Description
Hearty Wendy’s inspired chili delivers comfort and nostalgia in one delicious bowl. Packed with ground beef, beans, and signature spices, this homemade version brings restaurant-quality flavor right to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) ground beef
Vegetables:
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 3 celery stalks (diced)
Tomato Base and Beans:
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces or 411 grams each) diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 can (15 ounces or 425 grams) tomato sauce
- 1 can (6 ounces or 170 grams) tomato paste
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) water
- 1 can (15 ounces or 425 grams) kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can (15 ounces or 425 grams) pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Sizzle ground beef in a spacious pot, breaking it down until completely browned and eliminating excess grease.
- Introduce diced onions, verdant bell peppers, and crisp celery into the meat, allowing them to soften and release their aromatic essence.
- Pour in diced tomatoes with their natural juices, smooth tomato sauce, concentrated tomato paste, and a splash of water, creating a robust liquid foundation.
- Gently fold in kidney and pinto beans, complementing them with a harmonious blend of chili powder, earthy cumin, pungent garlic powder, subtle onion powder, and optional fiery cayenne pepper.
- Reduce heat to a gentle whisper, covering the pot and allowing the ingredients to meld and intensify their flavors, stirring periodically during a 45-minute transformative simmering process.
- Conduct a final taste assessment, fine-tuning seasonings to personal preference and serving the chili piping hot, with optional garnishes of sharp cheddar cheese, cool sour cream, or delicate green onion snippets.
Notes
- Drain ground beef thoroughly to prevent a greasy texture and ensure a cleaner, more robust chili flavor.
- Use fresh vegetables for enhanced taste and crunch, chopping them uniformly for consistent cooking and texture.
- Consider using lean ground beef (90/10) to reduce fat content while maintaining the classic hearty chili profile.
- Experiment with bean alternatives like black beans or cannellini beans for dietary variations or personal preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg