This Best Venison Chili Recipe is loaded with flavorful vegetables and slow cooked to perfection!! Having an avid hunter husband, ground venison is in abundance at our house.
I love coming up with new venison recipes for my family that they love and ask for again and again!
This Deer Chili Recipe is the perfect showstopper for your next chili bar. Add some cooked macaroni and you have venison chili mac which is my daughter’s favorite!!
Looking to mix up your chili a little bit! This black bean chili is a traditional midwestern recipes. You might also like a pork green chili for a twist on the traditional chili.
As an Amazon Associate, a Walmart Affiliate, and a member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I TRULY LOVE. Thank you for your support!
What is the Best Secret Ingredient for Chili?
After talking to many chili lovers, I have found that they all have their favorite secret ingredient. My best secret ingredient for this venison chili recipe is a tablespoon of sugar.
Others say a squirt of mustard, a little bit of honey, a couple shakes of hot sauce, and even cocoa powder.
What Type of Meat is Best for Chili?
10 Types of Meat for Chili
- Ground venison – A very lean meat that is grass feed and very popular with all of the hunters.
- Ground beef – The traditional meat for chili and by far the most popular.
- Pork (Ground) – Is usually combined with other meats such as ground venison or ground beef.
- Pork sausage (Ground) – This will give your chili a little bit of a kick. Ground sausage is great on its own but even better when paired with other ground meats.
- Diced beef chunks – Do you want a hearty chili? Beef chunks will give you a chunky, hearty chili that will fill you up and leave you very satisfied!
- Turkey (Ground) – a healthy meat option for your chili. Fat-free ground turkey has fewer calories as well as much less fat and saturated fat than lean ground beef.
- Bear (Ground) – Ground bear meat is best cooked slow and long because of the toughness of the meat. I have made ground bear chili with great success!
- Pulled pork – Shredded pulled pork is a tender meat that will turn your chili into a gourmet meal.
- Diced pork chunks – Slow cook the pork chunk chili for best results.
- Short ribs – a southern favorite recipe and paired wonderfully with your favorite beer.
How to Grind Venison for Chili
We have a grinder attachment for my 40 quart mixer. You can get a grinder attachment for your Kitchen Aid mixer that will work.
Your venison meat chunks need to be very cold and preferably semi-frozen. Place all of your grinder parts into the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes before you plan on grinding your meat.
Another tip is to make sure your meat is clean of the silver skin to help aid in the grinding process. Silver skin will clog up your grinder disc screen parts. You will have to break the grinder down and clean the screens before you can proceed.
How to Make Deer Chili
Gather all of your ingredients to make your deer chili.
Dice all of the vegetables. Drain the liquid from the beans.
Start with a pan/pot over medium heat, sauté the diced onion, peppers and celery for 5 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir vegetables.
Next, add the venison burger and sausage to the sautéed vegetables. Chop the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks with a wooden spoon.
Continue to do this until all of the meat is in very small pieces. Cook the ground meat and vegetables for about 15 minutes. Drain all the fat off and discard.
Optional step: While the meat is cooking, pour all of the diced tomatoes into a bowl. With a stick blender, puree the tomatoes slightly. My family doesn’t care for chunks of tomatoes in their chili.
Stir in all of the diced tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar. Pour in the tomato juice and stir to combine.
Venison Chili – Slow Cooker
My preferred method of cooking this venison chili recipe is using a West Bend Slow Cooker which you can get here. I love my West Bend Slow Cooker so much, here are 8 more recipes that I cook with it: Slow Cooker Spaghetti, Pot Roast, Pulled Pork, Chop Suey, Tender Pork & Gravy, Creamy Swiss Steak, Beef Barley Soup, and Swedish Meatballs.
Use a 4-quart slow cooker or larger. Deer chili is best when it’s slow cooked for several hours.
Using the slow cooker pan on the stove over medium heat, sauté the diced vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the ground meat to brown/cook for 15 minutes, drain and discard any grease.
Optional step: While the meat is cooking, pour all of the diced tomatoes into a bowl. With a stick blender, puree the tomatoes slightly. My family doesn’t care for chunks of tomatoes in their chili.
Stir in all of the diced tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar. Pour in the tomato juice and stir to combine. Cook on the stove for 5 more minutes to bring the chili to a boil.
Finally, place the pot of venison chili onto the slow cooker base. Set the dial to high and slow cook for 4 to 8 hours.
DO YOU WANT TO GRIDDLE LIKE A PRO?
Venison Chili Instant Pot
Set your Instant Pot to Sauté plus set to the More setting. Toss in the diced onions, celery and peppers to the pot.
Then, add the ground venison and ground pork sausage. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as you cook until browned.
Make sure to stir often to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Drain any grease and discard.
Optional step: While the meat is cooking, pour all of the diced tomatoes into a bowl. With a stick blender, puree the tomatoes slightly. My family doesn’t care for chunks of tomatoes in their chili.
Next, stir in all of the diced tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar to the pot. Pour in the tomato juice and stir to combine.
Pressure Cooking: Place the lid on the pot and turn the Instant Pot to the Beans/Chili setting. Set the pressure valve to Sealing. Cook for 20 minutes. Release the pressure either manually or allow the pressure to release naturally. Carefully remove the lid.
Slow Cooking: Place the lid on the pot and turn the Instant Pot to the Slow Cook setting. Slow cook for 8 hours with the Normal highlighted or 4 hours with the More highlighted.
Venison Chili – Stove Top
Continue cooking on the stove top over medium low heat so that the chili is just simmering. Stir often to prevent burning. Cover and cook for 2 hours maintaining a simmer.
Venison Chili – FAQ
Yes!! When slow cooking chili, the longer it cooks, the better the flavors combine together. You can even make a day or two ahead of time because chili leftovers are the best!!
Consider having a chili bar the next time you make chili!! You probably have several of these items already. Just place in a bowl, set around the chili and see what combinations your family comes up with.
50+ Ingredients for an Awesome Chili Bar
- Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend
- Corn Chips
- Fresh Pico De Gallo
- Sour Cream
- Tortilla Chips
- Cooked Noodles
- Corn Bread or Muffins
- Saltine Crackers
- Sliced Scallions
- Hot Sauces of your choice
- Diced Avocado’s
- Flaming Hot Cheetos
- Sliced Jalapeno Chilies
- Diced Red Onions
- Pickled Onions
- Sliced Radishes
- Pepperoncini
- Diced Tomatoes
- Crumbled Queso Fresco or Feta
- Tater Tots
- Freshly Chopped Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Mini Bread Bowls
- Greek Yogurt
- Sriracha
- Maple Syrup
- Salsa
- Soy Sauce
- Black Olives
- Dried Cranberries
- Coconut Milk
- Croutons
- Dried Peppers
- Diced Mangos
- Baked Potato
- Bacon Crumbles
- Herbs & Spices
- Honey
- Cocoa Powder
- Expresso Powder
- Cooked Sweet Potatoes
- Butternut Squash – Diced & Cooked
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Guacamole
- Chorizo
- Queso Dip
- Cola
- Hot Dogs
- Doritos
- Gold Fish Crackers
- Grilled Baguette
Best Venison Chili Recipe
This Best Venison Chili Recipe is loaded with flavorful vegetables and slow cooked to perfection!! Having an avid hunter husband, ground venison is in abundance at our house. I love coming up with new venison recipes for my family that they love and ask for again and again!
Ingredients
- Onion, Small Diced 2 cups (10 oz) (289 g)
- Celery, Small Diced - 6 Stalks 3 cups (14 oz) (407 g)
- Sweet Peppers, Small Diced 1/2 cup (3 oz) (75 g)
- Ground Venison 1 lb (452 g)
- Ground Pork Sausage 1 lb (452 g)
- Diced Tomatoes 29 oz (822 g)
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies 10 oz (283 g)
- Tomato Juice 46 fl oz (1304 g)
- Black Beans 15 oz (425 g)
- Taco Seasoning, 1 envelop 2 Tablespoons (0.6 oz) (17 g)
- Salt 1 Teaspoon (0.3 oz) (8 g)
- Pepper 1/2 Teaspoon (0.05 oz) (1 g)
- Sugar, Granulated 1 Tablespoon (0.55 oz) (16 g)
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients to make your deer chili.
- Dice all of the vegetables.
- Start with a large pan/pot over medium heat, sauté the diced onion, peppers and celery for 5 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir vegetables.
- Next, add the venison burger and sausage to the sautéed vegetables. Chop the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. Continue to do this until all of the meat is in very small pieces.
- Cook the ground meat and vegetables for about 15 minutes.
- Drain all the fat off and discard.
- Optional step: While the meat is cooking, pour all of the diced tomatoes into a bowl. With a stick blender, puree the tomatoes slightly. My family doesn’t care for chunks of tomatoes in their chili.
- Stir in all of the diced tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar.
- Pour in the tomato juice and stir to combine.
- Choose your prefered method of cooking. I like to use my West Bend Slow Cooker. See different cooking methods in the NOTES section of this recipe.
Notes
Beans Beans are optional. If you don't like beans, it will not affect the recipe if it's not added. Do you like other beans besides black beans? You can add the beans of your choice. You can even add a combination of beans to this recipe.
Taco Seasonings Save money and use Tone's Taco Seasoning Blend. We get ours at Sam's Club and the container lasts a long time.
What is the Best Secret Ingredient for Chili?
After talking to many chili lovers, I have found that they all have their favorite secret ingredient. My best secret ingredient for this venison chili recipe is a tablespoon of sugar. Others say a squirt of mustard, a little bit of honey, a couple shakes of hot sauce, and even cocoa powder.
Meat This recipe calls for a combination of ground venison and ground pork sausage. You can do all venison in this recipe if you prefer. I have tested this recipe several different ways but our family likes a combination of venison and pork for the best flavor.
- What Type of Meat is Best for Chili?
10 types of meats for chili
Ground venison – A very lean meat that is grass feed and very popular with all of the hunters. - Ground beef – The traditional meat for chili and by far the most popular. Ground pork – Is usually combined with other meats such as ground venison or ground beef.
- Ground pork sausage – This will give your chili a little bit of a kick. Ground sausage is great on its own but even better when paired with other ground meats.
- Diced beef chunks – Do you want a hearty chili? Beef chunks will give you a chunky, hearty chili that will fill you up and leave you very satisfied!
- Ground turkey – a healthy meat option for your chili. Fat-free ground turkey has fewer calories as well as much less fat and saturated fat than lean ground beef.
- Ground bear – Ground bear meat is best cooked slow and long because of the toughness of the meat. I have made ground bear chili with great success!
- Pulled pork – Shredded pulled pork is a tender meat that will turn your chili into a gourmet meal.
- Diced pork chunks – Slow cook the pork chunk chili for best results.
- Short ribs – a southern favorite recipe and paired wonderfully with your favorite beer.
Venison Chili - Slow Cooker
My preferred method of cooking this venison chili recipe is using a West Bend Slow Cooker which you can get here. Use a 4-quart slow cooker or larger. Deer chili is best when it’s slow cooked for several hours. Using the slow cooker pan on the stove over medium heat, sauté the diced vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the ground meat to brown/cook for 15 minutes, drain and discard any grease. Optional step: While the meat is cooking, pour all of the diced tomatoes into a bowl. With a stick blender, puree the tomatoes slightly. My family doesn’t care for chunks of tomatoes in their chili. Stir in all of the diced tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar. Pour in the tomato juice and stir to combine. Cook on the stove for 5 more minutes to bring the chili to a boil. Finally, place the pot of venison chili onto the slow cooker base. Set the dial to high and slow cook for 4 to 8 hours.
Venison Chili - Instant Pot
Set your Instant Pot to Sauté plus set to the More setting. Toss in the diced onions, celery and peppers to the pot. Then, add the ground venison and ground pork sausage. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as you cook until browned. Make sure to stir often to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Drain any grease and discard. Optional step: While the meat is cooking, pour all of the diced tomatoes into a bowl. With a stick blender, puree the tomatoes slightly. My family doesn’t care for chunks of tomatoes in their chili. Next, stir in all of the diced tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar to the pot. Pour in the tomato juice and stir to combine.
Pressure Cooking: Place the lid on the pot and turn the Instant Pot to the Beans/Chili setting. Set the pressure valve to Sealing. Cook for 20 minutes. Release the pressure either manually or allow the pressure to release naturally. Carefully remove the lid.
Slow Cooking: Place the lid on the pot and turn the Instant Pot to the Slow Cook setting. Slow cook for 8 hours with the Normal highlighted or 4 hours with the More highlighted.
Venison Chili - Stove Top Continue cooking on the stove top over medium low heat so that the chili is just simmering. Stir often to prevent burning. Cover and cook for 2 hours maintaining a simmer.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY USED. Thank you for your support!
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 387Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 83mgSodium 1366mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 10gSugar 13gProtein 28g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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If you enjoy this recipe, you may enjoy the following: Venison Tips and Noodles and 9 Easy Venison Recipes
I’m trying your recipe today, like you we have an abundance of deer meat in our freezer also. This is the first year I’ve had ground deer and was wondering why taco seasoning and not chili seasoning or chili powder added even? Just curious! Thanks!