The History of Wendy's Chili Recipe
THE SIGNATURE WENDY'S CHILI RECIPE IS THE PERFECT MIX OF OUR SIGNATURE BEEF, HEARTY VEGETABLES, CHILI BEANS AND SAVORY SPICES.
Wendy’s Pays Tribute To Signature Menu Item On National Chili Day
There’s something to be said about the level of comfort a bowl of chili can bring. When it comes to our list of menu items we wish we could snuggle, chili definitely tops the list. Hey, don’t act like you’ve never dreamt of snuggling up to a big ole’ bowl of chili by the fire on a cold winter night. We digress… But, it is National Chili Day so let’s dive into the history of this signature item that’s been on our menu since our early days.
So, What Makes Wendy’s Chili Recipe Deliciously Different?
What is it about chili that makes it so desirable? The Wendy’s Chili recipe ingredients are simple at their core, but at Wendy’s it’s all about blending our signature beef with the perfect mix of hearty vegetables, chili beans and savory spices. The result is a taste that’s both satisfying and sentimental, and it’s the perfect comfort food anytime of the year. Who else but Wendy's could bring you #allthefeels in every bite?
With Great Beef Comes Great Responsibility
Don’t worry, this isn’t the part where we segue into the robust history of Wendy’s chili. We’ll keep it short and savory. Being a resourceful man – and a little ahead of his time – Dave Thomas inherently understood the concept of food recovery. And by building the brand on the promise of serving fresh, never frozen beef*, Dave knew his hamburgers would have a shorter shelf-life. He even asked himself, “what do you do with the leftover hamburger?” The answer was simple: combine the beef we use for our hamburgers with a hearty helping of vegetables, chili beans and a dash of spice.
Creating the perfect chili recipe wasn’t easy, but Dave knew it would be worth it. After many marathon cooking sessions, Dave created a sustainable solution and a delicious menu item that has stood the test of time and holds a special place in the hearts of customers.
Comfort Without The Calories
A large-serving size of our chili is packed with 23g of protein and 5g of fiber, with only 250 calories. And while we can’t speak for its medicinal merit, it’s been known to cure almost every craving and remedy a few bad days. Simply put, it’s a taste that lets you reminisce and keeps you coming back for more.
Now, we didn’t write this up to make you hungry on purpose. BUT… if that rumble you heard was your stomach growling, might we suggest a bowl of Wendy’s Chili?
Click here to find your nearest Wendy’s: Find My Wendy’s
*Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska and Canada.
FAQs
Wendy's chili dates back to the very beginning of the franchise. When Wendy's opened in 1969, there were only five items on the menu: signature burgers, fries, soft drinks, chili, and the famous Frosty. Dave Thomas didn't go into the restaurant business dying to have chili on the menu, it just sort of happened.
Why did Wendy's change their chili? ›
Lorraine Thomas and Charlotte Immke developed and finalized the recipe for Wendy's chili that was sold in the first restaurant on the first day, and hasn't really changed all that much since. The most striking change to Wendy's chili over the years has been a largely external factor: the cost of making it.
What is Wendy's chili made of? ›
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 ...
What is the sand in Wendy's chili? ›
Wendy's Chili: Sand
One key ingredient to Wendy's chili is an anti-caking agent called silicon dioxide. Street name: sand or glass powder.
How does Wendy's use old meat in their chili? ›
While Wendy's website does admit that the meat in the chili is leftover burger meat, it does not suggest that it is frozen.
Is Wendy's chili made fresh everyday? ›
Made fresh every day
We prep from scratch every day—slicing our tomatoes by hand, preparing our house-made chili and cooking our bacon to ensure quality and freshness in every order.
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.
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.
Why were people boycotting Wendys? ›
Instead of using their influence to help protect farmworkers against sexual assault, forced labor, and a host of other human rights violations, Wall Street investors doing business with Wendy's make a fortune investing their money in an industry founded on unconscionable farmworker exploitation.
Why did Wendy's remove lettuce? ›
Romaine lettuce is displayed at a store in a stock photo. Wendy's is removing the romaine lettuce it uses in some of its sandwiches as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigates an E. coli outbreak that has sickened dozens of people.
“We quit making chili because we couldn't sell it for what it cost us to make it," says Garner. "We were actually losing money on it, and we could not sustain our business if we had continued to do that product.”
Who invented Wendy's chili? ›
Back when Dave Thomas left his discipleship of Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame to go off and start the hamburger chain that we now know as Wendy's (which he named for his daughter, Melinda) one of my favorite things he did was find a way to reduce waste – and thus costs – while increasing revenue by ...
How nutritious is Wendy's chili? ›
Wendy's chili (1 cup) contains 18.9g total carbs, 13.4g net carbs, 5g fat, 15.3g protein, and 180 calories.
What is Wendy's hot chili seasoning? ›
The ingredients listed on the real Hot Chili Seasoning are water, corn syrup, salt, distilled vinegar, natural flavors, xanthan gum, and extractives of paprika.
What is the true origin of chili? ›
Food historians speculate that chili originated in Texas-Mexico border towns and spread north. In the 1880s San Antonio's downtown was famous for Hispanic outdoor vendors called "chili queens." At Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition Texas-style chili was popular, and at St.
Is Wendy's chili beef or turkey? ›
The Wendy's Chili recipe ingredients are simple at their core, but at Wendy's it's all about blending our signature beef with the perfect mix of hearty vegetables, chili beans and savory spices. The result is a taste that's both satisfying and sentimental, and it's the perfect comfort food anytime of the year.
Is chili from Texas or Mexico? ›
This very popular dish did not originate in Mexico, but in San Antonio, Texas. Initially it was made of simple ingredients that were found locally. Meats, such as beef, venison, or bison were combined with wild onions and wild chili peppers.
