Wendy’s Copycat Chili in the Slow Cooker
This Wendy’s chili recipe is a perfect copycat! Thick and rich chili with a variety of beans, vegetables, and spices. It’s the perfect dump and go slow cooker chili.
Bev Michael says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Made this chili and it is wonderful!! My go to chili recipe. Will continue to make. Have passed this to my daughters to make.
The first job I ever had was working at Wendy’s. I was 15. And yes, this will date me, but this was in the days of Wendy’s “superbar” and fresh stuffed pitas. Anybody remember those? I want the pitas to make a comeback.
(Also my old Wendy’s manager’s wife reads my blog. How fun is that? Hi Kathie! Hi Gary!)
One thing about working at a restaurant, you get to see what other people love to order and eat. By golly, people love Wendy’s chili. Especially during the cold weather months.
Whether you agree or not, Wendy’s has some spectacular chili for a fast food chain. It’s way more complex than just hamburger and beans in a chili sauce. It’s thick and spicy with beans and veggies and tastes as close to homemade chili as you can get for under 2 bucks.
This copycat chili recipe tastes just like Wendy’s. Except it’s homemade, so it’s better.
This chili is comfort food at it’s best. It’s made with 2 kinds of beans, fresh chopped vegetables, tomatoes and spices. And it’s ridiculously easy. Just dump and go in the slow cooker. Watch the video and see.
Please note: You will need a slow cooker that is at least 6 quarts for this chili.
If you don’t have a large slow cooker, this recipe can also be made on the stove top. Simply follow the directions stated below, but simmer in a large stockpot for 45-60 minutes on low on the stove instead.
We love to eat our chili with cornbread. If you do too, you need this Jiffy cornbread hack. The best cornbread ever!
And if you are a true chili lover you’ve got to try this recipe that uses leftover chili. It’s my family’s favorite. Chili Dog Pizza!
More Slow Cooker Favorites to Enjoy:
- Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Sauerkraut
- Slow Cooker Rootbeer Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Calico Beans
- Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Ham
Wendy’s Copycat Chili in the Slow Cooker
This Wendy’s chili recipe is a perfect copycat! Thick and rich chili with a variety of beans, vegetables, and spices.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 29 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 29 ounce can kidney beans, drained
- 1 29 ounce can pinto beans, drained
- 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, not drained
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 3 ribs celery (chopped)
- 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups beef broth*
- * See note below*
Instructions
- 1. Brown the ground beef well. Drain off the fat and add the ground beef to a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- 2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well and cover.
- 3. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on High for 4-6 hours.
Video
Notes
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Delicious every time made with ground beef, ground chicken or left over beef roast; it’s my one and only go to chili recipe!
This is a delicious recipe. However, I did not put 1/4 C of chili powder in it because my husband doesn’t like it spicy. It is plenty spicy for us with 1 T of chili powder. I sautéed the onions and celery and added garlic to it too.
This is in the crock pot now! Thanks for the recipe!
Do you sauté onion, green pepper and celery before slow cooking?
No, you don’t.
@Teri, I actually put the onions, bell pepper and celery in a bowl with 2 tablespoons butter, popped it in the micro wave while cooking the ground meat. Cooked for 3 minutes, the added it to the ground meat. Delicious!
I made this chili last month and it was better than Wendy’s! I was checking the recipe to add the ingredients to my shopping list that I needed to make it again and I swear you had a jalapeno pepper in the recipe. I know I would never have bought a jalapeno unless a recipe called for it. I guess I’ll add one since I did the first time I made it. This is the best chili I’ve ever made.
Isn’t is crazy how stuff like that happens with recipes. There are recipes that I love that I am certain are made one way and then when I look at the recipe card aren’t the way I thought I remembered them being at all.
Regardless, so glad you love the chili Christine! Thanks for the comment.
Taste just like Wendy’s good job done.thank you for posting the recipe.
My wife and I cannot take spicy food so what is your suggestion for substitution or whatever you think so it will not be spicy for us … Thank You
Sounds wonderful! I’am going to make some tomorrow. Instead of the hamburger could you use stew meat?
Hi Paulette! I think that stew meat would be wonderful in this chili. I will say that if I was making this chili with stew beef I’d brown it first before adding it to the crockpot.
Please let me know how you like it when you try it your way!
Amy D.
Does this require soaking dry beans before cooking?
No, it doesn’t.
I’ve made this three times and we love it. There’s just two of use so I freeze what’s left. It doesn’t hurt the taste at all. The last time and this time I was out of tomato sauce so I used a can of tomato paste and filled the can with water and mixed it well also I was out of celery so I used a tsp of celery salt works perfect.
I used to make other kind of Chili, but this one is sooooo goood.
I used to make other kind of Chili, but this one is sooooo goood. Thanks for the receipe!
OMG! It turned out sooooo amazingly great!!!
Do you know how many servings this makes? I’m trying to see how many calories and macros are in one serving. Thanks!
Darci,
It makes a very large batch, approximately 12 servings.
Am I reading it correctly of 1/4 “CUP” chili powder?
Yes ma’am that’s correct! 1/4 cup chili powder might seem like a lot, but this recipe makes a big batch and a 1/4 cup is only 4 Tablespoons. I haven’t found anyone who thinks it’s too spicy so far. 🙂
Is there an ingredient missing? There is a blank spot after an * under the beef broth like there should be an ingredient there. I want to make this recipe tonight and I’m looking forward to it.
Nope, Daniele, no ingredients missing, just some weird formatting! Hope that you enjoy the chili!
@Daniele, This is pointing to a note that says you can use 2 bouillon cubes and 2 cups water to replace the broth if desired