the BEST Venison Chili Recipe (2024)

This is a hearty and easy venison chili recipe perfect for using ground venison from hunting season or, if you prefer, ground turkey or another lean meat.

Are you looking for a cozy delicious chili recipe? Try my Sweet Potato Chili recipe for a yummy twist on Grandma’s classic chili.

A chill in the air seems more manageable when you have warm chili in the belly, doesn’t it? Many homes have a go-to chili recipe they use time and again that is a personal favorite. Chili recipes are like ordering coffee… no one person makes it the same way. Deer chili (as my kids call it) is even more familial and can be widely found in states where hunting is popular…like WI and MN. Dontcha know ;).

Key Ingredients for Venison Chili:

This yummy recipe calls on the use of canned tomatoes and sauce to speed up the process and get chili on the table fast, fast, fast. Using canned products also makes it easier and less intimidating for the beginning cook. Don’t worry, you are NOT sacrificing flavor in any. which. way. Promise!

Start with the basic ingredients, master it, and then learn your favorite changes and additions. Included is a list at the bottom of the post with ideas to personalize this recipe so you can create your personal chili recipe that your family adores.

• Ground venison. Any ground meat like lean ground beef or ground turkey works too.
• Onion. We use a large onion in chili. I prefer a yellow or white diced onion for this recipe.
• Garlic. Just a few cloves garlic does the trick.
• Diced tomatoes. A couple cans works fine. The tomato juice from the can goes in, too.
• Chili beans. Go ahead and swap black beans or pinto beans for some of the chili beans.
• Tomato sauce. This isn’t the same as pasta sauce, be aware.
• Chili powder. I mean….obviously :).
• Brown sugar. I think a bit of brown sugar adds depth to the chili. Give it a try.

Adaptations to try…

• Diced jalapenos, bell peppers, or green chiles.
• add chopped green or red peppers or chili peppers :).
• use kidney or pinto beans instead of or in addition to the chili beans
• try different meats like sausage, lamb, beef, or turkey.
• add a can of beer
• simmer on low for several hours
• add spices like cumin, cayenne pepper, or oregano
• go beanless.
• or meatless.
• try additional wild game like boar, buffalo, or elk.

Can I substitute ground venison for ground beef in recipes?

Anything that uses ground beef, pork, or similar can be substitute with venison. However, venison is a very lean meat and if you are subbing for ground beef or another meat with a high-fat content you may want to add a little bit of oil to your pan to help add needed fat to the dish.

How to make Venison Chili:

There are those chili recipes that employ long periods of time on the stove; or cooking chili in a slow-cooker, or all sorts of different ingredients, this isn’t one of those.

1. In a dutch oven on medium-high heat, saute up some chopped onions, add minced garlic, and then brown up your meat.
2. Add your remaining ingredients and let that simmer on the stove on medium heat for about 20 minutes. One-pot. The end.
3. Top with some fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

Is deer meat good for you?

Venison is high in protein and is leaner than many types of meat. So, if you are looking for a good, lean red meat, venison is a great choice! But gosh, I can’t answer for you if venison is good for you. That’s your doctor’s job :).

We primarily use venison whenever we make chili. Ground turkey has similar fat content and texture to venison if you prefer or don’t have access to venison. My husband comes from Wisconsin and a hunting family so we have our own meat easily available to us.
If you have access to venison but don’t particularly like using venison try using a 1/2 and 1/2 blend of venison with higher fat content type of meat like beef or sausage. Using the meat mixture gives me the needed flavor and fat while still saving money by using what is available.

Let’s bring up the fact that this chili is served with cinnamon rolls in the pictures. This is for the Iowan readers in da house. Apparently, serving a big pot of chili with cinnamon rolls is a thing where you all live. Maybe it’s not true but just in case, the chili is being served with cinnamon rolls.