I made this venison chili recipe specifically for ground deer meat. It’s not your everyday, “adapted from a beef chili formula”. It uses olive oil or bacon fat, dark beer, fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, and an ancho chili spice base. These flavors, combined with my technique for lean venison, make for a tasty chili that doesn’t leave you with dry, chalky meat.
It’s the deer chili I make in batches every fall so that I know I’m covered for mile-high filled bowls, loaded baked potatoes, or Tex-Mex nachos.
Quick Look: Venison Chili
- Ready in: About 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Serves: 6
- Calories: 506
- Main ingredients: Ground venison, ancho chili powder, dark beer, stock, fire-roasted tomatoes, pinto or black beans
- Cook method: Stovetop, with a slow cooker option.
- Why this version works: This one is made for lean deer meat, focusing on what delivers the best results. Those are controlled browning and simmering gently, with enough fat, liquid, and the right spices to make the perfect bowl of deer chili.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I’ve made plenty of venison chili that tasted good, but still had one main problem. The meat became grainy when I cooked it too long and too hard. With beef chili, this can help, but not here.
This version is made around that lesson. Brown the venison enough to build flavor, keep the simmering gentle, and let the chili rest overnight if you can. That rest does more for the flavor than cooking all day.
I’ve got more Ground Venison Recipes, like my venison goulash, hamburger stew, and venison ragu that I created for this very reason. And if you grind your own, my How to Grind Venison guide shows how to add fat to the mix, which will give you more room for error when cooking.
Why This Recipe Is Great
Gets better the next day. Let it cool, refrigerate it overnight, and reheat it gently for a deeper-flavored chili.
Easy to make in batches. If you have enough ground venison, this recipe is easy to scale. Make double- or triple-batches and freeze them until needed.
Flexible with beans. I like to use pinto beans and black beans. But you can easily swap them for kidney beans or leave them out altogether.
Works with most mild chile powders. Ancho chile powder is my go-to, but any good-quality mild chile powder will work
Use venison stock or beef broth. Venison stock keeps it wild game forward, but beef broth works just fine.
It covers proper technique. If you’re looking to make the best chili possible, using my techniques geared towards ground deer meat is a must.
Key Ingredients
Ground venison: You can use pure ground venison or venison that has been ground with added fat.
Cooking oil or bacon fat: Bacon fat adds more richness and a smoky flavor. Oil keeps the flavor cleaner. Both are needed to brown the venison.
Chili powder: Ancho gives the chili a deeper, warmer flavor than basic chili powder. It works well with the dark beer. Or just use any mild chile powder you have in the cabinet.
Coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and oregano: These are my goto chili spices for adding layers of flavor.
Dark beer: A dark lager or dark Mexican lager adds body and a little maltiness to the chili. Avoid very bitter beer.
Venison stock or beef broth: Venison stock delivers the best flavor pairing, in my opinion. But beef broth or stock gets the job done.
Fire-roasted tomatoes: These bring smoke, acidity, and natural sweetness.
Pinto or black beans: These are my favorite beans for chili. But you can swap them out for what you like.
How To Make Venison Chili
- Season the venison: Mix the coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and oregano in a large bowl. Add the ground venison and toss gently until the meat is evenly coated.
- Brown the venison: Heat the oil or bacon fat in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the fat is hot and shimmering, add the venison and break it up well with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until lightly browned with no pink left. If your pot is crowded, brown the meat in batches.
- Build the base: Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften and the garlic smells fragrant.
- Deglaze and simmer: Pour in the beer and stock, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the sugar and fire-roasted tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens and tastes balanced.
- Add the beans: Stir in the rinsed beans and simmer for 10-15 minutes, just until heated through. Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper before serving.
- Optional overnight rest: For the best-tasting chili, I highly recommend letting it rest overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently until thoroughly warmed through.
Chef Tips
Do not aggressively sear the venison – Browning builds flavor, but lean ground venison can turn dry and grainy if you cook it too hard. As soon as it achieves a light golden brown color, remove from the heat.
Simmer gently – Boiling the chili will remove the natural moisture and fat within the meat. While this can add flavor to the chili’s sauce layer, the meat itself will end up dry and grainy.
Don’t cook for too long – Just like boiling, cooking too long leaches out moisture and fat from the meat. Once the chili thickens and tastes balanced, it’s done.
Don’t skimp on the cooking oil – Four tablespoons of oil or bacon fat is not too much for 3 pounds of ground venison. It needs it to promote browning. Especially if you’re working with pure ground venison with no added fat.
Add the beans towards the end – Canned beans only need to heat through. Remember, if you want to enhance flavor, let the chili rest overnight in the fridge.
Rest it overnight if you can – As mentioned above, the best flavor comes after the chili cools, sits overnight in the fridge.
Reheat gently – Warm it slowly on the stove or in the microwave. If it thickens too much, add a splash of stock or water. Taste for seasoning.
Serving Suggestions
Loaded baked potatoes – Spoon the chili over baked russets and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, or pickled jalapeños.
Chili nachos – Pile it over tortilla chips with melted cheese, pickled jalapeños, and a little sour cream. This is the ultimate Tex-Mex meal.
Fried cornbread or beer bread – Both are good for soaking up the last spoonfuls of chili.
Tacos or burritos – Use leftovers as a filling with rice, crema, cheese, and hot sauce.
Crunchy rice: Steamed white rice will work. But when you want the best texture to complement your chili, my favorite side is crispy cooked rice.
Venison Chili Variations
Slow cooker venison chili: Brown the venison, onion, garlic, and spices first. Transfer to the slow cooker with the beer, stock, sugar, and tomatoes. Cook on LOW for 3 hours or HIGH for 2 hours, then stir in the beans for the last 30 minutes.
No-bean venison chili: Leave out the beans and add extra ground venison. Reduce the liquid slightly or simmer uncovered until thick.
Spicy venison chili: Add extra cayenne, chipotle powder, diced jalapeños, or hot sauce.
No beer: Replace the beer with more venison stock or beef broth.
Thicker chili: Whisk a few tablespoons of masa harina with water to make a thin paste, then stir it in during the last few minutes of cooking.
Mixed meat chili: Blend in ground pork, beef, bacon, or sausage to add fat and richness.
FAQs
Does venison make good chili?
Yes. Ground venison works well in chili. But the key to the best deer chili is in the technique, not necessarily the ingredient list.
How do you avoid gamey taste in venison chili?
Start with clean, well-trimmed venison. While seasonings can help mask gamey flavors, your best line of defense is proper field care and storage.
What vegetables go well in deer chili?
Onion, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, and beans all work well. This recipe keeps the base focused with onion, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, and pinto or black beans.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Refrigerator: Cool the chili, then store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze cooled chili in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Warm it gently on the stove or in the microwave. Add a splash of stock or water if it thickens too much in the fridge. Taste for seasoning.
Make-ahead: This chili is a good make-ahead recipe because the spices, tomatoes, beer, and venison mature overnight.
More Ground Venison Dinner Ideas
Below are a few more venison recipes that you can use with your ground venison.
If you make this venison chili, drop a comment or leave a review. And if you have any questions about cooking wild game or want to share your latest food creations, give me a shout on Instagram at @larry__white.
Venison Chili
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground venison
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (preferably ancho chili)
- 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil or bacon fat
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- One 12-ounce bottle beer preferably dark lager
- 2 cups venison stock or beef broth
- 1 28- ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 15- ounce cans pinto or black beans rinsed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and dried oregano together. Add the ground venison and toss gently to coat the meat evenly.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil or bacon fat.
- When the fat is hot and shimmering, add the venison. Break it up well with a wooden spoon so the meat does not clump together. Cook until lightly browned with no pink left, about 5-7 minutes. Brown in batches if the pot is crowded.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add the beer and stock. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Add the sugar and fire-roasted tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens.
- Stir in the rinsed beans and simmer for 10-15 minutes, just until heated through.
- Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper before serving.
NOTES
- Slow cooker option: Brown the venison, onion, garlic, and spices first. Transfer to the slow cooker with the beer, stock, sugar, and tomatoes. Cook on LOW for 3 hours or HIGH for 2 hours, then stir in the beans for the last 30 minutes.
- Brown the meat, but not aggressively: Browning builds flavor, but aggressive searing can turn lean ground venison into dry, grainy bits. Cook it until lightly browned with no pink left.
- Brown in batches if needed: If the pot is crowded, the venison will steam instead of browning. Use a wide pot or brown the meat in batches for better flavor and texture.
- Keep the simmer gentle: Once the beer, stock, and tomatoes are in, simmer uncovered until the chili thickens. Do not hard-boil it. More heat does not mean better flavor with ground venison.
- For thicker chili: Start with 2 tablespoons of masa harina mixed with 1/4 cup of cool water. Whisk it into a smooth slurry, stir it into the chili during the last few minutes of cooking, and simmer for 10 minutes. If you want it thicker, add more using the same ratio: 1 tablespoon masa harina to 2 tablespoons water.
- Rest overnight for the best flavor: Cool the chili, refrigerate it overnight, and reheat it gently the next day. That rest does more for the flavor than cooking it longer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
1 thought on “Venison Chili with Dark Beer & Ancho Chile”
All of larry’s recipes are 10/10 and this one was no exception. This chili is fantastic, easy, and fairly quick