Venison Chili

This venison chili recipe is simple to prepare and offers a delicious variation on traditional chili. It features well-seasoned venison, a homemade chili seasoning blend, and robust beans, creating a fantastic chili your family will rave about for weeks!

Serve with a side of my delicious jalapeño cornbread, in my homemade bread bowls, or over a bed of fluffy white rice!

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🧂 Substitutions & Additions
• 🔪 How To Make Venison Chili
• 💭 Tips & Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 😋 More Tasty Savory Dinners!
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

My venison chili recipe is packed with flavorful, richly seasoned venison, soft kidney beans, and zesty tomatoes, creating a unique and delightful taste experience. It's one of the best ways to use up all of your frozen ground venison!

I've made quite a few batches of chili over my years of cooking! I love it when I get a recipe down to the perfect balance of meat, tomatoes, beans, and spices; the key to a great chili.

To add an extra element of fun to mealtime, I like to set up a chili toppings bar brimming with everyone's favorite additions. This not only makes dinner more interactive but also allows each person to tailor their chili to their own taste preferences.

🥘 Ingredients

Venison is the special ingredient in this comfort food chili!

• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil – You can also use any oil you happen to have on hand.
• ¼ cup Yellow Onion – Dice the onion for this recipe! You can use yellow or white onion here.
• 1 teaspoon Garlic – Mince or crush the garlic for the chili. 1 teaspoon of minced garlic is equal to about 1 clove of garlic, depending on size.
• 1 pound Ground Venison – If you cannot find venison at a local grocery store, try a local butcher!
• 2 tablespoons Chili Seasoning – I love my easy chili seasoning recipe! If you’re short on time, you can also use your favorite brand of chili powder or seasoning.
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt – Use according to taste! I recommend using less or skipping if your chili seasoning has a lot of salt added.
• 15.5 ounces Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes – This is equal to 1 15.5-ounce can. Don’t drain the tomatoes; we need the juice for the chili!
• 15.5 ounces Kidney Beans- Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the chili! For more info on bean types see my post on the best beans for chili.
• 4 ounces Tomato Paste – This is equal to 1 small can of tomato paste!
• 15-ounces Tomato Sauce – 1 large, 15-ounce can is perfect for this chili!
• 1 cup Beef Broth – You can use homemade beef broth, a carton of beef broth, or bouillon dissolved in hot water.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🧂 Substitutions & Additions

• Bean Variations: If kidney beans aren't to your liking, feel free to swap them with a chili bean mix or another bean type of your choice.
• Tomato Options: While fire-roasted tomatoes are a great choice, you can easily replace them with plain or petite diced tomatoes or spice things up with RoTel diced tomatoes and green chiles.
• Adding Smokiness: For a smoky flavor, consider substituting half of the tomato paste with 2 ounces of diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
• Meat Alternatives: If venison is unavailable, this recipe is equally delicious with lean ground beef, pork, turkey, or other game meats like elk. Choose what suits you best!

🔪 How To Make Venison Chili

Chili is one of the easiest cold-weather dishes to make! This recipe is made in a Dutch oven or large pot, but you can also make it in a slow cooker! (See Tips & Recipe Notes)

1. Sauté onion and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven until the oil is just shy of smoking. Then, add ½ cup of diced yellow onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to the onion and continue to sauté with the onion for one additional minute.
2. Brown the ground venison. Next, add 1 pound of ground venison to the sautéed onion and garlic, breaking up the venison as it cooks. Cook until the venison no longer shows any signs of pink coloring, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients. To the venison, 2 tablespoons of chili seasoning and ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, then stir. Next, add the undrained 15.5 ounces of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice, then the drained and rinsed 15.5 ounces of kidney beans. Then, mix in 4 ounces of tomato paste, 15 ounces of tomato sauce, and 1 cup of beef broth.

Simmer & Serve

1. Simmer until thickened. Once all the ingredients are added, bring your chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Make sure to stir every 10 to 15 minutes while the chili is cooking until it reaches your desired thickness.
2. Serve. Remove the chili from the heat and serve it immediately.

Venison chili is such a warm and filling meal! Garnish with your favorite toppings for the perfect bowl of chili. Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

• Slow Cooker Method: For the best flavor, start by sautéing onions, garlic, and venison. Once browned, transfer this mixture along with the other ingredients into your slow cooker. Let it cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
• Customize with Toppings: Enhance your chili by adding a variety of toppings. Personal favorites include sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, corn or tortilla chips for crunch, freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime for a zesty finish.
• Beer Infusion: Add a splash of your preferred beer to the chili and beef broth for an interesting twist. This adds a unique depth of flavor and can elevate the overall taste of your chili.

>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Chili is even better the next day! Store the chili refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Chili freezes well for up to 6 months! However, it’s best used within the first 3 months. Make sure to fully cool your chili before storing it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container.

Reheating

Chili can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave! To reheat on the stovetop, transfer the leftovers to a pot and heat over medium until thoroughly reheated, about 15 to 20 minutes.

To reheat chili in the microwave, scoop servings into bowls and cover with a paper towel. Then microwave on high power for 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until fully heated.

❓ Recipe FAQs

😋 More Tasty Savory Dinners!

• Pork Shoulder Butt Roast - Slow-cooked for tenderness, this upper shoulder cut of pork is celebrated for its rich flavor and juicy succulence.
• Lamb Breast - Often underrated, this flavorful cut is best enjoyed slow-cooked, allowing the fat to render and the meat to become tender.
• Venison Tacos - Offering a unique twist on traditional tacos, these use lean, savory venison as the main filling.
• Pan-Seared Duck Breast - Gourmet in style, this dish features duck breast cooked to achieve crispy skin and a juicy, tender inside.
• Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Ribeye - Luxurious and flavorful, this large, bone-in ribeye is slowly roasted, then finished with a high-heat sear.
• Smoked Hamburgers - Classic burgers get a twist with a rich, wood-smoked flavor, adding smokiness to every bite.

📖 Recipe Card