Have you ever wondered what type of meat Wendy's uses in its chili?
For instance, does the hamburger chain use fresh meat to make its chili?
Or are old hamburger patties used in the chunky stew?
You'll want to keep watching to find out.
There was a time when the biggest question associated with Wendy's was:
"Where's the beef?"
In those carefree days of 1984, Wendy's did the asking.
That question became a rhetorical smackdown that casts doubt on how well-grounded an idea
is.
But in more recent years, people have had a beef with Wendy's ground meat.
There's no need to ask where it is because it's in the chain's chili.
Instead, people find the meat itself questionable.
Back in 2015, people asked if Wendy's even used beef in its chili.
As Snopes explained, a satirical piece by News Buzz Daily gave people the false impression
the meat wasn't wholly cow but what sounds like an unholy trinity of horse, rat, and
beef.
Nowadays, chili detractors who accept that the meat comes entirely from animals that
moo may still claim that Wendy's milks its cow meat for too long, using beef patties
that are well past their prime.
TikToker @mr.mawby described them as, quote, "old dry patties."
In a TikTok video that amassed more than 7 million views and 19,000 comments before it
was removed from the site, the TikToker claims to be, quote, "exposing Wendy's."
Set in a kitchen, the video showed beef patties being rinsed, microwaved, chopped into chunks,
and placed in a bag for safekeeping until they can fill chili cups.
According to the TikToker, the meat was then stored in a refrigerator for a few days.
Despite featuring the text, "How Wendys Prepares Chili," the since-deleted TikTok video doesn't
actually show the chili being prepared in its entirety and stops after the ground beef
is stored.
But maybe @mr.mawby got it wrong.
User Kendyll seemed to think the claims were more bull than beef, writing,
"I used to work at Wendy's.
[T]he only correct part of this was the chopping with a spatula."
Another self-described Wendy's employee claimed that their location used "fresh" patties to
prepare chili.
A 2021 Reddit thread also addressed the question of whether the hamburger chain uses old meat
in its chili.
The thread featured self-identified Wendy's employees who revealed that broken patty pieces
that may have been cooked too long were used in the chili.
Moreover, some insisted the meat was just "as fresh" as the beef used in sandwiches.
Regardless of how Wendy's chili is prepared, it's still an incredibly popular menu item.
And for some fans, the way it's made simply isn't a problem.
According to the Daily Dot, a former employee who worked at Wendy's in 1998 claimed nothing
had changed about the process.
In a 2020 YouTube video, Mashed asked viewers what they think about Wendy's chili, and the
comments were mostly in favor of the meaty dish.
One YouTuber wrote:
"I like the chili and never regretted a single serving I've had."
Another YouTuber also had nothing but positive things to say about Wendy's chili, writing,
"1 bowl of their chili makes 1 killer meal!"
In fact, Wendy's chili has so many fans, diners are looking to replicate the dish at home.
A simple Google search will yield dozens of recipes.
Wendy's isn't the only establishment that's come under fire for its recipes, preparation
techniques, and ingredients.
And the response is often as divided as the Wendy's chili discussion.
TikToker Isaiah Gilley, presumably a McDonald's employee, regularly posts videos showing the
preparation of popular menu items, including a viral video depicting the construction of
the ever-popular McRib.
Gilley's videos often receive mixed responses in the comments, with some users claiming
they're grossed out by the processes and others stating they'll continue to eat at McDonald's.
And it's not just customers who are split when it comes to whether or not fast-food
procedures are indeed gross — it's also employees.
A Reddit thread explores items customers may want to avoid at popular restaurants.
One user claiming to be a Dunkin' employee told customers to avoid the eggs, stating
they'd witnessed eggs left out for more than three hours.
However, no matter how you fry it, fast food and its controversial menu items, like the
Wendy's chili, are here to stay.
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