Thick Venison Chili
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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.
(Post modified with new photos on 12/31/22.)
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.
Ingredients for Thick Venison Chili
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- ground venison (elk or deer)
- yellow onion
- green bell pepper
- garlic clove
- chili powder
- onion powder
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- red kidney beans
- chili beans
- diced tomatoes
- crushed 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 your 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.
In a large Dutch oven, brown the ground venison, adding a little vegetable oil, if needed.
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 the chili powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the undrained red kidney beans, chili beans, diced tomatoes, 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.
The longer this chili cooks, the better. Some say it’s even better the next day when warmed a second time.
Serve 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.
See more Venison Recipes Here. Browse Soup Recipes Here.
Thick Venison Chili
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
- 15.5 oz. red kidney beans do not drain
- 15.5 oz. chili beans
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
- 12 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz. tomato paste
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Prepare your ingredients. Using a cutting board and a Chef's knife, dice the yellow onion and green bell pepper. Mince the garlic.
- In a large Dutch oven, brown the ground venison, adding a little vegetable oil, if needed.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in the diced yellow onion and green bell pepper, and the minced garlic. Cook on medium high heat until the vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the chili powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the undrained red kidney beans, chili beans, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Lower the temperature and cover with a lid. Simmer on low for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer this cooks, the better. Serve with cheddar cheese and saltine crackers. Serves 4-6.
Nutrition
Will this work worth cubed venison instead of ground? This recipe sounds delicious.
Hi Angie, I’ve never made chili with cubed meat, but I’m sure it would work wonderfully, especially with it’s long cooking time.
What if I don’t have a Dutch over?
*oven
Hi Escha, You may simply use a large stock pot, 6-8 quart.