Make the best venison chili with tender ground deer meat, warm spices, and slow-simmered flavor. An easy, hearty, and deeply comforting wild-game chili recipe.
There’s something so comforting about a slow-simmered pot of chili, especially one built on layers of flavor the way this venison chili is. If you’ve cooked through my collection of chilis over the years, including the reader-favorite Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, you know I’m serious about balance, depth, and ease. But venison brings its own personality, and that’s exactly why I love working with it.
Venison’s naturally lean, slightly earthy profile makes it perfect for chili when handled with care. After many rounds of testing (I’ve made more batches of deer chili than I can count!), this is the version I come back to every winter. It’s hearty without being heavy, rich without requiring hours on the stove, and has that slow-cooked comfort you expect from the best venison chili recipes, but with a clean, fresh flavor profile that lets the meat shine.
Whether you’re brand new to cooking with wild game or you’re simply looking for an easy venison chili recipe you can trust, this pot delivers every single time.
A note from the author
I grew up cooking “off cuts” and unconventional meats, everything from chicken hearts to beef liver, so when opportunity came knocking at my door, I was ready and excited to develop this delicious chili recipe with venison. That experience shows up here. Where some recipes rely heavily on fats or beer to round out the flavor, this one uses aromatics, spices, acidity, and a smart layering technique to create depth while still keeping the chili bright and lively. It’s the same thoughtful approach that has made my turkey chili the top-rated recipe on my site for years.
This is the kind of ground venison chili recipe you’ll keep bookmarked! It’s simple enough for weeknights, special enough for game day, and flexible enough to adjust to whatever you have on hand. Most importantly, I know you’ll love it!
-Silvia
hERE IS WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
👉🏻 Lean-meat friendly: Thoughtfully developed to keep ground venison tender and flavorful. Whether you’re a hunter, got your hands on some wild game meat or are simply looking to incorporate more lean meats into your diet, this recipe is for you.
👉🏻 Expert layering: Built on aromatics + spices + acidity for depth without bitterness.
👉🏻 Slow-cooker convenience: Hands-off cooking that develops rich, cozy chili flavor. While this recipe works on stove-top and instant pot, this crock pot venison chili version is where I get my best results.
👉🏻 Balanced heat: Mild enough for family dinners, easy to dial up for spice lovers.
👉🏻 Tested extensively: Created by someone who develops chili recipes often and works confidently with wild game.
👉🏻 Flexible ingredients: Swap beans, adjust heat, or add veggies easily.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground venison – Venison isn’t typically available in major grocery stores. Instead, find it at local gourmet food stores, European grocers, butcher shops, local farms or if you are lucky enough to get your hands on some deer meat during hunting season.
- Aromatic vegetables – Onion, garlic, and bell peppers are must-haves in most chili recipes (like my Three Bean Vegetarian Chili) because they provide an aromatic and savory baseline of flavor. To experiment with the flavor, try substituting the bell peppers for ancho, poblano, or anaheim pepper. If you like spicy foods, turn up the heat with jalapenos or serrano peppers.
- Chili seasonings – You’ll need a pre-mixed or homemade blend of chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon.
- Flour – All purpose flour is used as a thickening agent in the chili. If you’re gluten free, use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend instead.
- Beef broth – Use a great-tasting homemade or storebought beef broth or stock. My Homemade Bone Broth takes this chili to the next level!
- Beans – Feel free to experiment with different types of beans to pack in as much fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein as possible. Pinto, kidney, and black beans are my top three for deer meat chili but you can also add chickpeas, great northern beans, cannellini, or navy beans.
- Salsa – Use your favorite jar of mild, medium, or hot chunky salsa.
- Tomato sauce – This gives the chili volume and depth.
How to make venison chili in a slow cooker
Making the chili entirely in a crockpot is easy when it has the “Saute/Sear” function. If yours doesn’t have this function, follow steps 1 to 3 in a large, heavy-bottomed pot on the stove instead (or keep scrolling for the stovetop directions).
Step 1: Set your slow cooker to saute mode and pour in the oil. Once it’s hot, add the ground venison, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the meat is browned.
Step 2: Stir in the tomato paste and flour next. Once the moisture is absorbed, add the beef broth and mix well. Be sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step 3: To finish, stir in the chili seasonings, beans, salsa, and tomato sauce.
Step 4: Cancel saute mode (or, at this point, transfer the chili from the pot on the stove to your slow cooker) and cover the slow cooker with a lid. Cook on High for 2 hours. Once it’s ready, scoop the chili into bowls with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
✨expert tips
If your venison tastes gamey: Add an extra splash of broth + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar at the end to brighten the pot.
For thicker chili: Leave the lid slightly ajar during the last hour of cooking.
For richer flavor: Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste with the aromatics.
If using very lean venison: Add 1 tbsp olive oil when browning to prevent scorching.
Slow cooker variation: Always sauté aromatics first as it makes a huge difference in flavor.
Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder – It won’t make your deer chili taste like chocolate! Instead, the cocoa will deepen the warming flavors, leaving you with an extra satisfying batch.
Toppings and serving suggestions
This crockpot venison chili is a hearty meal on its own but there’s always room for toppings! Pile on:
- Avocado
- Cooked bacon
- Cheese
- Cilantro
- Chives
- Cornbread
- Crackers
- Green onions
- Diced jalapenos
- Oyster crackers
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Diced red onion
- Roasted chickpeas
As for sides to serve with slow cooker venison chili, there’s nothing better than a slice of crusty artisan bread or buttery dinner rolls. Pair the bowls with a light, flavorful salad to balance the meal, and enjoy!
Storing, freezing, and reheating
To store: Once cooled, ladle the extra chili into individual containers and keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
To freeze: The chili also freezes well for 2 to 3 months. Let the leftovers thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat: To reheat venison chili without drying it out, you can return it to the slow cooker on low heat for 1½ to 2 hours, but it’s much quicker to reheat it on the stovetop in a covered pot over medium heat. Add a splash of beef broth if you need to.
Looking for more slow cooker recipes?
Venison Chili Recipe
Equipment
- Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison
- 15 oz canned pinto beans
- 15 oz canned kidney beans
- 15 oz canned black beans
- 16 oz tomato salsa medium heat
- 28 oz tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Chili Seasonings
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn slow cooker in sauté mode (if your slow cooker does not have a sauté option do this step on stove) heat oil then add in venison, onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté meat until browned (about 12-15 minutes)
- Stir in tomato paste and flour until mixture has soaked up all moisture (about 1-2 minutes) then immediately add beef broth and still well.
- Next add in all the seasoning along with beans, salsa and tomato sauce. Give it a good mix and cover.
- Cancel sauté mode (or at this point transfer everything from stove top to slow cooker). Set slow cooker on high and cook for 2 hours.
Notes
👉🏻 Instant Pot instructions
Step 1: Saute the meat, onions, garlic, and peppers in the Instant Pot using Saute mode. Stir in the chili seasonings once the meat is browned all over. Step 2: Whisk in the broth, tomato paste, and flour. Finally, add the beans, salsa, and tomato sauce and stir well. Step 3: Cancel Saute mode, lock the lid in place, and set the steam valve to the Sealed position. Pressure cook on High for 15 minutes. Step 4: When the timer stops, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure. Serve and enjoy!👉🏻 Stovetop instructions
Brown the ground deer meat, onion, garlic, and peppers in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture up to a simmer. Let the chili cook uncovered until it’s nicely thickened (1 to 2 hours).Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Where are the Instant Pot instructions?
Hi Sharon, for the instant pot instructions you can follow this recipe and use venison instead. https://gardeninthekitchen.com/instant-pot-chili/
I’ve never really made homemade chili before, let alone with venison, so I was a bit skeptical at first.
I made this for dinner tonight (and we’re freezing some) and man, what a dish!! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing!! I read a comment about adding cocoa powder and now I wanna do that too!!
That’s really great Terry, I am happy to hear that you enjoy my venison chili recipe. There is definitely lots of ways to explore with it, different variations. Thanks for making my recipe and sharing your feedback!