Venison Chili

Ground venison pairs up with beans, spices, vegetables, and carefully chosen seasonings to make this exquisite and unusual deer meat chili recipe.

Fans of chili might also like to try this hearty beef chili, white chicken chili, or what about this beanless chili? Or, for something equally hearty but different, how about this delicious lentil soup? Or Tuscan marry me gnocchi?

Why You’ll Love It

Easy: It’s a one-pot recipe that is incredibly simple to make. You just need to use a nice heavy-bottomed pot and add the ingredients in stages.
Delicious: Ground venison, or ground deer meat, has a really rich gamey flavor that pairs well with the robust and bold ingredients typically found in chili. Venison is an extra-lean and nutritious meat choice.
Unusual: Perhaps you’ve had venison chili before and loved it or maybe you’re new to using deer meat. Either way, this recipe makes a tasty change from the most common beef chilies (which are also good of course!)

Deer Meat Chili Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Ground venison: If someone in the family hunts or you are friendly with your local butcher, you’ll know where to score some delicious ground venison. If not, you can look online or visit some specialty butchers. Venison isn’t sold at every grocery store but you should be able to source some.
Vegetables: Yellow onion, bell pepper, jalapeno peppers, and tomatoes harmonize in this lovely chili recipe. Feel free to add others, such as green onions, diced tomatoes instead of crushed, or more than one color of bell peppers.
Beans: I like to use pinto beans, kidney beans and black beans, but you can mix and match if you have different preferences.
Seasonings: Cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper add plenty of flavor. You can also add red pepper flakes for an extra dimension or some cayenne pepper.

How to Make Venison Chili

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Brown the meat: Heat some olive oil, or another kind, in a large heavy pot and then cook the ground meat – get it browned all over.
Add the vegetables: Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos, and cook until soft.
Add the seasonings: Now add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and (if using) red pepper flakes, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients: Add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and beans drained and rinsed, and simmer for an hour.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, just ensure you’re using gluten-free broth in the recipe.
Different beans: Sub any other beans you want in here. Lima beans, cannellini beans or any other chili beans will work with the venison chili.
A less gamey flavor: Venison is pretty gamey. That’s not to say it isn’t tasty (because it is!) but if you are more used to milder meats and unsure whether you’ll like deer meat, you can swap half or two-thirds of the ground venison for ground beef or ground veal.

Serving Suggestions

To begin: Kick off the meal with a cup of chicken enchilada soup or tilapia nachos.
On the side: What about one of these simple cornbread recipes or vegetable side dishes?
And afterwards: If you do have room for dessert after this delicious venison chili, consider orange bars which are light, sweet and really good!

How to Store Deer Meat Chili

Store: Keep it for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freeze: It freezes pretty well. Make sure to use airtight containers or freezer bags.
Thaw: Defrost the venison chili overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: Warm it back up in a pan on the stove.