Wendy's Chile Recipe

Here's an amazing popular recipe for chili that is the same as the stuff served at the Wendy's chain. Dave Thomas, Wendy's founder, has been serving this chili since 1969, the year the first Wendy's opened up. Throughout the years the recipe has changed a little, but this version here is an extra ordinary copy of the version of chili served in the early 1990's. You could try topping it with some chopped onions and cheddar cheese.


2 pounds ground beef
One 29-ounce can tomato sauce
One 29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)
One 29-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)
1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 cup diced green chili (2 chilies)
1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water


1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat.
2. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.
3. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over
low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.