Description
Wendy’s chili recipe brings hearty comfort to home kitchens with its classic blend of ground beef and beans. Quick and satisfying, this copycat dish delivers restaurant-style flavor you can easily prepare in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (900 g) ground beef
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1 (15 oz / 425 g) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz / 425 g) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28 oz / 800 g) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (14 oz / 400 g) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10 oz / 280 g) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (e.g., Rotel)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tbsps chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium heat, meticulously breaking it into fine crumbles and draining excess fat completely.
- Vegetable Integration: Incorporate diced onions, green bell peppers, and celery into the beef, sautéing until vegetables soften and become translucent, releasing their aromatic essence.
- Liquid Foundation: Combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies, and water, creating a robust liquid base for the chili.
- Seasoning Infusion: Add kidney and pinto beans to the simmering mixture, then generously sprinkle chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Thoroughly blend seasonings to ensure uniform distribution.
- Flavor Development: Briefly raise heat to initiate boiling, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and allow chili to develop complex flavors for 1-1.5 hours, occasionally stirring to prevent ingredient settlement and ensure even cooking.
- Serving Presentation: Ladle the rich, aromatic chili into serving bowls and garnish with optional toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, or crisp oyster crackers for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- Drain Beef Thoroughly: Remove excess fat completely to prevent greasy texture and maintain a cleaner, healthier chili base.
- Slow Simmer Strategy: Low and slow cooking allows flavors to meld deeply, transforming simple ingredients into a rich, complex dish that tastes even better the next day.
- Seasoning Balance: Adjust spices gradually, tasting as you go to create a perfectly balanced heat level that doesn’t overwhelm but adds depth to the chili.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Chili develops more intense flavors when refrigerated overnight, making it an ideal make-ahead meal for busy weeknights or meal prep enthusiasts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg