We were just loaded up with more venison!!! And I am ready to make the Best Venison Chili ever!
Yay! Big thanks to my father-in-law for bringing us some of his venison from his freezer stock. We love venison in our home. While my husband can’t go hunting as often as he would like, we have been fortunate to have plenty of people in our lives who are more than willing to share in their hunting bounty!
Venison is such a great meat. Very lean and versatile. I know, some of you out there just aren’t convinced it can be cooked without a distinct gamey flavor. But I promise you, if you came to my house and had this venison chili, or my venison meatloaf, or hearty venison stew you would have absolutely no idea it was venison until I told you!
This recipe makes a large batch of chili. Even if you don’t have a large family of 8 to polish off almost all of it in one meal, you will want it this large of a batch. Chili is a great meal to freeze. I fill a gallon size plastic zip bag with chili and put it in the freezer for a day when I just don’t feel like cooking. Chili just gets better and better with time. Third day chili leftovers are my favorite.
You can eat this chili in a bowl with some sour cream, scallions, and shredded cheese. Or put it over rice (a Hawaii tradition), add pasta for a chili mac, scoop some on your hot dog for a fabulous chili cheese dog! There are so many ways to enjoy chili.
Of course, Jon really loves chili. And he was super hungry last night when I made it. You people better be glad I got a few pictures in before he ate the whole bowl! Hahahahaha!
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 lbs ground Venison
1 large Onion, chopped
3/4 cup Chili powder
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
3 15 oz. cans Tomato Sauce
2 15 oz. cans Tomato Puree
DIRECTIONS:
- Brown venison and onion in a large dutch oven pot.
- Stir in Chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, & black pepper when venison is partially browned. (This will allow the meat to soak in the seasonings and give the chili a less “gamey” flavor)
- When meat is cooked, pour in tomato sauce and tomato puree.
- Add brown sugar and stir until well combined.
- Partially cover chili with pot lid and turn to low heat.
- Allow to simmer for at least two hours. (4-6 hours makes for a more flavorful chili)
- Chili can be transferred to a slow cooker to simmer on low.
Happy Eating!
Keikilani
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I usually make it with ground turkey, but I did have a great moose chili a few weeks ago, so I was thinking about trying that next time.
I have had a moose burger once. Another great meat!
3/4 cup of chili powder seems like A LOT…. Is that the correct amount??
If it feels like too much for you, I suggest starting with 1/4 cup and allow it to simmer and then add more to taste. I prefer a lot of chili powder to mask the venison taste.
I have never made chili out of venison…but it does sound good. I usually don’t go a lot of “game” meats but do venture out now and again to give it a try.
We have never tried venison (that I am aware of) but like Keikilani we have had moose before! Moose tacos if memory serves me correct! The hubby is a huge fan of chili so he would love this recipe!
I do like my chili over cornbread with dollop of sour cream on top. I may need to try this recipe.
Ooo!!! I love chili and cornbread!
I love chili with all the toppings, too. I have to have sour cream and cheese for sure.
I usually have turkey chili with shredded cheese & crackers. I can break from routine and try out venison chili.
Chili sounds good tonight! My family makes venison chili when we have deer meat. Delish!
I am not a venison fan although this does look good. Chili and cornbread make a great meal.
Haha, sounds like Jon is a lot like my husband. When I ask him what time he’lll be home for dinner he says… blog dinner or regular dinner… and shows up late knowing I’ll be taking photos!
Hahaha! That’s too funny! They know when to get the good stuff.
This is a good way to use up the venison from hunting. I used to be a part of a family that had a lot of hunters so recipes were always good to find.
I have not eaten venison for such a long time! I never thought about using it in chili
Though we don’t eat venison, I could replace it with chili and I bet it would be great. What a fun photo.
I do like my chili inside a cornbread bowl with sour cream on top. Love your recipe!
How spicy is this recipe? I’ve got my inlaws coming over tomorrow and thought about making this.
Hi Dwayne!
It is not spicy in my opinion. But if you are concerned about the spice add only 1/2 cup of chili powder to start. You can always add the remaining chili powder if you want more flavor! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can I tell me how large cans can tomato sauce and purée are?
Hi Kerry,
The cans are the regular 15 oz sizes. 🙂
Really 3/4 cup of chili powder, is that a mistake?
It’s not a mistake. But if you are worried about that amount, I would recommend adding half to begin with. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes and add more to taste if you desire.
What size cans for the tomato purée and sauce?
15 oz cans.
Could I brown meat with onion then add directly to crock pot instead of doing a stove simmer?
Of course!!!
About how long would you say for the crock pot?
Hi Jessica! I would do 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high. I would stir it every hour if cooking on high as the sides would burn a little more.
Hi there, I’ve never put brown sugar in my chili before – does it make it sweet?
Looking forward to trying this in a slow cooker tonight, and want to adjust so it isn’t sweet if that’s the case 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Taylor!
It does give it a sweet undertone. If you are concerned about it being too sweet, add a tablespoon at a time to taste.
I have this on my stove right now. It seems to be a lot darker in color than yours does. I did the 1/3 cup of chili powder instead and it’s not spicy at all from the little spoons I have tried. I hope it’s good.
No beans?
Haylee,
You can totally add beans! Half my family prefers chili with no beans. So I accommodate. 😉
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It look great yummy good😋