texas Chili Recipe.
Ingredients in Wendy’s Chili recipe:
- Lean ground beef
- Diced celery stalks
- Diced onion
- Diced green bell pepper
- Stewed tomatoes
- Diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel tomatoes)
- Tomato sauce
- Water
- Chili Seasoning packages
- Kidney beans
- Pinto beans
- Salt and Pepper
- White vinegar
If you would like to make your chili seasoning from scratch, take a look at this recipe to make your own chili seasoning mix.
If you are looking to make this recipe a little more healthy, you could also replace the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken. We prefer the flavor of the ground beef, but either alternative would be delicious as well.
You could also do a meatless chili if you are wanting to serve this as an appetizer or side.
- Large pot (THIS a great one to use)
- Spatula
- Colander (THIS is my favorite one!)
- Can opener
- Measuring spoons
Looking for another copycat recipe? Try our Chili’s Copycat Molten Lava Cake!
“I have so much time!” -No mom ever
Let us give you your time back. With the Six Sisters’ Meal Plans, we do the dinner planning, grocery ordering, and then all you have to do is decide whether to pick them up or have them delivered.
How To Make our Copycat Wendy’s Chili:
Begin by placing the lean ground beef in a large pot and begin to brown it over medium-high heat.

Stir the meat and break it into small crumbles and cook the beef until it is no longer pink, then drain the meat. I like to rinse mine with a little water, just to get the excess grease out, but this is totally optional.

After the meat has been strained, return it to the pot and add in the celery, onion, and green bell pepper with the ground beef. Heat through until the onion is translucent (this should only take about 5 minutes or so).

Once the beef mixture is heated all the way through, pour in the cans of stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, tomato sauce, and water.
If you are looking to make this a little more spicy, you could use a hot can of chili’s, rather than mild.

Be sure to not strain the tomatoes since the juice holds a lot of flavor!
While mixing everything together, break up the large chunks of stewed tomatoes and add in the chili seasoning. Continue to mix until the seasoning is evenly distributed.

Next, open the cans of kidney beans and pinto beans and pour them right in! No need to drain and rise the beans with this recipe – that is one of the secrets to getting the perfect Wendy’s flavor!
Add in salt and pepper to taste, mix everything together, and bring it all to a boil.

After the wendy’s copycat chili reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for an hour. Just before serving the chili mix in the white vinegar stir and serve! Don’t forget to top the chili with all your favorite toppings.
If you need ideas of what to top off your chili will, scroll down and we have a few garnishes you will love.

Slow Cooker Wendy’s chili
If you want to make this chili in your slow cooker, simply follow steps 1-4 and then pour everything into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2-4 hours.
Watch how to make chili
If you love watching cooking shows, you’ll LOVE our YouTube Channel! Watch along with us as we make our tried and true recipes that even your pickiest eater will love. Take a look at our Mom’s Homemade Chili Recipe here and make it at the same time.
If you love copycat recipes, you’ll love this!
Have you heard about our newest cookbook, Copycat Cooking? We took over 100 of our favorite restaurant recipes and simplified them so that you can make them right at home!

Every recipe has a beautiful mouth-watering photo and has been picky-eater approved. The directions are simple, easy to follow, and do not require any strange ingredients.
This cookbook includes copycat recipes from Wingers, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Panera, Cheesecake Factory, Kneaders, and so much more. We have you covered from drinks, to dessert and everything in-between.
We are so excited to share these recipes with you. Order your copy today!
Six Sisters’ Stuff COPYCAT COOKING <—– Click here to order!
What makes this homemade wendy’s chili recipes SO good? THE FLAVOR!
- By not draining the cans of tomatoes you are not losing the flavors that are already developed
- Simmer the chili for 1 hour allows for all of the spices to mellow together and take the chili flavors to the next level
- The green chiles brings a nice kick of added flavor
Toppings to use for chili
Feel free to dress up your Wendy’s chili recipe! Here are a few suggestions:
- Raw onion
- Cheddar cheese
- Green onion
- Frito’s chips
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream
MORE CHILI RECIPES TO TRY
- MOM’S CROCKPOT CHILI
- INSTANT POT CREAM CHEESE CHILI
PERFECT SIDES FOR CHILI
- EASY HOMEMADE CORNBREAD RECIPE
- DISNEYLAND’S SWEET CORNBREAD RECIPE
- COPYCAT FAMOUS DAVE’S CORNBREAD MUFFINS
Wendy’s Copycat Chili
Serves: 8
Wendy’s Copycat Chili Recipe
5 from 1 vote
Look no further for the best Wendy’s copycat chili recipe! Full of meat, beans, and the perfect blend of spices, you won’t find a better copycat recipe that is as close to a match to Wendy’s chili recipe.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
PrintPin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 3 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (undrained)
- 14 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 (1.25 ounce) packages chili seasoning (such as McCormick Mild Chili Seasoning Mix)
- 1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans (do not drain)
- 1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans (do not drain)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar (more or less to taste)
Instructions
Place ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir and break the ground beef into crumbles and cook until no longer pink.
Drain beef of excess grease.
Return beef to pot, stir in celery, onion, and green bell pepper into ground beef and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Pour in stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, tomato sauce, and water. Break apart large pieces of stewed tomatoes.
Stir in chili seasoning.
Add kidney beans, pinto beans and season with salt and black pepper; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Mix vinegar into chili.
Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
Pro-Tip: If you want to make this chili in your slow cooker, simply follow steps 1 and 2, and then pour everything into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2-4 hours. Top with your favorite chili toppings and serve.
To turn this into a freezer meal:
Cook the ground beef on the stove top and place in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Dump in the remaining ingredients. Let the bag cool down (if still hot from the cooked meat). Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal bag closed. Place in the freezer for 60-90 days. When ready to use, dump ingredients from bag into slow cooker. Place the lid on top and cook on LOW heat for 7-9 hours (or until completely heated through – every slow cooker will be a little different). Follow the rest of the instructions as written.
Nutrition
Calories: 381 kcal · Carbohydrates: 45 g · Protein: 37 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 70 mg · Sodium: 685 mg · Potassium: 1622 mg · Fiber: 14 g · Sugar: 11 g · Vitamin A: 4976 IU · Vitamin C: 33 mg · Calcium: 145 mg · Iron: 10 mg
Equipment
large pot
Ladle
Soup Bowls
Recipe Details
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
This post was included in our Freezer Meals for Big OR Small Families video – for more inexpensive and delicious recipes like this one, click here to check it out!
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Join The Discussion
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Carrie says:
There is no way this is meant to serve 8 people. This filled my large slow cooker up to the point I could barely get a top on it. It has to serve at least 10 as a full meal. It is so much chili!
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Gina B says:
When I make Chili this is the recipe I always use!
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Sandy says:
Can you please clarify the slow cooker instructions? The notes in the body of the post say to put everything into the slow cooker after step 4 (the steps aren't numbered, so it's hard to tell where that is, but it seems like that's the point after you bring everything to a boil). The notes in the "recipe card" say to put everything into the slow cooker after step 2 (cooking and draining the meat). Do you need to cook the veggies prior to putting them into the slow cooker?
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Momma Cyd says:
So you are following the recipe card, steps 1 and 2 are just browning the ground beef and draining the grease well. Then add the cooked beef and everything else into the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 hours or high 2-4 hours. It's so easy and very delicious.
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Michelle Gill says:
Can you freeze this chili once it's already made? I didn't realize how much it made and I have oodles leftover and would love to keep it for another meal. It was delicious!!
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Momma Cyd says:
This chili recipe is great if you need to freeze the leftovers for another day.
About The Author:
Kendra Murdock
Kendra lives in Northern Utah with her husband, Matt, and two cute kids. She loves to workout or relax with show and a treat in her spare time.
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