Recipe · Wild Game

My Easy Venison Chili Recipe

My favorite simple venison chili: ground deer meat, two kinds of peppers, chili beans, and tomatoes in one pot. Here's the full recipe.

By Dave Faxel · Faxel Outdoors

Why venison makes great chili

Venison is my favorite meat for chili. It's lean, it takes on spice well, and a pot of chili is one of the easiest ways to use up a pile of ground deer meat from the freezer. This is my simple, go-to recipe. Nothing fancy, and it makes your wild game that much more enjoyable.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground venison (deer meat)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, diced (seeded if you want it milder)
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 cans chili beans (with their sauce)
  • 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Brown the venison. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground venison and break it up as it cooks. A meat masher makes this quick.
  2. Add the vegetables. When the meat is mostly browned, add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and poblano. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion softens.
  3. Season it. Stir in the chili powder and oregano and cook for a minute so the spices bloom.
  4. Add the tomatoes. Pour in the whole peeled tomatoes and crush them with your spoon or masher right in the pot.
  5. Add the beans and sauce. Stir in both cans of chili beans and the half jar of spaghetti sauce.
  6. Simmer. Bring it to a simmer, turn the heat to low, and let it go at least 30 minutes, stirring now and then. Longer is better. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve. Top it however you like: shredded cheese, sour cream, onions, or crackers.

Tips

  • Venison is very lean, so the olive oil matters. It keeps the meat from sticking and drying out.
  • Want more heat? Leave the seeds in the jalapeño or add a second one.
  • Cook ground venison to 160°F.
  • Chili is even better the next day, and it freezes well in portions for lunches at deer camp.

More venison ideas

Got more deer meat to use up? Try my Chicago-style Italian venison sandwich on YouTube.

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