Instant Pot Wendy’s Chili

Instant Pot Wendy’s Chili–an easy copycat version of Wendy’s chili that you can make in the Instant Pot or the Crockpot.

The slow cooker instructions are listed in the recipe card below.

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Instant Pot Wendy’s Chili

This is a great Wendy’s chili copycat recipe! I took the popular wendy’s chili recipe from All Recipes and transformed it into an Instant Pot and Crockpot version. This is a good basic chili recipe and can be tweaked to fit your individual taste preferences. This chili freezes perfectly, tastes even better the next day and feeds a crowd for company and potlucks (see notes for how to double the recipe).

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Olive oil
• Lean ground beef–I used 90/10. You can also use ground turkey.
• Salt and pepper–I like using kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Celery
• Onion–or shallots
• Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
• Light or Dark Red Kidney Beans–or pinto beans. If you like lots of beans you can add 2 cans instead of 1.
• Stewed tomatoes
• Crushed tomatoes
• Rotel tomatoes–I used mild
• Tomato sauce
• McCormick chili seasoning packet–you can also make your own chili seasoning with chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, oregano and other spices
• Green bell pepper
• White vinegar–or red wine vinegar
• Toppings: Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese , diced onions and corn chips

Basic Instant Pot Steps

1. Brown beef: Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil. Press ground beef into the hot oil to form one large patty. Let the bottom brown for 6-8 minutes.
2. Soften onion and celery: Stir and break browned beef into crumbles. Add in the onion and celery. Cook until beef is no longer pink. (If there is excess grease you can drain it off). Lightly salt and pepper the beef. 
3. Deglaze the pot: Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. This will prevent the burn error message.
4. Layer ingredients on top: Pour in the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili seasoning. Don’t stir.
5. Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP button to 10 minutes (if you don’t have a soup button use the pressure cook/manual button). When time is up let pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. 
6. Finish it off: Remove the lid. Stir in the green pepper and vinegar. Replace the lid and let pot sit on warm for 5-10 more minutes. Taste test and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, sour cream and corn chips. 

Notes/Tips

• Serve with cornbread and honey butter. My favorite cornbread is this recipe. If you don’t have time to whip up a batch then you can serve with saltine crackers.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
• To make a double batch of wendy’s copycat chili recipe you will need to use a 6 or 8 quart pot. It makes a full pot. Double most all of the ingredients. But don’t double the tomatoes. Just add one additional can of crushed tomatoes. Use one can of kidney beans and one can of pinto beans.
• If you like heat use Mexican Style stewed tomatoes, HOT McCormick Chili Seasoning, and RO*TEL with habanero for extra spice.
• This recipe can be gluten-free if you use McCormick Gluten-Free Chili Seasoning Mix. This recipe is dairy free if you forego the cheese on top.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This is a great recipe to freeze. You can store in your freezer in containers of Ziplock bags for up to 3 months. To reheat, add chili to a pot and bring to a simmer on the stove top over low heat, stirring frequently. You can also microwave a bowl at a time for about 90 seconds.
• Another recipe you can make with the other half of your green pepper is Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Cosmo.

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4 More Instant Pot Chili Recipes to Try…

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.