Wendy's Chili Clone Recipe - Food.com (2024)

Community Pick

Submitted by Tinkerbell

"I have been using this recipe exclusively for the last 9 years. It's from the April 8, 1993 Phil Donahue show featuring Gloria Pitzer, the recipe detective. It's easy and delicious in a variety of ways. We serve it at home as well as made ahead to take camping. Serve it the classic way, with cornbread or on hot dogs. Or try some of our family favorites, Cincinnati style (served over cooked spaghetti noodles) or taco salads (a bed of lettuce and corn chips, topped with chili and sour cream)."

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photo by KateL

Ready In:: 40mins
Ingredients:: 10
Serves:: 6-8

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ingredients

1 ¹⁄₂ - 2 lbs ground beef
1 (10 ounce) can French onion soup (not creamy)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
3 drops Tabasco sauce
1 (21 ounce) can red kidney beans (undrained)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

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directions

In large saucepan or dutch oven, over med/high heat, brown beef.
Puree french onion soup in blender and pour over cooked beef.
Cook and stir until mixture is consistency of rice.
Stir in spices.
Add undrained beans, tomato paste and sauce and stir well.
Reduce heat to Low and simmer for 20 minutes or until piping hot and flavors have blended.
Add additional salt and pepper, chili powder or Tabasco to taste.

Questions & Replies

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Reviews

As prepared. I was not impressed. Bland as is.

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Karla Zaar
Tasty chili in a flash. Not a veggie to be peeled and chopped, just open cans. I added like 1/4 cup diced green chilies.

rosslare
Not Wendy's chili but good. I believe that Wendy's chili has peppers in it and is a lot more soupy. This chili was thick, more like for topping hot dogs. I added more seasoning and some chicken bullion. This is easy and tasty, its a keeper. Thanks for posting!

mamadelogan
Very very very good chili! Not Wendys, but great! I added a can of chili beans as well.

Amanda
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Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe - Isabel Eats {Easy Mexican Recipes}
Oh wow....the family's new favorite chilli recipe. DH love Wendy's chili and so I just knew this would go over in a big way for him. I"ve never made chilid using french onion soup and so this must..it just must be the secret ingredient. I"m not a meat eater, but the smell was heavenly while this was simmering away on the stove-top. A real keeper Tink.Made for HolidayTag.

CoffeeB

see 16 more reviews

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Tweaks

First let me say this is a great recipe...most of us sometime tweak things for own preference or with what we have on hand and I did just that. I used 2 lb gr. beef and did not puree the onion soup. instead of kidney beans I used a mix of chili bean and no beans chili. all else same. simmered a while and froze half. served with toasted cheese. thanks for a quick flexible recipe. oh so good!

jellyko
So easy and quick to make! and tasty too!!! I used 2 16 oz cans of kidney beans instead of 21 oz, and I didn't have tomato sauce so I used a 16 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained. Everyone loved it! This is my chili recipe from now on!

rhondalynne
I was skeptical about using canned French Onion soup, but was very pleased with the results of this chili. I did not have tomato paste, so I used crushed tomatoes w/ puree, and it was great. I loved the cumin flavor, but did substitute Cayenne pepper for the black pepper, and also added a touch more chili powder as well as a TBS of salt (liquid from the tomatoes probably diluted it a bit). Keeper recipe. I'll make this when I don't have 4 hours to simmer my other recipe.

Mole1338

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Tinkerbell

Boise, 51

66 Followers
191 Recipes
83 Tweaks

Hi! I am happily married with two children, 26 and 12. For nearly 10 years when this site was Recipezaar and then Food.com I hosted several different forums. I enjoyed making, creating, reviewing, and photographing recipes, but what I miss the most are the friendships I made here. I was Food Editor for the Mill Creek View Newspaper in Mill Creek, WA. for about 4 years during that time. Currently I am the office manager at a small mental health clinic. I'm not on this site much anymore, but I do continue to appreciate and respond to all reviews posted to my recipes.

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Wendy's Chili Clone Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Wendy's chili? ›

Chili Concentrate: Chili Sauce (Water, Tomato Juice, Tomatoes, Calcium Chloride, Seasoning (Sugar, Salt, Corn Starch, Dried Chilies, Spices, Flavor Enhancer [Dextrose, Salt, Yeast Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Modified Corn Starch], Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Xanthan gum), Beans (Pink Beans, Red ...

Keep Reading ›

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

Stir some puréed pumpkin into your chili just after sautéing your aromatics (onions, garlic, etc...) and before adding any liquid. This will deepen and sweeten its flavor, making it a great balance for all the chile peppers and heat.

Learn More ›

What makes Wendy's chili taste so good? ›

Pinto beans have a creamy texture and a nutty and slightly earthy flavor. Kidney beans have a dense texture and subtly sweet flavor. Finally, customers love Wendy's chili because it's just good, old-fashioned comfort food.

Does Wendy's put sugar in their chili? ›

Without the proprietary combination of seasonings -- a blend containing sugar, salt, garlic powder, chili peppers, yeast extract and other spices -- Wendy's chili would lack its characteristic flavor.

Discover More Details ›

What is the sand in Wendy's chili? ›

Sand (Silicon Dioxide)

Used as an anti-caking agent, it is often added to processed beef and chicken to prevent clumping, and is listed in the ingredient panels for chili from both Wendy's and Taco Bell.

Know More ›

What is the magic ingredient for chili? ›

Coffee. A cup of strong, brewed coffee will work wonders for your pot of chili, imparting a deep, roasted flavor that will make the chili taste like it simmered away all day long.

Tell Me More ›

What is the trick to a good chili? ›

Rumi Spice's top tips for making chili:

Brown the Meat.
Don't Forget Vegetables.
Elevate with Extra Flavor.
Only Add Flavorful Liquids.
Opt for Dried Beans.
Season Early and Often.
Add Some Acidity at the End.
Top It Off.

More items...

Tell Me More ›

What is the most important spice in chili? ›

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

Know More ›

What company makes Wendy's chili? ›

Wendy's Chili with Beans Brings Restaurant Quality Taste to the Comfort of Your Home. Conagra Brands, Inc.

View Details ›

What brand is Wendy's chili? ›

"Wendy's Chili has been a beloved menu item since our beginnings in 1969," said Carl Loredo, Global Chief Marketing Officer for The Wendy's Company. "We're thrilled about the partnership with Conagra Brands and to have the opportunity to bring our brand's iconic chili flavor to even more fans.

Explore More ›

Does Wendy's chili uses old meat? ›

While Wendy's website does admit that the meat in the chili is leftover burger meat, it does not suggest that it is frozen.

Get More Info ›

What does Wendy's use as fillers in their meat? ›

Our signature square hamburger patties have no fillers or additives because we know the beef is what matters when it comes to making the best hamburger in the game.

Discover More Details ›

Does Wendy's use real beef in their chili? ›

Wendy's doesn't do that — it saves unsellable meat for its famous chili. "It's then cut up, frozen, and bagged for later use in the chili," a Wendy's shift manager said on Reddit.

Get More Info Here ›

What is chili magic? ›

Bush's Chili Magic transforms tomatoes and your favorite protein into a delicious weeknight chili. Stock your pantry with 15.5 oz recyclable cans of Bush's Classic Homestyle Chili Magic Chili Starter. Bush's Classic Homestyle Chili Magic is made from tender pinto beans in a mild chili sauce with traditional seasonings.

Learn More ›

Why put butter in chili? ›

Butter smooths out the bitterness and adds its unique richness, making you take another bite without quite knowing why. A dash of sugar and vinegar gives a sweet-sour flavor that also makes the sauce rounder and more satisfying.

Tell Me More ›