Description

Warm, hearty, and packed with bold flavor, this Wendy’s Copycat Chili brings the fast food favorite right into your kitchen. With a rich tomato base, tender ground beef, beans, and signature spices, it’s a one-pot meal perfect for any season. Whether you’re after a quick dinner, a cozy meal-prep idea, or game-day party food, this easy recipe delivers. It’s everything you love about classic chili—comforting, savory, and easy to customize. This chili fits right into your list of quick dinners, cold weather food ideas, and delicious batch meals for the week.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 cup water

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pot, brown the ground beef over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain excess fat.

2. Add chopped onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes until vegetables soften.

3. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, and water. Stir to combine.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

6. Serve hot with your favorite toppings or sides.

Notes

For extra flavor, simmer for 2 hours or more—the taste deepens over time.

Want more heat? Add a diced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Calories: 310
Sugar: 6g
Sodium: 720mg
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Unsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 23g
Cholesterol: 45mg

Keywords: chili recipe, copycat chili, wendy’s chili, beef chili, easy chili recipe