Venison Chili
This hearty venison chili is packed with bold spices, fire-roasted tomatoes, and dark beer for a rich, smoky depth. Whether you simmer it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, it's the perfect cold-weather meal for showcasing ground deer meat.
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
Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 718mg | Potassium: 938mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2047IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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