Hawaii locals have loved Zippy’s fusion of American, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Hawaiian cuisine since the casual restaurant chain debuted in Honolulu in 1966. In 2025, the chain opened its first mainland restaurant—in Las Vegas, which is nicknamed “The Ninth Island” for its large Hawaiian community.

In less than a year, four Zippy’s opened in Vegas, and one was just minutes from my house. Clearly, the universe was telling me it was time to clone this chain’s signature dish—a chili that’s moderately spicy and slightly sweet, with beans, Portuguese sausage, and a scoop of white rice. Thankfully, I found a box of Zippy’s frozen chili at a local market, and the label listed each of its ingredients. That’s the moment I confirmed that the widespread rumor about mayonnaise in the chili is not true.

The ingredients for my Zippy’s Chili copycat recipe are standard stuff, except for the Portuguese brand sausage also known as Linquica, which you can find online or at Costco. The bouillon adds great flavor to the chili, and I’ve found that Better Than Bouillon tastes better than dry bouillon cubes, so try to find that. The recipe here includes a can of beans, but you can also make the chili without beans. If you go beanless, be sure to add an additional ½ cup of water to the pot. 

Find more soup and chili copycat recipes here.