My loved ones all agree that this is the best chili ever. Before I tried this recipe, I’d always just go through the drive-through and get a bunch of Wendy’s chili when my family desired it. Now I won’t have to detour, and the house will smell great when the chili is done in the slow cooker. In addition, it’s simple to assemble, so there’s no need to spend extra time or effort building it from scratch at home.
The slow cooker is perfect for this because you don’t have to keep track of when to remember to stir it (which I forget to do). It’s ridiculously simple: brown the beef, add everything else, and set the slow cooker to the desired heat.
As a kid, Wendy’s baked potatoes with chili were my favorite thing ever. The combination is still one of my favorites, and it makes a great portable and quick-to-heat meal. This is a great chili recipe, whether you’re a fan of Wendy’s or not.
A chili recipe inspired by Wendy’s that includes kidney beans, onions, chilis, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cumin for heat. This imitator is spot on!
The sudden drop in temperature makes Wendy’s chili an obvious choice. When I tested this knockoff on an unsuspecting family member who also happens to be a fan, she exclaimed, “If you got Wendy’s, where is my FROSTY!!” This recipe is so close to the real thing that it’s scary.
I had failed to make her a Wendy’s Frosty, but the chili is a dead ringer. And it goes great with my Jalapeno Popper Cornbread Muffins.
The longest part of making Wendy’s chili is just waiting for it to cook low and slow, despite the dish’s reputation for difficulty. In fact, I’m about to share some secrets for perfecting this chili recipe.
The dish would benefit with a final addition of 1 tablespoon of butter. Flavors can be toned down and the optimum texture can be achieved with its assistance. It’s only one tablespoon for the entire pot, but it provides a lot of flavor without adding many calories.
Simmering is even less of a heat setting than low. A simmer is the tiniest of bubbles, and it’s the ideal temperature for cooking.
If your chili doesn’t look like the one seen, either you cooked it for too long at a high temperature, causing too much water to evaporate, or you cooked it for too long at a low temperature, allowing too much water to stay.
Stir more regularly if you’re worried about cooking it uncovered. When the chili starts to adhere to the pot, you may feel it and remove it.
Ingredients
90/10 or 93/7 ground beef for 2 pounds (The lower-fat versions are my favorite.)
1, diced, yellow onion
diced celery from 2 stalks
1 chopped green bell pepper
Canned tomato sauce, 29 ounces
kidney beans (29 ounces, canned, not drained)
Pinto beans, un-drained, 29 ounces
28 ounces of canned tomatoes, diced, no draining
1 chopped, seeded, and veined jalapeo (or a small can of green chilies for milder flavor)
Cumin powder, 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
one teaspoon of black pepper
SALT: 2 tsp.
1 cup tomato juice or beef broth
1 tablespoon of butter (Not required, but very recommended)
Instructions:
Put a large pan on the stove over medium heat.
Ground beef should be added and cooked until it is browned and crumbly. Take it away from the heat.
Carefully remove the drippings after browning the meat.
After it has been browned, transfer the ground beef to a large slow cooker (at least 6 quarts in size).
Brown the ground beef and add it to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients (excluding the butter). Mix thoroughly by stirring.
Close the slow cooker’s lid and cook for 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
The chili is finished cooking once the butter is added and stirred in.
To serve, divide into bowls and top with the ingredients of your choice.
Notes
Garnishes: letting each individual “fix” their own bowl of chili with a wide selection of toppings is not only a lot of fun, but it also allows for greater diversity and creativity in the final dish. Fritos, shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, additional jalapeo, sliced red onion, and whatever else your family enjoys are some of our faves.
It’s not necessary to use ground beef in this recipe; I’ve made it well with both ground turkey and ground chicken.
Vegetarians can easily make this dish by subbing in vegetarian crumbles for the ground beef.
As an alternative to regular pinto beans, I will occasionally use pinto beans seasoned with jalapenos. The beans specified in the recipe are optional; if you have access to other beans, feel free to use them in their place. Great Northern beans are fantastic; I’ve used them before.
Once the chili has cooled, place it in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Chili can be frozen when it has cooled completely or if there is any left over. Keep frozen for a maximum of three months.