Easy, hearty, and full of flavor, this venison chili recipe is the best one around! Using ground deer meat and a few other simple ingredients, you can have a big pot of chili ready to feed a crowd in under an hour. With stovetop, pressure cooker, and slow cooker instructions, this chili can be made in a variety of ways.
We haven't had a lot of venison this past year - hubs got a deer two years ago, and I worked through most of that meat in the year to follow. This year, when he got the opportunity to hunt on private land, he got a big buck on his first day out. He came home with over 40# of ground venison, which is music to my ears.
You can sub ground venison for pretty much any recipe that calls for ground beef. You can learn more about the similarities and differences between venison and beef here, if you want to read more, but when it comes to ground meat, they're mostly interchangeable.
So, our winter this year will consist of many venison recipes - venison jerky, venison tacos, venison burger casserole, venison chili. Lucky you!
Which cooking method to choose?
For me, this is typically based on the amount of time I have and how far ahead I've planned. I started out with a Crock Pot chili recipe that I was making up at our cabin in the wintertime. When we're there, everything is a bit slower, a bit more deliberate. We only have a Crock Pot there, so the chili has to be started in the morning.
But when we got back home, and I was craving the chili, and didn't have as much time, I tried the Instant Pot. My go-to tool for when I'm in a hurry, I love that it can make deer meat chili without having to cook for 8 hours.
And, while I do have an pressure cooker at this house, I do not have a slow cooker (we can only store so many appliances!) So, if I want the low and slow, and the aromas of chili made with venison to fill my house, then I have to go with the stovetop/stockpot method.
Work with what you have on hand and how much time you have. I promise your deer meat chili recipe will come out delicious no matter what method you use!
Step by step instructions
With a recipe like this, it's best to have everything ready to go. The French call it mis en place, which is really just a fancy word for being set up. Have your veggies chopped, your spices measured out, and everything on hand before you get started.
Stovetop
Below are step by step instructions for the stovetop method. Pressure cooker and slow cooker methods will vary slightly but are similar.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in your stockpot.
2. Add your diced peppers and onions to the pot, cooking 3-4 minutes or until slightly softened.
3. Add the garlic and spices to the pot.
4. Stir in the spices and garlic to coat everything, then cook until fragrant, 30-45 seconds.
5. Add the ground venison to the pot.
6. Break up the deer meat, mixing well to combine it with the veggies and spices.
7. Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes, the Rotel, and the dark red kidney beans to the pot.
8. Give the whole pot a good stir, combining everything well.
9. Add the beef broth to the pot.
10. Give it one last good stir, combining all ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least an hour or until thickened.
Instant Pot
Season your ground venison with salt and pepper. Turn your Instant Pot on the sauté function. Add some olive oil or other healthy cooking fat - just a teaspoon or two should do the trick. Venison is typically a lean meat, so you just need something to grease the wheels here, so to speak.
Once it heats up, add your onion and bell pepper and cook for a few seconds until softened. Add the ground venison. Break it up and stir often, until meat is cooked through and no pink remains.
Turn off the Instant Pot. Add the rest of the ingredients: garlic, beef broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes (with and without green chilies), and dark red kidney beans, as well as all of your spices: chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar if using (I use coconut sugar), and salt and black pepper and stir well. Use a long-handled wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
You might notice the spices don't include some of the traditional spices you would usually see in chili like onion powder and garlic powder - this is because we are using actual onion and garlic in the recipe. In lieu of tomato sauce we're adding that tomato paste and combining it with beef broth to thin out a bit.
Once you add your remaining ingredients, we're going to close it up, set the vent to Sealing, and then use the Bean/Chili setting. If you don't have the Bean/Chili button on your Instant Pot, choose Manual --> High Pressure --> set the timer for 25 minutes.
Allow pressure to release naturally, then open the pot and stir. If the consistency is too watery, turn the sauté function back on and cook down until liquid is reduced.
Slow cooker
For the slow cooker method, add the tomato paste and broth to the bowl of the slow cooker and whisk to combine.
In a sauté pan on the stovetop, heat the oil and then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the venison and cook, breaking up until browned and no pink remains.
Add the meat mixture to the broth mixture, then add all your other ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Breathe in deep for the aromas of delicious chili filling your house all day long!
A note on beans
There are many different chili beans, to include pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans. I'm not a huge bean person, and I don't use them very often. If you wanted to add a different type of bean to this recipe, or more beans, you certainly can.
And if you're not a bean person - just leave them out! They won't make or break the recipe.
Chili toppings
There are many traditional chili toppings, to include things like sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, black olives.
I recently had someone tell me they add a spoonful of peanut butter on top of their chili. I haven't tried it, but I'm not one to yuck anyone else's yums. What are your favorite chili toppings?
I have found that subbing 0% fat greek yogurt in place of sour cream on chili works wonderfully. It gets you an extra boost of protein without the extra fat, and gets some probiotics to boot!
A sprinkle of black olives and green onions and I'm happy girl. Add whatever you like to bring this chili home for you.
Freezing + Storage
You can store leftovers in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
If you have a deep freezer, you can freeze for 6-12 months, but I think it starts to lose flavor after about 6 months. Plus, why are you sitting on venison chili for more than 6 months and not eating it?!?!
Different strokes
Don't have ground venison? That's ok! You can use any ground meat for this recipe. Ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken - these are all great options. Chili is not picky when it comes to it's protein.
You can also mix half and half - venison and ground beef, venison and turkey.
This hearty venison chili will be a bit leaner than traditional beef chili. Venison in general is leaner than beef, so you'll see less grease. This is great for those who prefer a healthier version.
You might find the mouth feel to be slightly different - for me, I prefer it this way to the higher fat content, but that's a personal preference. Mixing 50% venison + 50% ground beef will add more fat content and change the profile a bit.
Recipe
Easy Venison Chili Recipe
This chili made with venison is mostly dump and go. Perfect for a weeknight meal or a chilly fall day, it will make your house smell amazing - and the leftovers are perfect for the freezer.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 lbs ground venison
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
- 6oz can tomato paste
- 32oz container beef broth (use bone broth for added protein!)
- 15oz can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 14.5oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes (don't drain 'em!)
- 2 10oz cans mild green chiles and diced tomatoes (like Rotel)
Instructions
Stovetop:
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once glistening, add the diced onion and bell pepper and cook until onion is soft and translucent, 3-4 minutes.
Add all the spices from chili pepper to the black pepper. Toss to get everything nice and coated and cook until fragrant, 30-45 seconds.
Add the ground venison and the garlic and cook, stirring often, until there is no pink left in the meat.
Add the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste and beef broth, and sugar if using and bring to a boil. Stir well as the tomato paste softens to incorporate it into the other ingredients.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend. You can let this one cook for awhile, filling your house with delicious aromas! Keep it low and stir often to make sure it's not burning. Serve topped with your favorite chili toppings - I sub 0% fat greek yogurt for sour cream, a bit of shredded cheese, black olives - whatever you love!
Instant Pot:
Turn the IP on to the sauté function. Add the oil to the pot and once warm, follow the stovetop instructions, cooking the onion and pepper, then adding the meat and garlic to brown. Once brown, add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
Once you've added the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth, place the lid on the pot and turn it on the Chili/Beans setting and cook for 20 minutes. If your IP doesn't have that button, use Manual on high pressure for 20 minutes.
Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and give it a stir. If you find it's too liquidy for your liking, turn the sauté function back on and allow it to cook down, stirring often, until the liquid is reduced to a consistency you're happy with.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings!
Slow cooker:
In a sauté pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until onion is soft and translucent. Add the venison and garlic and cook until browned and no pink remains.
In the slow cooker, combine the tomato paste and broth and whisk until smooth. Transfer the meat mixture to the slow cooker and add all other ingredients. Stir to combine, then cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings!
Notes
Chili is a SUUUUPER forgiving recipe. You can adjust the spices, omit the beans, make it your own! Use this as a template and add whatever flavors you like.
Want to mix up the meat? Use 50% venison and 50% something else - ground beef, ground turkey - whatever you have on hand!
Want it spicier? Try adding ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and/or ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the ingredients list.
For an extra boost of protein, sub greek yogurt for sour cream! 💪
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 894mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 28g
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