To me, there's nothing better than making your favorite dishes yourself to enjoy in the coziness of your own home. This homemade Slow Cooker Wendy's Chili recipe will fill your kitchen with all the mouthwatering smells, having all the kids asking, "Is dinner ready yet"? It's a meal everyone loves!
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Top Secret Ingredients
Shhh, don't tell anyone! But I've heard that Wendy's uses leftover hamburger patties for their chili. No wonder it's amazing! I'm all for a Wendy's Double Jr Bacon Cheeseburger!
Have you ever noticed their chili tasting a little sweeter? Yup! Adding sugar will bring you closer to that authentic Wendy's Chili taste.
How about the smoky taste? Super simple to mimic that too. Adding in some liquid smoke or smoked paprika into your slow cooker chili will top off that copycat recipe!
Word on the street is they also use V8 instead of tomato sauce.
Ingredients
To make your Copy Cat Wendy's Chili, here's what you'll need:
- Ground Beef - We like to use a lean or standard ratio. You'll be straining the beef, so don't stress on this too much.
- Celery Stalks
- Onion
- Bell Pepper - I like to use a red bell pepper so it blends in well with the tomato sauce.
- Tomato Sauce
- Stewed Tomatoes
- Dark Red Kidney Beans - this will be the only can you strain. No need to use this liquid.
- Chili Beans - fun fact..these are just seasoned pinto beans
- Fire Roasted Green Chilis - For extra heat, use the hot ones! We love that one!
- Beef Stock and Chicken Stock - Or all beef stock, your choice!
- Chili Seasoning Packet
- White Vinegar
- Seasonings - Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper
- Adding in Sugar and Liquid Smoke is optional, but it will make it taste even more like the Wendy's Chili you're skipping the drive-thru for.
- Toppings - We top ours with sour cream and cheddar cheese every time. If we're feeling extra spunky, we'll add some diced onions and chives on top as well.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: In a large skillet on medium-high heat, brown the ground beef. When it's 80% fully cooked, add in half of the chili seasoning.
- Step 2: Dice onion, bell pepper, and celery stalks. Open all canned ingredients and strain only the kidney beans.
- Step 3: Place all of the ingredients into the crockpot slow cooker and mix.
- Step 4: Cook on high for at least 5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
Pro Tip: Cook times may vary based on your crockpot. You're looking for the peppers and onions to be soft. The longer the flavors simmer together, the better!
Equipment and Supplies
- 8 Quart Crock Pot - With an 8 qt Slow Cooker, you don't have to worry about running out of room ever again! The removable stoneware is dishwasher safe and easy to clean.
- Cheese Grater - I love my KitchenAid grater! It's easy to clean and comes with a measuring cup. Win-win!
- Large Pot - Hexclad Pots are the best on the market. Click the link for 10% off your next purchase.
- Flint and Flame Knives - These are the everyday knives that I love! Use code ChefTim40 for 40% off your set.
Storage
Allow the leftover chili to cool before storing it in an airtight container. Good for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a pot, covered on medium-low heat until warm throughout.
To freeze, portion out the chili and place it in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating in your pot.
Additions
In my opinion, the best way to enjoy Chili is to keep it simple when serving. Typically, we just top our chili with some cheese, onion, and sour cream.
- Meat Options:
- Using ground turkey or ground chicken works very well in this recipe, and honestly, our kids never knew when we swapped it out! If you're looking to get away from red meat for a meal, try one of those substitutions. We've also tried ground lamb. It worked, but definitely changed the flavor, so I wouldn't recommend.
- Additional Seasonings:
- If you're going for a smoky depth, add in smoked paprika, liquid smoke, chipotles in adobo sauce, or some ancho chile powder.
- To heat things up add in cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes. Of course, fresh diced jalapeños and serranos can do the trick as well!
- Beans:
- Although kidney and chili beans are classic for a chili, we often half the kidney beans with black beans, and it tastes just as good. We tend to use whatever we have on hand to save trips to the grocery store.
Chili Bar and Serving Ideas
- Types of Chili
- Serving different options for your guests guarantees there's something for everyone! Making a Classic Recipe (like this one) or a White Chicken Chili gives meat options. Adding in a vegetarian/gluten-free option like a Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Chili or a Beans and Veggie only recipe will make sure everyone has something for their plate.
- What Toppings to Serve
- Dairy Options - Freshly shredded cheeses and sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- Sauces - We like to line up different hot sauces. Our guests have so much fun with this!
- Greens - Serving chopped onions, diced avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, bacon, and lime wedges will make for some colorful bowls of chili.
- For Dipping and Crunch
- Fritos are our top favorite, and we always run out of those first! Throw in some tortilla chips, oyster crackers, saltine crackers, or croutons for more options.
- What to Serve Chili In/On
- Mugs - Make great for events where people are standing a lot and eating on the move. They're easy to hold and thick and sturdy.
- Over-baked potatoes, Fries or Tater Tots
- Serving chili with hot dogs is always a hit as well!
More From the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch
- Slow Cooker Cube Steak
- The Easiest Crock Pot Pork Roast
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip (with Frank's RedHot)
Video of Recipe
Recipe
Wendy's Chili in a Slow Cooker
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 2 Celery Stalks diced
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 Bell Pepper diced
- 16 oz Tomato Sauce
- 30 oz Stewed Tomatoes
- 16 oz Kidney Beans strained
- 15 oz Chili Beans unstrained
- 7 oz Fire Roasted Green Chilis
- 1 Cup Beef Stock
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- 1.25 oz Packet of Chili Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- In a skillet on medium hight heat, brown the ground beef. When it's 80% fully cooked, add in half of the chili seasoning.
- Dice onion, bell pepper, and celery stalks. Open all canned ingredients and strain only the kidney beans.
- Place all of the ingredients into the crockpot slow cooker and mix together.
- Cook on high for at least 5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
PhyllisJo says
Best chili ever !
CookitwithTim says
Thanks! Glad to hear you agree!
Diane Rice says
This looks easy and sounds delicious! But...
Celery stalks, not "stocks".
CookitwithTim says
Hahaha! Thanks Diane. Hope you love it! Let me know once you try it 🙂