Wendy’s Chili
This is a classic recipe that many people love. Wendy’s makes this up fresh everyday and you can do the same. Tomato juice really adds enhanced flavor to this chili, and you may want to start off with a little less chili powder, but we really do find the whole 1/4 cup isn’t too hot, but very flavorful.
2 lbs. fresh ground beef
1 qt. tomato juice
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (15 oz.) can red beans, drained
1 medium onion (1 1/2 c.), chopped
1/2 C. celery, diced
1/4 C. green pepper, diced
1/4 C. chili powder (you may want to use less, some people find this is too much)
1 tsp. cumin (if you like real flavor, add more)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each: black pepper, oregano, sugar
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 qt. tomato juice
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (15 oz.) can red beans, drained
1 medium onion (1 1/2 c.), chopped
1/2 C. celery, diced
1/4 C. green pepper, diced
1/4 C. chili powder (you may want to use less, some people find this is too much)
1 tsp. cumin (if you like real flavor, add more)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each: black pepper, oregano, sugar
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
In a frying pan, brown the ground beef; drain. Put the drained beef and the remaining ingredients into a 6-quart pot. Cover the pot; let it simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
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(80 votes, average: 3.29 out of 5)
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CopyKat.com is the creation of Stephanie Manley. Stephanie started publishing recipes on the web in 1995 as a means to capture her family recipes in a format that they would not be thrown away. Over the years she has developed many recipes that taste just like the restaurant originals that you would normally go out to try. 
The last time I bought chili at Wendy’s it had chopped tomatoes in it, which I like. Looks like this recipe post fails to include diced or roughly chopped tomatoes and used "tomato puree" instead. My guess: if you did it the way this CopyKat recipe calls for, there would WAY too much liquid for the amount of solid ingredients. I’m guessing substitute three coarsely chopped medium tomatoes for the tomato puree. THEN if it seems to need a bit more liquid add just enough of tomato puree.
Also I can’t remember if Wendy’s chili contains celery (this is a minor point) since I haven’t ordered it at Wendy’s since last Winter.
Haha, I work at Wendy’s. Our store doesn’t make chili anything like this. It’s a bag of seasoning, a can of base which includes tomato paste, water and a few mashed up tomatoes, two bags of frozen vegetables (onions and flavorless green peppers), one gallon small chili beans, and half gallon dark red kidney beans. Talk about simplicity.
I have been making this Chili for many years. I got the recipe off this website originally. I made it one night for my group at work. The new VP to our company came in and she tasted it and loved it. When I told her it was a Wendy’s Chili recipe, she was delighted. She said she that was her favorite food there and asked for the recipe. She has been making it for years as well. We are having lunch on Friday in my department and she asked if I would make Wendy’s Chili. My suggestion is I add more cumin and less chili powder and just a touch more of sugar than what it calls for. My VP used ketchup instead of tomato puree. It’s a hit no matter what is added.
This is a hit at large gatherings, especially when it’s cold outside. I also added tomatoes, which I love using in everything. And, sometimes I add canellini beans (white kidney beans) to change up the color. This chili remains a "hot" request at groups where friends bring their special dishes to share. I
Just had a large bowl of Wendy’s Chili yesterday. My wife and I both noted that it contained two kinds of beans. Pinto and Kidney . I would add, with the amount of liquid used, one 15 1/2 ounce can of pinto beans and one 15 1/2 ounce can of kidney beans. I personally think you would produce a better clone by replacing the tomato puree with stewed tomatoes. I see no reason to simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours while using canned beans. This is strictly overkill. I would think thirty minutes would be more like it.
So Ron, your comments got me to thinking, why in the world it would take so long to simmer the chili. So I made some, I shot a video for the chili
It takes awhile for the onions and celery to cook. It isn’t going to be done in 30 minutes, unless you like the two a little crunchy. It took my chili about a good hour for the celery to get fully done, and lose the crunch. My tip, the smaller you slice the veggies the quicker it will take for the soup to cook.