Venison Chili

Cozy up to big bowl of healthy Venison Chili. Chock full of herbs and spices, this recipe will warm you from the inside out and leave plenty for second helpings.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 259kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions chopped
1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder or 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cloves garlic minced
2 pounds ground venison
2 (15.5 ounce) cans kidney beans drained and rinsed
2 (10 ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 (28 ounce) can tomato purée
Shredded cheese, sour cream, and scallions for serving, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until vegetables have softened, 7 to 10 minutes.
Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add venison and cook, breaking up the clumps with a spoon, until the venison is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Stir in kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato puree. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and continue to simmer for 30 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with preferred toppings including cheese, sour cream, and scallions.

Video

Notes

Using dried beans: 1 pound (about 2 cups) of dried beans yields 6 to 7 cups cooked beans. One 15-ounce can of cooked beans yields 1 3/4 cups beans after draining, making it equivalent to 1/4 to 1/3 pounds ( or 1/2 to 3/4 cup) dried. Cook your beans in unsalted water beforehand, then measure them out and add them to the pot.
Spicy chili: Add dried ancho, chipotle, guajillo, or New Mexican chilies to the pot to bump up the heat, add some sweetness, or make deer chili a little more complex.
Just add bacon: A handful of cooked bacon or crumbled chorizo cooked with the onions, and add another layer of delicious flavor to the pot.
No beans: Some chili lovers insist beans don’t belong in a traditional chili. No matter where you stand on the bean issue, you can leave them out. Just add extra meat and some extra veggies.
Chocolate in chili: Yes, you read that right! A square or two of unsweetened baking chocolate makes a bold, deeply delicious chili (Skyline's famous Cincinnati Chili uses a little bit of chocolate). Some cooks even pour in a little strong coffee to get that roasted taste. Try it!
Beer: A can of good beer cooks down and gently flavors your deer stew. Especially good over open fires, with lots of friends.
Stew meat chili: You can use chunks of venison for a heartier stew, but it might take longer to cook. Dredge the stew meat in salt, pepper, and flour and add to the pot. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until fork tender.
Super healthy: Beef up the vegetables. Add celery, red bell pepper, fresh tomatoes, even a little chopped carrot.

Nutrition