Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (2024)

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by Stephanie Manley 44 Comments

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Growing up, homemade chili at my house was made from Wick Fowler Chili packages. You can easily make this chili at home without the package. All you need are some simple ingredients that may already be in your pantry.

Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (1)

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What Makes The Wick Fowler 2 Alarm Chili Kit So Good?

If you have never tried one of the Wick Fowler 2 Alarm Chili mixes sold in most spice sections of the grocery stores, you are missing out on some easy-to-make chili. They have an optional red chili packet inside, so you can dial up the heat to the chili if you desire. We always went all in. Living in Texas, I think our heat levels are different than in some parts of the country. If you want a well-balanced chili, these chili seasoning packs are the way to go.

What Makes This The Recipe You Want To Try

This recipe gives you what the individual seasoning packets do, but here you will turn to your pantry to provide the seasonings from your spice cabinets. This recipe is almost as simple to prepare as ripping open a store-bought Wick Fowler’s 2-alarm chili kit and awhole lot less expensive. Make a homemadechili mix kit and bring it to your next tailgate or on that weekend camping trip. You won’t be sorry!

What is Masa Harina?

You know you are in the presence of an absolute chili master whenever you walk into the kitchen and see a bag of masa harina also known as corn masa flouron the counter. Masa harina is a flour made from corn; however, it’s not the same as ordinary cornmeal. Masa harina is more closely related to hominy grits as both are made from corn kernels that have been cooked and then soaked in an alkaline solution.

Masa harina is widely used in Mexican and Southwestern cooking to make doughs for corn tortillas and tamales and thicken stews, much like cornstarch.

If you can’t get your hands on masa harina where you live, use an equal amount of cornstarch instead (dissolve the cornstarch in the water or tomato sauce before adding it to the chili). Other alternatives include a few crushed corn chips, a finely chopped corn tortilla, or even hominy grits.

Let’s Talk About Beans

I am not going to choose a side when it comes to whether beans have a place in chili, but if you fall on the pro-bean side of the divide, you might as well do it right. That means skipping soaking dried beans overnight and then simmering them for hours.

Yep, canned beans are the best for chili and are much more convenient. As for which variety of beans to use, there are a lot of opinions out there.

In the country’s southwest region, pinto beans are preferred, but order a bowl in any diner in the Northeast, and you will get chili with red kidney beans. Of course, you can consider using black or even pink beans, but you probably want to avoid cannellini, chickpeas, and fava beans.

Wick Fowler Chili Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Ground beef
  • Paprika
  • Dehydrated onion
  • Dehydrated garlic
  • Salt
  • Cumin
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Chili powder
  • Dried oregano
  • Tomato sauce
  • Water
  • Masa, optional
Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (2)

Ingredient Notes

In the box of 2 Alarm chili spices, you will find a packet labeled “red pepper”. We are substituting cayenne for the red pepper. Cayenne is a type of red pepper.

Masa will thicken the chili if desired. You could leave it out as well. It depends on how thick you like your chili.

While it is controversial for some, I always add beans to my chili. I know many fine people who are against adding beans to chili, and that’s okay. Red kidney beans, pinto beans, or canned chili beans all work well.

This recipe is unique because you control the heat with the cayenne pepper. If you don’t like your chili too spicy, don’t add the cayenne pepper at all. If you like it a little spicy, add half of the cayenne pepper, and if you want it spicier, add all of the cayenne pepper.

How to Make 2 Alarm Chili

Here are the simple steps for making this delicious beef chili recipe:

  1. Brown the beef in a large pot or Dutch oven.
  2. Drain the meat and return it to the pot.
  3. Add the spices and stir in thoroughly.
Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (3)
  1. Add tomato sauce and water.
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
  3. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (4)
  1. Combine masa and hot water to thicken the chili and stir until smooth.
  2. Pour the masa mixture into the chili.
  3. Cook until the chili thickens, and serve.
Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (5)

Recipe Variations

Here are a few ideas on how to change this recipe:

  • Instead of adding water, add tomato juice. The tomato juice can intensify the flavor of the chili.
  • Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Chipotle powder. Chipotle powder is made from smoked jalapenos. The chipotle powder adds lots of smoke without adding a lot of heat.
  • Swap the paprika for smoked paprika to add some smoke to the chili.
  • Use a coarse grind of beef. Ground brisket is fantastic.
  • Create a topping bar for your chili containing Fritos, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and sliced green onion tops.

Tips for Making, Serving, and Storing Wick Fowler2 Alarm Chili

  • Make a few extra chili kits and stash them in the pantry.Measuring out the spices takes the most time, so plan ahead for those nights when you don’t have enough prep time.
  • Serve with lots of topping.Provide shredded cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, sliced avocado, crushed corn chips, and hot sauce on the side. Let your guest customize their chili according to their taste.
  • Chili freezes beautifully.Cool the chili leftovers to room temperature before filling freezer bags halfway. Let chili defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.

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Wick Fowler 2 Alarm Chili

You can make Wick Fowler 2 Alarm chili without the package of spices.

4.87 from 22 votes

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chili Recipe, Wick Fowler 2 Alarm Chili

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef

Spice Mix

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons masa
  • 2 teaspoons dehydrated onion (1/2 cup chopped fresh onion)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dehydrated garlic (1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 16 ounces water

Instructions

  • Brown the beef in a large pot or Dutch oven. Drain beef.

  • Add the spices (with the exception of the masa) and stir in thoroughly. Add tomato sauce and water. If desired add 1 (14 ounce) can of beans. Reduce temperature to simmer.

  • Simmer for about 30 minutes. If you want to thicken the chili, mix the masa in a 1/4 cup of hot water. Stir the masa until smooth. Pour the masa mixture into the chili. Cook until the chili thickens and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John K.

    Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (8)
    The one commercial product for which a copycat recipe is absolutely useless, as all the ingredients of the product are packaged separately. Anyone with a sensitive kitchen scale knows the measurements.
    The best thing is the tweaks offered at the end of the article and in the comments.

    Reply

    • Stephanie Manley

      Thank you John. I appreciate your comments.

      Reply

    • Nancy

      I found useful! We couldn’t find wick fowlers in our grocery store and I was hoping someone had written down the measurements . So thank you for doing that!

      Reply

  2. Susan Seals

    Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (9)
    Awesome recipe! I’ve been buying Wick Fowler for years, will use this recipe . I did, of course, make a few changes. Used Hatch hot pepper instead of cayenne, one can rotel, used a bit more oregano and cumin. It’s so good. Just did a test taste, just need to add a bit more hot pepper.

    Reply

  3. green purl

    Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (10)
    I’ve been making Wick Fowler’s chili for 40 years. Here’s my version:

    1/2 lb ground turkey breast
    1 can red beans
    1 can black beans
    1 can Rotel
    1/2 bottle of beer
    no masa
    1/2 the red pepper packet

    I keep this in my freezer to enjoy year-round.

    Reply

    • David

      Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (11)
      You lost me at beans.

      Reply

      • gregor

        Historically, folks here in Texas ate a bowl of beans regularly. The meat gravy was made with bean likker to top the beans as one could afford, with varying amounts or cuts used, Similar treatment is found with US-Italian Sunday Gravy, among many other examples, The facts about Texas Chili are plain, long before Texas became a State when the Spanish introduced it to San Antonio in the 17th century. It was a working-class meal.

  4. Anchen

    Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (12)
    Best chili recipe there is!!

    Reply

  5. Jack

    Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (13)
    I won’t get into the bean debate other than to say: In Terlingua, Texas where the World Chili Cook-off was born, they have a saying and song they sing.
    “If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain’t got no beans.”
    Thanks for the great recipes!

    Reply

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Copycat Wick Fowler Chili - 2 Alarm Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What goes in a 2 alarm chili kit? ›

This box contains 6 individual seasoning packets: red pepper, corn masa flour, cumin/oregano, ground chili peppers, onion/garlic, paprika.

What are the ingredients in false alarm chili? ›

Wick Fowler's False Alarm Mild Chili Kit:

6 individual seasoning packets: corn masa flour, cumin/oregano, ground chili peppers, onion/garlic, paprika, salt.

What is the difference between false alarm and 2 alarm chili kit? ›

I believe false alarm is not hot or spicy at all. Two alarm is hot or spicy. My family likes the two alarm. I don't find it overly hot.

What are the best beans for chili? ›

The best beans for chili are pinto, kidney, and black beans, like in this easy and tasty recipe. This 3-bean chili freezes great for meals later in the week. If you prefer thinner chili, add an extra can of tomato sauce. The green chiles are not hot and add a wonderful flavor, so don't be afraid to use them.

What is the alarm scale for chili? ›

Chillis and similar dishes are often jokingly referred to by the "multiple alarm" nomenclature to indicate their "hotness" (pungency), e. g. "Fat Freddy's Famous Five-Alarm Chili". The quantitative measure of spicy heat is actually the Scoville scale. It ranges from 0 (bell pepper) to 16,000,000 for pure capsaicin.

What is the best chili seasoning packet? ›

Chili Mix
  • Augason Farms Southwest Chili Mix Net wt. ...
  • Gold Star Cincinnati Style Original Chili Seasoning. ( ...
  • Urban Accent Spicy Chili Lime Seasoning Blend (1) (Spicy Chili Lime, 3.6) ...
  • Original Six Gun Chili Mixin's Spice Mix, 4 Ounces, Pack of 2. ...
  • Lawry's Chili Spices & Seasonings Mix, 1.48 oz (Pack of 12)

What type of meat is best for chili? ›

You can really use any meat for chili, but here are the cuts that are most popular for classic chili:
  • Ground beef (80/20) ...
  • Ground sirloin (90/10) ...
  • Brisket. ...
  • Short ribs. ...
  • Tri-tip sirloin. ...
  • Work with your butcher to get multiple textures. ...
  • Use multiple animals to add depth. ...
  • Go for grass-fed and grass-finished beef.
May 11, 2021

Where is Wick Fowler from? ›

Journalist and chili enthusiast Wick Fowler (1909-1972) was born Homer Thomas Wilson Fowler in Big Sandy, Texas and grew up in Victoria, Texas.

Is 2 alarm chili keto friendly? ›

One of the easiest dishes you can make as a low carb keto lover is chili. Yes, chili is low carb as long as you leave out the masa flour thickener that's typically added at the end of cooking.

How does a 2 alarm work? ›

A two-alarm fire requires assistance from other departments for a couple more pumpers and ladder trucks. Some will go to the scene and the others will cover our stations. A five-alarm fire requires a lot more assistance from the outside due to the large size of the fire.

Are false alarms good? ›

False alarms have the potential to divert emergency responders away from legitimate emergencies, which could ultimately lead to loss of life.

What is a Type 2 alarm system? ›

Type 2 – Manual fire alarm system

A single or multiple zone system with an alarm panel to provide defect warning, zone index diagram, and is suitable for connection to the NZ Fire Service. A manual fire alarm system is only activated by manual operation of a manual call point.

What is the secret to really good chili? ›

Only Add Flavorful Liquids

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

What are the best onions for chili? ›

Sweet onions are great for caramelizing due to their higher sugar content. You can cook them into your chili, serve them raw over top, or even elevate your chili with a sophisticated caramelized onion topping! Some of my favorite sweet onions are Walla, Walla, Maui, and Vidalia Onions.

What is 2 way chili? ›

The "way" system

Two-way: spaghetti topped with chili (also called "chili spaghetti") Three-way: spaghetti, chili, and cheese. Four-way onion: spaghetti, chili, onions, and cheese. Four-way bean: spaghetti, chili, beans, and cheese.

How do you use a chili kit? ›

Add water, tomatoes, spice, masa flour, and jalapeno and bell pepper packets. To Fix It Mild, omit the cayenne pepper. To Fix It Hot, stir in entire cayenne pepper packet. Bring to a boil.

What can I add to my chili to give it a little kick? ›

Spice it up a little

Or go a little spicier by using sliced fresh jalapenos or serrano peppers. Finally, you can add ground cayenne pepper or canned chipotles in adobo to create a really spicy kick. Our Culinary Director's best chili recipe calls for Ancho chilies.

What can I add to chili to make it stand out? ›

Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.

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