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Easy Venison Chili Recipe

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Venison chili is the perfect meal to cook on a cold night. Usually, whenever I make chili, I make a slow cooker venison chili because slow cooking frees up my evenings.

Mornings have been kind of hectic these days so it isn’t a good idea to add more work early in the day. Hunting season is always kind of chaotic, it really makes keeping a regular schedule difficult in the Fall.

So this quick and easy venison chili recipe is perfect for those busy days!

Easy Venison Chili in a bowl with peppers and cheese

The strange schedule is a great trade-off for the ground deer meat to use in this easy venison chili recipe. We have been grinding most of our meat to ensure plenty of pounds of venison for all of our favorite recipes.

Even recipes that usually call for other types of ground meat are better when replaced with a pound of ground venison. It’s a good healthy alternative to ground beef and my family thinks it tastes better too!

Whenever it’s chili night at our house, I know my daughter will hop on down to the table with a smile on her face, she absolutely loves this venison chili recipe.

That makes my job easier as a mom because there is nothing more frustrating than cooking a dinner that my daughter doesn’t like, the last thing I want to do after cooking a meal is to argue about whether I will make something else or force her to eat it.

The only issue this Venison Chili Recipe causes is who gets the last bowl and when will we be having it again?

seasonings

What You’ll Need to Make this Venison Chili Recipe

This recipe calls for chili beans, black pepper, ground venison, chili beans, tomato sauce, red pepper, diced garlic, white or yellow onion, cumin, chili pepper, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.

What Kind of Beans Should You Use in Chili?

You can use whichever beans you prefer to use in your chili or use a variety of canned beans like Kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans.

This chili uses chili beans which can be found at most grocery stores. These beans usually do not contain any saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol, which is a great reason to use them!

Variations on this Recipe

Add in tomato paste or tomato puree to thicken the sauce or add in beef broth or chicken broth for a thinner option.

Adding olive oil to a frying pan and cooking the onions and garlic first will give soften them. Using diced tomato or fire-roasted tomatoes is another way to add a bold flavor to your chili sauce.

If you don’t have access to venison, you can substitute it with beef just be sure to grind it up and brown it before adding it to your chili. 

You could use ground turkey, elk meat, or sausage, and honestly in my opinion when it comes to chili, you can use any type of meat you want. I like venison because it is a lean meat and my family loves the flavor.

This easy Venison Chili Recipe will satisfy your hunger! Made in less than an hour, it's the perfect dish to serve your family anytime.

How to Make the Best Venison Chili Recipe

After your meat is browned, pour it into a stockpot or dutch oven, whichever you prefer for making chili.

Brown the ground venison in a large skillet, drain if needed, then add to a stockpot or other large pot such as a large dutch oven

Pour in the rest of the ingredients, the tomato sauce, seasonings, onion, garlic, and Chili Beans, and stir. 

Cook on high heat with the lid on, continuing to stir frequently. 

Cook for about 30 minutes and serve with toppings like the ones suggested below.

Add in hot pepper or double the red pepper and chili pepper to give this recipe more heat to suit your taste. 

Next, add in your tomato sauce, seasonings, onion, and chili beans. Cook on medium to high heat, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Allow all of the flavors to mix and the ingredients to heat up by cooking for about a half-hour on medium-high heat covering the pot in between and stirring.

I hope your family enjoys this Venison Chili Recipe as much as mine does, please leave me a comment letting me know what you think after trying it out.

Be sure to store any leftovers of this hearty venison chili in an airtight container and use them within a week. In my house, the leftovers get used up the next day for chili and then the following day for a hot dog topping.

Chili Topping Ideas

Sour cream is a favorite in my house, this is especially true if you like your chili spicy. The sour cream is a great way to cool down your tongue. Cheddar cheese is another great way to cool off the heat and it adds a great flavor to this chili.

If you want to add a bit more spice, jalapeno peppers, chipotle peppers, cayenne pepper, green onions, and adobo sauce, for a deeper depth of flavor. Or add green, red, or yellow bell pepper for a great way to add large chunks of pepper without the heat to this deer chili recipe.

This recipe has the perfect amount of spice for my family but if you enjoy a firey chili with a strong kick, double the chili powder and add in some hot peppers to increase the heat.

Are you looking for more Venison Recipes?

Easy Venison Chili in a bowl

You can use this venison chili recipe to make these chili cheese quesadillas from leftover chili or try one of my other venison recipes below.

Slow Cooker Venison Stew

Venison Burgers on the Grill

Italian Style Venison Meatballs

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Venison Chili Recipe

Venison Chili Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. Ground Venison
  • 8 16 ounce cans Chili Beans
  • 2 Cans of Tomato Sauce (about 60 ounces)
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper
  • 1/4 Cup of Diced Garlic
  • 1 Diced White Onion
  • 1 Tablespoon Cumin
  • 1/2 Cup of Chili Pepper
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika
  • 1 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon of Oregano
  • 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

Instructions

  1. Brown the ground venison in a frying pan, drain if needed, then add to a stockpot.
  2. Pour in the tomato sauce, seasonings, onion, garlic, and Chili Beans, and stir.
  3. Cook on high heat with the lid on, continuing to stir frequently.
  4. Cook for about 30 minutes and serve with toppings like jalapeno, onion, cheese, oyster crackers, and sour cream.
  5. Add in hot pepper or double the red pepper and chili pepper to give this recipe more heat to suit your taste.

Did you make this recipe?

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About Thirty Something Super Mom

Melissa Dixon Thirty Something Super Mom
Thirty Something Super Mom | Website | + posts

My journey started after a Crohn's disease diagnosis, inspiring a commitment to well-being. This site shares my distinctive approach to healthy living with my collection of nutritious recipes that boast authentic flavors, mimicking the indulgence of traditional dishes. I love sharing guilt free recipes for low carb, keto, gluten-free, paleo, and the specific carbohydrate diet. I also share tips on natural living, including homemade cleaners and cleaning hacks. I also share my experience as a veterinary technician and pet groomer, to integrate pet health tips, homemade dog food recipes, and grooming insights to ensure your pets thrive.

Tasheena

Thursday 21st of February 2019

This recipe looks so yummy. It would be perfect for me to make for my family. Looking forward to giving this recipe a try.

Sarah Bailey

Thursday 21st of February 2019

I am all for things which are quick to do. This sounds like an amazing recipe as well which can really fill and warm the whole family at dinner time.

Jeanette

Thursday 21st of February 2019

This totally makes my mouth water! I love Chili and I have not have venison in years! This would be SO good!

1stopmom

Thursday 21st of February 2019

I love a good bowl of chili. My husband makes the best chili. It is one of the few dishes that I don't mind eating the leftovers

Amber Myers

Thursday 21st of February 2019

Yum I'll have to give this chili a try for sure. I don't think I've ever tried venison before. I hear that it's good, and chili is the perfect way to try it!

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