If you’re in the mood for the manliest of meals, chili is your best friend.
Sure, stews are versatile and delicious, but chili packs a punch that no other soup-like dish can match – the reason is in its name. Now that we’ve established the greatness of chili, let’s get on to the next big point – venison chili may be one of the greatest ways to eat wild game.
After a successful deer hunting season, you should naturally have a good amount of venison ready for experimenting and satisfying.
Food is subjective, though, so whichever way you like your meat, at least check out some of our favorite venison chili recipes below, and try one. It might just become your new favorite.
1. No Frills, No Heat Venison Chili
Being from Texas, I personally think it’s a crime to make chili without chilies, but to each his/her own. This simple recipe is easy enough to whip up and will make for an all-around crowd pleaser for those who like to be able to season things on their own. This recipe calls for ground pork to add fat to the very lean venison meat, but you could also use 80/20 beef if you so desired.
Image and Recipe via: Sugarcrafter
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground venison
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp hot sauce (I like Frank’s)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- 1 can (24 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 large can (40.5 ounces) dark red kidney beans
- Cheddar cheese, for topping
2. Venison Chili Con Carne
Something about bacon makes it the perfect addition to everything. No, seriously, everything – even chocolate. This chili recipe includes some of my favorite pepper (chipotle), a little dose of jalapeno, and a hearty portion of bacon to add fat to the lean venison meat. If you only have ground venison available, this recipe is still possible, though we do recommend using the stew meat to get the correct texture.
Image and Recipe via: Buckmasters.com
Ingredients:
- 1 16-ounce can tomatoes, diced
- 3 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobe sauce
- 5 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 4 pounds venison stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
- 1 can kidney beans
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow corn mix
3. Hearty Chunk Venison Chili
While this recipe comes from someone who definitely didn’t know how good they had it with being gifted a backstrap, I’m still a fan of the soaking meat in vinegar method, which will definitely give you a unique, tender texture. If you’ve got a rump roast or some other large cut of meat you’re not sure what to do with, this recipe is for you.
Image and Recipe via: Cantaloupe Alone
Ingredients:
- 1 lb venison, any cut
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tblsp canola oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more)
- 1 tblsp ground cumin (I fresh roast and grind cumin seeds for much better flavor)
- 1 tsp ground coriander (roasted and ground seeds preferred)
- 2 tsp chili powder (ditto with above)
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 2 cans water
4. No Beans, Tex-Mex Style Venison Chili
If you like a little zest to your chili, here’s a good one. Tex-Mex is one of the great benefits of living down South, where finding things like Mexican Oregano isn’t that difficult. If you’re up North, though, check out your local organic supermarket or make a visit to a specialty spice shop. They’re likely to carry it, as well as all of the other tasty spices you’ll need to complete this recipe.
Image via: WorldWatch, Recipe via: Food Network
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless venison rump, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 pound ground venison, or ground pork
- 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 to 3 large jalapenos, seeded and minced, to taste
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes and their juices
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons masa harina
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Grated cheddar cheese, garnish (Longhorn: recommended)
- Minced yellow onions, garnish
- Cornbread, corn muffins or garlic bread, optional accompaniment
5. The Chile-Lover’s Venison Chili
We’re huge fans of Hank Shaw over at Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook, and this recipe stands as witness to his mastery of wild game meats and traditional cooking methods. Like Hank mentions in his recipe, this can be tweaked to serve your own chili preferences, but what we like so much about it is the dried chiles he purees with coffee to serve as the “backbone” of this dish. If you’re serious about making a chili that would rival any state cook-off, this is the one.
Image and Recipe via: Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook
Ingredients:
- 1 pound pinto beans or kidney beans
- 4 each, dried ancho, guajillo, pasilla, cascabel, mirasol or mulato chiles
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 habanero, fresh, if they’re in season
- 2 pounds ground venison or ground beef
- 1 pound sausage, taken out of skin and broken up (venison or pork is fine)
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped or one small can
- 1 cup of weak coffee
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- Beef or venison broth (have a quart ready)
- At least 2 tablespoons salt
- Cilantro and shredded cheese to garnish
NEXT: 25 VENISON COOKING TIPS THAT WILL MAKE YOU A KITCHEN MASTER
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