Venison Chili

Ground venison makes exceptional chili — leaner than beef, richer than chicken, with a subtle wildness that store-bought meat can never match. Simple, warming, and deeply satisfying. This is what to do with ground venison from the season.

What You Need

• 2 lbs ground venison
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef or venison bone broth
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp lard or tallow

Method

1. Brown venison in batches in hot fat — don't crowd the pan or it steams instead of browns. Remove.
2. Cook onion in the same pot until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add all spices, stir 30 seconds.
3. Return venison. Add tomatoes and broth. Bring to a simmer.
4. Cook uncovered 30–45 minutes until thickened and flavors are deeply melded.
5. Season generously with salt. Taste and adjust spice.

Tips & Notes

• Venison is very lean — cooking in batches on high heat rather than steaming in a crowd is important.
• Let it sit 10 minutes off the heat before serving. It continues to thicken.

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