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For the first 15 years of our marriage, our family practically lived on venison that my husband hunted, both deer and elk. After much trial and error, I learned the best recipes for using the roasts, steaks, and burger. This Thick Venison Chili recipe is one that uses ground venison burger.

My husband likes a thick chili (unlike my Game Day Chili with Beer recipe) so this is a recipe that he enjoys. Ah well, you have to give a man what he wants every now and then.

We have found when processing our own ground venison that it tastes better if you add a little beef tallow (or lard) to the meat to give it more flavor as well as add some fat to the very lean meat. We suggest between 15-20% of tallow works well, to give it 85/15 or 80/20 ratio.

If you don’t have a commercial grinder, you might consider using a countertop grinder, or even one for a KitchenAid Mixer, especially, if you are only grinding a small amount at a time.

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More Venison Recipes

chunky venison stew

german venison rouladen

john wayne venison casserole

venison burgers with fry sauce

Ingredients for Thick Venison Chili

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ground venison (elk or deer)
sweet onion
green bell pepper
garlic clove
chili powder
onion powder
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Worcestershire sauce
red kidney beans
chili beans
whole or stewed tomatoes
tomato paste

Instructions For Making This Recipe

Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Prepare the Ingredients

Using a cutting board and a Chef’s knife, dice the yellow onion and green bell pepper. Mince the garlic.

If using whole tomatoes, go ahead and hand crush them in a separate bowl.

Alternately you may use one 14.5 can of diced tomatoes, and a can of crushed tomatoes for nearly the same results.

In a large Dutch oven, brown the ground venison, adding a little vegetable oil, if needed.

Add Onion and Peppers to the Browned Meat

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the diced onion and green bell pepper, and the minced garlic. Cook on medium high heat until the vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes.

When using an enameled Dutch oven, you should always use either a wooden, nylon, or silicone utensil so as not to damage the enameled surface.

Add Seasonings and Worcestershire Sauce to the Browned Burger

Add the chili powder, onion powder, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the undrained red kidney beans, chili beans, hand crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Notice how this recipe layers its ingredients a little at a time, to give the flavors a chance to meld together. You’ll find that some of the most flavorful dishes use this method of cooking to bring the ingredients together. It’s a wonderful practice to follow.

Lower the temperature and cover with a lid. Simmer on low for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Venison Chili after it has Simmered for Hours

The longer this chili cooks, the better. Some say it’s even better the next day when warmed a second time.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Thick Venison Chili with chunks of cheddar cheese, sweet pickles, and saltine crackers. Another way to serve this thick chili is with Frito corn chips. Just place corn chips in a bowl or on a plate and spoon the chili over it, topping it with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. Kind of like a Frito Chili Pie.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

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Thick Venison Chili

The first ten years of our marriage, we nearly lived on wild game, much of it deer or elk meat. Here's a chili recipe using ground venison that is thick, which my husband likes.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 6 15

Total Time 6 30

Serving Size 6

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground venison (elk or deer)
1 cup yellow onion (diced)
1 cup green bell pepper (diced)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
15.5 oz. red kidney beans (do not drain)
15.5 oz. chili beans
28 oz. whole tomatoes (hand crushed)
6 oz. tomato paste