Winter Venison Chili Recipe (2024)

This is a step-by-step recipe for a hardy fall and winter venison chili. This a tasty, deer meat recipe for those cold days and into the holiday season! Venison is a lean meat. In fact, this game meat has about 50% less fat than beef so it is often considered a healthy choice. While you and make this venison chili recipe in the slow cooker, you can also make it on the stove over low heat, as you prefer. Deer chili is a delicious way for anyone to enjoy deer meat.

Deer Meat Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Olive oil
1 large onion (a yellow onion or white onion will work well)
1 lb Minced Venison (or ground deer meat if you happen to have a grinder and prefer ground meat)
3 Garlic cloves
one 28oz can Tomato puree
1 fresh tomato, diced
one 15oz can Red Kidney Beans (you could substitute black beans or pinto beans that is all you have on hand)
2 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tbsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Italian style seasoning
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
3.5 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional)

The difference between tomato paste, tomato purée, and tomato sauce is consistency and water content. Tomato paste is the most concentrated. Tomato puree the second and Tomato sauce the third. The tomato puree is thicker consistency and has a deeper flavor than sauce, but not too thick and pasty.

Wild game is sometimes a strong flavor for people who have never tried it before. Deer chili is a great introduction to deer meat recipes without too much gamey flavor.

How To Make Deer Chili:

Heat up olive oil in a large dutch onion or large skillet on high-medium.

Chop the large onion and add the diced onion to the pot once the olive oil has heated up. At this point turn your stove down to a low-medium heat.

Add a half teaspoon of chili powder, crushed red pepper, nutmeg, cumin and Italian seasoning to the pot.

Mince and add the 3 cloves of garlic to the pot and mix.

Add 1 lb of venison. Break it up and mix it together. Allow the deer meat to brown a bit.

Add the can of kidney beans, and yes juice and all!

Next, add the 28oz can of tomato puree and stir.

Dice the tomato and add it to the pot.

Let all of these delicious ingredients simmer for at least 30 minutes on a medium-low heat with the lid on. You can keep cooking it over low heat for longer allowing the flavors to marry further if you have time but it is not required. Your venison chili is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Feel free to top the venison chili with your favorite toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh parsley or fresh cilantro, sliced green chiles, and sliced green onions.

Printable Deer Chili Recipe Card