It’s chili time anytime. I pulled out my Wendy’s Copycat Chili recipe to make a big batch. Most will go in the freezer but I’ll eat a big bowl too. I’m just chili hungry!
A friend that used to work for Wendy’s gave me this recipe years ago when she found out how much I liked it. I was surprised to see how simple it was! Yummy to my Tummy!
How To Make This Wendy’s Copycat Chili Recipe
Making chili of any kind is not very difficult and this Wendy’s Copycat chili is no different. Very easy!
The ground beef can make a difference. I prefer 80/20 ground chuck.
The 80/20 means that it’s 80% lean and 20% fat. I feel like that’s the perfect proportion of lean to fat.
Ground chuck is from the front shoulder section of the animal. Now it’s probably just bits and pieces of the shoulder but at least you know where it comes from and that its quality should be very good.
Don’t buy what’s labeled as ground beef! The only thing about ground beef that you know for sure is that’s it’s beef. It can be from anywhere on the animal and when you’re talking about bits and pieces you don’t really know what you’re getting!
As far as making chili it couldn’t be easier. Just brown the beef, add it to a stockpot with the other ingredients, and simmer for an hour or so.
You got chili!
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A friend shared this recipe with me and it really does taste like Wendy's.
- 2 pounds fresh ground beef
- 1 quart tomato juice 29-ounce ...
- 1 can tomato purée 15-ounce
- 1 can red kidney beans drained (15-ounce)
- 1 can pinto beans drained
- medium-large onion chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chili powder use less for milder chili
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin use more for real flavor
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain off the fat. Put the beef and the remaining ingredients in a 6-quart pot. Cover the pot and let the chili simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
Tips And Tidbits About Wendy’s Copycat Chili
If you’ve got the time cooking beans from scratch is better for chili than canned beans.
Canned beans have a high sodium content. So if you do decide to use them rinse them first. You might also wait until close to the end of cooking time to keep them from turning to mush.
I do use canned beans and I prefer using the ones labeled “chili beans”. They have flavoring cooked in so when I use them I don’t rinse for that reason!
Enjoy!
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