Venison chili is a hearty chili that is packed with ground venison and ground beef, beans, and spices. It is easily prepared in one Dutch oven in a just over one hour. One of my favorite things about chili is the toppings. It’s fun to create a toppings bar for everyone to mix and match, choosing exactly how they want to customize their bowl. Some examples of chili toppings include shredded cheese, diced raw onions, sliced jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips, diced green onions, and sour cream.
This chili has a medium consistency, it is not too thick but is also not soupy. The tomato base is spicy, which I think is the perfect blend. It can be adjusted for a milder flavor by using less chili powder or cayenne.
Why use venison?
Venison is leaner than beef. It has half the calories and less saturated fat than beef. Also, venison has more protein than beef. It also is high in B vitamins, iron, and zinc.
Venison is less expensive than beef. The price to have venison ground at a butcher is about half the price of ground beef. It can also be ground at home using a meat grinder.
In comparison to processed beef, there are no additives to ground venison. The great thing about ground venison is that it can substitute ground beef in nearly every soup or casserole without a taste difference. Because venison contains less fat, it is a drier meat than beef. Personally, I do not care for it as a steak or burger, but it is wonderful in this chili. Venison sausages and snack sticks are also a family favorite.
Many butcher shops offer venison processing services. Here is a list of a few in Wisconsin.
Wild Game Processing – Limited, Milwaukee
Mike’s Star Market – Eau Claire’s Hometown Meat Market, Eau Claire
Wild Game Processing – Maplewood Meats, Green Bay
Wild Game Processing – Hoesly’s Meats | Madison WI Madison
Interested in other meals featuring ground venison?
Venison Chili
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 lb Ground venison
- 1 Onion, diced
- 1 Jalepeno
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 quarts Tomato Juice
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 4 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 pint Diced tomatoes
- 3 cans Light red kidney beans
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, cook ground beef, ground venison, onion, and jalepeno over medium high heat until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper during cooking.
- Once meat is cooked through, add tomato juice, diced tomatoes, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, sea salt, and pepper.
- Bring pot to a simmer over medium low heat and allow chili to simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain and rinse kidney beans and add to the chili.
- Continue to simmer for 30 more minutes.
- Serve with a toppings bar: diced raw white onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeño, crushed tortilla chips, and sour cream.
Nutrition
