Wendy's Chili in a Slow Cooker
This easy, hands-off Wendy's Copycat Chili in the slow cooker is hearty and filled with rich flavor. It's the perfect comfort food dinner for the whole family, without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen.
Equipment
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.
Notes
Storage:
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days. To reheat, warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water, if needed, until warm throughout.
- Store leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the freezer overnight before reheating on the stove as instructed above.
- This is a great make-ahead meal — as it sits for 3-4 days, the flavors continue to meld making it tastes even better. Prep and cook it in advance, allow it to cool, then store in the fridge until you're ready to reheat and serve.
- Don't skip browning the beef — it adds a deeper, caramelized flavor. And adding it raw to the slow cooker leads to a soft, unpleasant texture.
- Only drain and rinse the kidney beans — leave the tomatoes and their liquid as-is (or blend them) for the right chili consistency.
- Add a splash of apple cider vinegar — to balance and round out the flavors.
- Use a 6-quart or larger crockpot — and double the recipe for a crowd or game day.
- Cook low and slow — the longer the chili simmers, the more the flavors develop, so low and slow is worth the wait.
Nutrition
Calories: 513kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 32gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1706mgPotassium: 1621mgFiber: 12gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 3376IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 9mg
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