This easy venison chili recipe is sure to warm you up on a cold winter day. Packed with beans and ground venison, it’s a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that’ll satisfy even the biggest appetites.
Hunting season is here, and I wanted to get this recipe posted for those of us who’ll have freezers filled to the brim with deer meat. While I’m not a fan of ground venison normally, I don’t mind it in a dish that has a lot of flavor (i.e., when I can’t taste the wildness of the deer meat).
So, if you’re in the same boat, with a lot of venison and no idea what to do with it, this recipe is a definite winner. It’s incredibly easy—if you can open up some cans of beans, brown the meat, and add some seasoning packets, you’ll nail it.
You may also like this venison stew, too!
Ingredients for Venison Chili
This section is meant to provide an overview of the ingredients required for the recipe. For specific amounts and instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Venison — You’ll need one pound of ground deer meat, but if you don’t have that, sub ground beef. It works just as well!
- Canned Beans — This recipe calls for 1 can of mixed chili beans, 1 can of regular chili beans, 1 can of light red kidney beans, and 1 can of dark red kidney beans. If you’re like my husband and son and don’t really care for the “firmness” of kidney beans, black beans or even pinto beans are delicious in chili, too. Use your favorite beans!
- Canned Tomatoes — Use 1 can of stewed tomatoes and 1 can of diced tomatoes (or, you can make BOTH cans stewed or diced).
- Chili Seasoning — You’ll need 2 packets of your favorite chili seasoning or here’s a combination of spices to make homemade chili seasoning.
- V8 Vegetable Juice — The secret sauce! This ingredient really makes the chili shine.
How to Make Venison Chili
This section provides a brief overview of the instructions but the steps are not detailed. For exact step-by-step instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
Step 1: Brown the ground venison over medium heat, breaking it apart as it cooks through. Then, add your drained beans and tomatoes, the chili seasoning, and the V8 juice.
Step 2: Stir the ingredients together, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot to let the chili simmer for 1.5 hours. Stir it occasionally to keep the beans from sticking.
Your chili is now ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions
Venison chili is great with a big hunk of cornbread, oyster crackers or saltines. You can also add your favorite chili toppings, like shredded cheddar cheese (or pepper jack cheese), jalapenos, a dollop of sour cream, and some fresh green onions on top.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover deer meat chili in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-5 days. If you plan on storing it longer, freeze it instead.
You can store venison chili in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag for about 3 months. You technically can store it longer, but the flavor or texture may be affected although the chili would still be safe to eat.
Venison Chili Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Simmer the chili on low and stir it occasionally. If the temperature is too high, or if you forget to stir it at all, the beans will burn and stick to the bottom of the pot.
- For a soupier chili, add more V8 or a cup or so of beef broth. For a thicker chili, simmer for longer to reduce the liquid.
Additions and Variations
Add corn. I know some people are not a fan of corn in chili, but we love it! You may have seen it here with our turkey corn chili, but if you enjoy a sweeter chili, adding a can of corn really helps.
Add onions. If you love onions in chili, add them in the beginning and brown them along with the venison. If you add them with the canned beans and tomatoes, the chili will have a stronger onion flavor than if you had cooked them before the long simmer.
Substitute the venison with beef. If you’re all out of venison (or just don’t like it), feel free to substitute ground beef instead. Lean ground beef will be the best substitute since venison is quite lean, too.
Recipe FAQ
Do I have to use deer meat?
No, you can substitute ground beef if you prefer.
Can I sub ground turkey or chicken?
You could, but the flavor of the V8 may be a little strong for ground poultry.
More Delicious Chili Recipes
We already mentioned our turkey corn chili above, but if you love a steamy bowl of chili as much as we do, here are some of our favorites:
- Vegetarian Chili – made with quinoa and black beans, this vegetarian-friendly chili is super hearty, even for the meat eaters.
- Pumpkin Chili – a yummy chili recipe for fall with a hint of pumpkin flavor and warm spices.
- Vegan Black Bean and Corn Chili – thick, chunky, and super affordable to make when the budget is tight.
- Beef and Mushroom Chili – watching your carbs? Make this chili recipe that skips the beans but is still incredibly filling.
Venison Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison
- 1 can mixed chili beans 15-oz can, drained
- 1 can chili beans 15-oz can, drained
- 1 can light red kidney beans 15-oz can, drained
- 1 can dark red kidney beans 15-oz can, drained
- 1 can stewed tomatoes 14.5-oz can, drained
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5-oz can, drained
- 2 packets chili seasoning 1.25-oz packets
- 46 oz V8
Instructions
- Add the ground venison to stock pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, breaking the meat apart as it cooks until it's browned. Drain the meat if needed.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, chili seasoning, and V8 juice and stir to mix the ingredients together. Cover, and heat over low heat for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and serve with crackers or cornbread and your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition
