Fill a bowl full with this easy Venison Chili recipe. There's nothing like a big pot of chili, topped with all your favorite toppings! Forget traditional chili and give this simple deer chili recipe a try. It's sure to become one of your new favorite recipes for a hearty, comfort meal.
I love that there are so many ways to use wild game meat. And if you've spent some time hunting or hanging out at deer camp, you might find yourself with pounds of ground venison, wondering how to use it all.
The good news is that this delicious venison chili recipe is a great way to make a big batch of chili, perfect for sharing with family and friends. There's no gamey flavor, just delicious chili, waiting for all your favorite toppings to be added. Add this to your list of must-make chili recipes today!
See this Air Fryer Venison and these Venison Meatballs for two other great ways to cook and eat venison meat.
Ingredients
- Onion - Chop before adding.
- Red bell pepper - Chop into pieces before adding.
- Garlic cloves - Adds a nice garlic flavoring to the pot of chili.
- Olive oil - Used to cook the ground deer meat and veggies.
- Ground venison - Using this ground meat is the start of the show to make the best chili.
- Black pepper - For flavor.
- Red pepper flakes - This adds a kick and is optional. (Leave it out if you don't want spicy chili).
- Salt - For flavor.
- Garlic powder - Adds a nice garlic flavor.
- Smoke paprika - Adds a warmth of flavor to the entire thing.
- Chili powder - Adds a little bit of heat and spice.
- Canned tomatoes - You can use diced or crushed for the cooking process.
- White beans - Be sure to rinse and drain before using.
- Beef stock - Thins out the texture of the chili.
- Cooked bacon - I use about two strips and chop them up before adding.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Venison Chili
Step One: Add the peppers, onions, and chopped garlic to a Dutch oven with the olive oil. Saute for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until the onions and peppers are soft. Take the veggies out of the Dutch oven and put them in a bowl.
Step Two: Add the venison meat to the Dutch oven, along with the seasonings. Stir.
Step Three: Brown the meat over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Step Four: Add the cooked veggies, as well as the beans, bacon, tomatoes, and beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Stir every once in a while.
Step Five: Serve the hot chili with all your favorite chili toppings!
Top tip
The key to a good chili is to take it slow and let the flavors marinate. This is why using the Dutch oven is a great choice!
Substitutions
- Meat - You can easily swap out the venison meat and use ground beef or ground turkey to make this chili.
- Beans - Black beans, pinto beans, chili beans, or dark red kidney beans can be used as well.
Variations
- Venison - You can use large chunks of venison meat instead of ground meat. Just know that it will change the texture, but it still tastes great.
- Toppings - The only way to eat a bowl of chili properly is to pile high the toppings. Add sour cream, cheddar cheese, diced green onions, crushed tortilla chips or saltine crackers, and even some jalapenos for a kick. (Speaking of kick, add some cayenne pepper to your own bowl for some added heat!)
See this Smoked Chili for another one of my favorites. Yes, you can use venison in that recipe, too!
Equipment
To make this homemade chili, you'll need to have a Dutch oven (or large stockpot), a large bowl, a sharp knife and a cutting board, and a heat-safe spatula.
Storage
Storing leftover chili is a breeze. (And some people say that chili the next day has an even better flavor and taste!) Let the chili cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
If you want to freeze some of the venison chili for later, simply use a freezer-safe container as your storage of choice.
Common Questions
Sometimes that can happen since it's a leaner type of meat. Feel free to add more oil to the pot if you notice it starting to stick.
You can. Either work. You can also use a vegetable stock as well. It's just mainly used to help keep the chili not too thick, so use what works best for your personal preference.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Venison Chili
Ingredients
- ½ onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lbs ground venison
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 28 oz canned diced or crushed tomatoes with juice
- 15 oz canned white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 oz chopped cooked bacon about two strips
Instructions
- Sautee the peppers, onions, and chopped garlic with olive oil in a dutch oven for approximately 5 min over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft
- Remove veggies from dutch oven and place in a bowl.
- Put the venison in the dutch oven along with the spices. Brown meat over medium heat for about 5 min.
- Then add the sautéed veggies along with beans, tomatoes, bacon and beef stock.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with an optional shredded cheese topping, or sour cream, and fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
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