Thick Venison Chili

Thick Venison Chili

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, and a King Arthur Baking affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Share this Recipe!

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

Ingredients for 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.

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.

Spices for this Chili

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

Add Beans, Tomatoes, and Tomato Paste to the Chili

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.

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.

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. 

 

Recipe for Thick Venison Chili

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.
4.67 from 12 votes
Print Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hearty Soup, Vension Meat, Wild Game
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

Knife Set
Cutting Board
Spurtle Set
Dutch Oven

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

Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1986mg | Potassium: 2531mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1401IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 14mg
Like This Recipe?Share on Facebook / Instagram - Please mention @countryatheartrecipes or tag #countryatheartrecipes

 

Share this Recipe!



5 thoughts on “Thick Venison Chili”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating