Paleo Wendy’s chili! Because when it’s a first date and you end up getting married…there’s a few memories to involved!
Some 30+ years ago I had a first date with Drew. I was a single mom with two little girls so any date was a huge win!! We had tickets to a concert in Salt Lake City and needed to grab a quick meal before we attended. Wendy’s was near the concert hall, so we went in, ordered and the rest is history you might say!
I have ALWAYS loved Wendy’s chili. I remember when they popped up on the scene locally in our town in the mid 70’s. First spoonful of their chili and it was love at first bite. There was something about all the textures and flavors that caught my taste buds attention. My standard order: large chili, fries and lots of saltines! Anyone else remember the little “spicy packet” of “who knows what” you could open and put in the chili? Kicked the spice up a bit and wow, so good!
Fast forward 40+ years and here we are. We hadn’t enjoyed this chili for so long since, as with most fast food joints, there aren’t many options when you’re reading those labels! On our anniversary in 2020 (the 30th anniversary of our first date) we decided to order the same meals we enjoyed on that first date. We hit up Wendy’s and gosh we both enjoyed every bite! This experiment awakened my taste buds and recreating this PALEO WENDY’S CHILI recipe was a must.
For what it’s worth, and while it may be obvious…no, beans are NOT Paleo or Whole30. So why are they in the recipe? Here’s the deal, Wendy’s chili does have beans and the last few months I’ve been gradually reintroducing beans, with happy results so far. So, in they went to the recipe. If you don’t tolerate beans at all or are doing a Whole30, skip them. Easy peasy!
You can also leave out the chipotle chili powder if you’re not looking for that lil’ kick of heat. The green chilies are mild and do not add much heat at all.
Our favorite ingredients used in this recipe:
Recipes recently added to our blog:
paleo “Wendy’s” chili
Course: mainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
cups20
minutes15
minutesjust like your taste buds remember, but so much better!
Ingredients
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 small onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
½ cup roasted red peppers, diced
½ cup roasted green chilies, canned
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp tomato paste
1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp chipotle chili powder (opt)
⅛ tsp porcini mushroom powder*
28 oz fire roasted tomatoes, canned variety, crushed or diced
1½ cups bone broth, unsalted (chicken or beef)
15 oz can organic red beans, drained/rinsed (opt omit for Whole30/Paleo)
Garnish as desired
Directions
- Set your IP to saute, add avocado oil and onion. Saute, stirring occasionally until onions are softened. Toss in the garlic and stir, continue sauteeing until garlic is fragrant.
- Add ground beef, breaking apart and cooking until nearly done. It’s ok if it’s still a bit pink as the cooking under pressure will complete the cooking.
- Turn off the saute option on your IP and add roasted red peppers, green chilies, chili powder, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of the ACV, cumin, salt, chili powder, mushroom powder, canned tomatoes, bone broth and beans, if using.
- Secure lid, move valve to “seal” and cook under high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release and let it set for 5 minutes, remove lid and taste. Adjust salt and apple cider vinegar to taste. Stir again and serve. Our favorite toppings are: chopped red onion, green onions, cilantro, avocado, pepperoncini, crackers, lime wedges, salsa or bacon.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.
- *to make porcini mushroom powder, blitz dried porcini mushrooms in a spice grinder until you have a fine powder. Store in an airtight container & use in all the things!! A little does the trick!
