Wendy’s Chili Clone

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  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Servings: 6-8

    • About This Recipe

    “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).”

    Ingredients

  • 1 1/2-2lbsground beef
  • 1 (10ounce) cans French onion soup( not creamy)
  • 1tablespoonchili powder
  • 2teaspoonsground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoonblack pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoonsalt
  • 3dropsTabasco sauce
  • 1 (21ounce) cans red kidney beans( undrained)
  • 1 (6ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 1 (8ounce) cans tomato sauce

    • 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.

    • Reviews

  • “As prepared. I was not impressed.Bland as is.”

  • “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.”

  • “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!”

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

  • “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.”

  • “OMG, I am amazed at how good this is, and how easy!Normally we add more spice, but this was great, I hardly had any leftovers for just the 2 of us.This is not bland at all, but it doesn’t interfere with medication or the like (at this point at least.)Thanks for sharing this recipe, Tinkerbell!Made for Photo Tag.”

  • “I entered a chili contest @ my church in 2006 and had never made chili before. So, I went on here to find a recipe and found this one. I looked over the ingredients list and said ok, found one. I made the chili and took it to the contest and won FIRST PLACE!!!!! In 2007 my church had another contest and I had to make my chili again and I won FIRST PLACE AGAIN! This is a GREAT Recipe!!!!!”

  • “I used ground turkey but otherwise followed the recipe. I didn’t process the onion soup and the whole thing was at a simmer in about 15 minutes. Loved how easy and quick it was to put together. Thanks!”

  • “The recipe was good but I think it might have been missing some spices. It felt too tomatoey with the tomato paste and didn’t have the kick I was expecting from Wendy’s.”

  • “I entered in a chili cook-offwith this and won!”

  • “I followed the recipe exactly. It was good and did seem somewhat like Wendy’s Chili, but it seemed too thick and too tomato tasting. I believe this was due to the tomato paste. I am going to keep looking at other Wendy’s Chili Clone recipes.”

  • “we did this recipe along with 2 others and I forgot to write down my comments so reviewing as a tried recipe”

  • “Wow!This chili is great!I wouldn’t change a thing!(I took everyone’s advice and didn’t puree the onion soup..came out perfect.)Thanks for sharing this recipe.”

  • “A very quick and easy recipe.Also very good!I did not puree the soup and don’t think it made any difference.I used just 1 pound of ground beef and doubled the amount of beans.A keeper! Thanks”

  • “A keeper!Simple ingredients, quick to make, and DELICIOUS.No need to puree the French onion soup…it all blended together just fine.Perfect for a chilly December night!Thanks!My chili hunt is over.”

  • “My church was having a Chili contest and I was asked to enter it b/c not many people had entered the contest, so I did. My husband said, have you ever made chili before and I said no and he started laughing. I was looking for a recipe and found this one and made it for the contest and out of 7 entries I won First Place and everyone loved it!!!!!! Great Recipe to make!!!!!!!! “

  • ” 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!”

  • “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!”

  • “Not bad for something so quick and easy.I threw this together for my husband to eat while watching football. I used a 15 oz can of tomato sauce and a 12 oz can of tomato paste instead of using the smaller sized cans that the recipe calls for. And I used a smaller sized can of beans–probably around 15 oz.I haven’t had Wendy’s chili in a very long time, so I don’t know how this compares, but this is a good, quick chili recipe that I would make again.”

  • “What a nice twist on chili.I’m going to try the crushed tomatoes next time and maybe a little bit of bell pepper.I love the french onion soup in it!! Thanks!”

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