Sweet and Spicy Venison Chili is a hearty chili recipe full of vegetables and flavor. This lean chili is rich in spices, with a touch of sweetness, and perfect for serving a large crowd!
Do you want to know a secret? Growing up, I was a picky eater. I can remember saying 'I don't like chocolate.' Now, I have no memory of who that girls is because I will eat anything (with the exception of a raw oyster. I still can't go there).
One thing I would not touch growing up was chili. The beans, the sneaky vegetables, the spice. It was all too much. Chili now is a go to recipe for me to cook. It is perfect for a large group. And, luckily, my toddler will devour it!
Ingredients for Venison Chili
The main ingredient and base of this recipe is venison. I come from a family of hunters and my husband is an avid deer hunter. We always have ground venison in our freezer. If you don't have venison, substitute lean ground beef or ground turkey. The meat will take on the spice flavors.
Venison Chili Vegetables
When I cook one pot meals, I like to sneak in as many vegetables as possible. In this recipe, I use a white onion, peppers, a jalapeno and mushrooms. For the pepper, choose a pepper that your family likes. I normally use a red pepper or a green pepper. I remove all seeds from the jalapeno. Keep a few seeds in the jalapeno if your family likes it hot.
For the mushrooms, I use a food processor to finely chop them. By doing this, the mushrooms incorporate easily into the meat and give an extra boost of protein. Plus, your kiddos won't have any idea you snuck mushrooms in!
In order to give the chili a tomato base, I use a mixture of tomato paste, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. If your family does not like chunky tomatoes, replace the diced tomatoes with extra tomato sauce.
Venison Chili Seasoning
This chili uses a few different seasonings and spices. Feel free to play around with the seasoning to adjust to your families preference.
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
I also add brown sugar for sweetness.
Venison Chili Secret Ingredient
My secret ingredient in this chili is Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans! These beans give an added sweetness to the chili that balances out the salt and heat. Now, I add brown sugar as well. If you don't want it sweet, omit the added brown sugar as the Vegetarian Baked Beans have brown sugar in them.
Let's Get Cookin!
This recipe is perfect for the crock pot! If you don't have a crock pot, you can use a soup pot and let the chili simmer on the stove.
Start by adding the ground venison, chopped onion, chopped pepper, jalapeno and mushrooms to a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook 5-7 minutes until meat is browned and vegetables are soft. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
Transfer meat and vegetable mixture to crock pot. If cooking on the stove, leave meat mixture in soup pot.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and baked beans. Stir to mix with meat.
Add all seasonings: chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and brown sugar. Stir to thoroughly mix.
Cook on low heat 6-8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours.
What to serve with Venison Chili?
I serve my chili with shredded cheddar cheese, sliced jalapenos and sour cream on top. I recommend having some cornbread to go with the chill. Another fun option is crushed tortilla chips on top!
Need another easy entertaining recipe?
Try my Easy, Everyday Meatballs or my Black Bean and Corn Salsa! This Kentucky Coffee with Maple Simple Syrup is the perfect, cozy alcoholic drink to sip on while watching football and eating chili!
If you make this Venison Chili, please leave a comment or tag @delmarvaliciousdishes! I love your feedback!
Sweet and Spicy Venison Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Sweet Onion- chopped
- 1 Pepper- chopped
- 1 Jalapeno - seeds removed and chopped
- 1 lb Ground Venison
- 3 Garlic Cloves- minced
- 8 oz Mushrooms- chopped
- 28 oz Diced Tomatoes
- 28 oz Vegetarian Baked Beans- do not drain
- 16 oz Tomato Sauce
- 8 oz Tomato Paste
- 3 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan or soup pot at medium, sauté onion, pepper, jalapeno, mushrooms and venison until vegetables are soft and meat is brown.
- Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- If using a crock pot, transfer mixture to crock pot.
- Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetarian baked beans. Stir to mix together.
- Add the spices: chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper and brown sugar. Stir to mix together.
- Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.
- Serve with cornbread, shredded cheese, sour cream or tortilla chips!
