Crockpot Venison Chili
78 Comments Apr 10, 2024
Updated May 01, 2025
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Get ready to dive into the world of wild game with a recipe that’s sure to become a family favorite: Slow Cooker Venison Chili. Classic chili ingredients with a meaty-twist yields a comforting dish that’s delicious and easy to make.
This Venison Chili Recipe is my favorite way to use up fresh venison! I use three different types of peppers: jalapeño, Anaheim, and yellow bell pepper. It is just the right amount of heat! I top the chili with cheddar cheese, green onions, and serve cornbread on the side. Look at the reviews below and this recipe is a winner!! I don’t think this recipe tastes like venison at all!
his slow cooker method is perfect for busy families, especially those who love deer meat but don’t always have the time to babysit a pot on the stove. Simply toss all the ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning, let it do its thing while you go about your day, and come home to a house filled with the irresistible aroma of chili.
Ingredients for Venison Chili
- Venison: You’ll want to use at least a pound of ground venison for this recipe.
- Peppers: Minced jalapeno, diced poblano (or Aneheim) pepper, and diced yellow bell pepper not only adds color but also peppery flavor.
- Chili Seasoning Packet: I recommend using McCormick brand, but you can use whatever you prefer.
- Beef Broth: You can use beef broth, beef stock, or one can of beer. This helps remove the gamey flavor in this deer chili recipe.
- Beans: Black beans and kidney beans are the perfect match for this chili recipe.
- Tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos add the perfect kick without being overpowering and a can of tomato paste contributes a tomato flavor to the broth. You can also use tomato juice or tomato sauce.
- Other Seasonings: Salt and black pepper, and onion powder.
- Other Veggies: Minced jalapeno and diced white onion add to the heartiness of this delicious chili.
Variations
This chili has won many awards, so you may not want to stray too much from the original, but here are some great ways to change it up.
- Cubed venison stew meat or a small venison roast cut into cubes can be used instead of the ground venison. No need to brown the meat. The cooking time remains the same.
- While venison adds a unique flavor to this chili, you can easily substitute it with another lean meat such as ground beef, ground turkey, pork, or a combination of meats. Feel free to get creative.
- Add a 12 oz. can of beer instead of the beef broth, it adds a depth of flavor to chili recipes. I often do this with beef chili as well.
- Stir in a can of fire-roasted or sweet corn for extra texture and a touch of sweetness.
How to make Venison Chili in the Crockpot
Step One – In a non-stick skillet set to medium heat brown the venison, while the meat is cooking season it with a sprinkle over the salt, pepper, and onion powder.
Step Two – Add the meat to the slow cooker. Add the canned beans and rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours).
My Serving Suggestions
Here is how we like to serve this chili:
- Serve a generous bowl of venison chili topped off with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, and a handful of chopped green onions. Serve it with a side of warm cornbread for the ultimate comfort meal.
- Take your chili to the next level by serving it over a bed of crispy tortilla chips and topping it with diced avocado, sliced jalapeños, and a drizzle of hot sauce. Chili cheese nachos are so good!
- For a hearty and satisfying meal, spoon the chili over a baked potato and garnish with all your favorite chili toppings.
Featured Comment
“BEST Venison chili ever I have made this twice for chili cookouts and won 1st place in both with this is awesome chili.”
– Jim
Venison Chili Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground venison
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1 Poblano or Aneheim pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1.25 oz. pkt. Mccormick Chili Seasoning Packet
- 14 oz. can beef broth, (or one 12 oz. can of beer)
- 1 cup water
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with jalapeños
- 15 oz. can black beans, drained
- 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
Instructions
- In a non-stick skillet set to medium heat brown the venison, while the meat is cooking season it with a sprinkle over the salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Add the meat to the slow cooker.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir.
- Set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours.
- Ladle the chili in bowls, and top with cheese, and green onions, serve with cornbread.
- Enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- This easy venison chili recipe can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Cubed venison stew meat or a small venison roast cut into cubes can be used instead of the ground venison. No need to brown the meat. The cooking time remains the same.
- While venison adds a unique flavor to this chili, you can easily substitute it with another lean meat such as ground beef, ground turkey, pork, or a combination of meats. Feel free to get creative.
- Add a 12 oz. can of beer instead of the beef broth, it adds a depth of flavor to chili recipes. I often do this with beef chili as well.
- Stir in a can of fire-roasted or sweet corn for extra texture and a touch of sweetness.
- Serve a generous bowl of venison chili topped off with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, and a handful of chopped green onions. Serve it with a side of warm cornbread for the ultimate comfort meal.
- Take your chili to the next level by serving it over a bed of crispy tortilla chips and topping it with diced avocado, sliced jalapeños, and a drizzle of hot sauce. Chili cheese nachos are so good!
- For a hearty and satisfying meal, spoon the chili over a baked potato and garnish with all your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Crockpot Venison Recipes
Venison Spaghetti Sauce and Venison Tacos are two flavorful ways to enjoy ground venison—perfect for pasta night or taco Tuesday.
Venison Barbecue brings smoky, saucy flavor, while Venison Meatloaf is a hearty, down-home dinner classic.
Crockpot Venison Roast and Crockpot Venison Stew both offer tender meat and vegetables simmered in a rich, savory broth.
If you have extras in the fridge, Kitchen Sink Venison Soup is a great way to use them up in a bold, comforting slow cooker meal.
Delicious . I’ve made this recipe with venison and ground beef and it’s always a hit!
Probably the best flavour chilli I’ve ever had. Used moose instead of venison and it turned out amazing
Have you made this with a pressure cooker? And if so how long ?
No, I only test the recipes in the slow cooker. I’m sure it would be the same amount of time as any other chili.
Add i cup of golden yellow sugar and this recipe is out of this world!
Turned out great. My husband and I both really enjoyed it.
Excellent recipe. Made this twice now for the family. A little kick at first but great flavor!
I was looking for a good deer chili recipe for our chili cook-off at church and I used this recipe as a base. I left a couple things out and added a couple things and I got second place in the cook off. I will most definitely be using this recipe again
Maybe if you followed it exactly you could have gotten first place! 🙂
I tried the recipe except had to use green bell pepper instead of yellow … to me … very bland … I really had to add to it to spice it up and add flavor . Just experimenting. But so far improved .. at least for my taste . But thanks anyway .
I use red n green n yellow n orange
A delicious chili with either the beef broth or beer. We like both. We are not into real spicy food so omit the jalapeno pepper and use diced tomatoes without the jalapenos and the chili still has a little “kick”. I use the aneheim pepper and the “Original” McCormick Chili Seasoning. My prep time is closer to 30 minutes – I guess it depends upon how fast you can chop things up. Because there are only two of us this recipe makes a lot of left overs. The chili freezes well so I put the left overs in serving size Tupperware or Glad containers and freeze them overnight. The next day, using my Food Saver, I pop them out of the containers and vacuum seal the frozen left overs individually, label and date them then and back into the freezer. The FDA says that foods frozen at zero keep indefinitely though the quality may decrease a little. For what is worth: even though there are only two of us I rarely cook for just two people cooking, instead for six as the time and work to cook for six is a lot less than cooking for two three times. I then portion and freeze individual portions as noted above. A weeks worth of “a new or different meal each day” gives a freeze full of a large variety of different meals that last a long time. The additional plus is that you do not have to have the same meal as your spouse. If you want chili and he/she wants stew pull one of each out of the freezer, microwave to heat, and you both can enjoy the food you want at no additional work or spent time.
My son got his first deer and we had so much meat! I started looking for recipes and came upon your simple recipe. I’ve made this recipe 3x now and my son loves it! It’s so easy and quick, I’ve started keeping the ingredients on hand when I need a meal to last for the week! Thanks a million!!
So happy to hear that! We love this recipe so much ourselves.
Can you cook this on high in crackpot for 4 hours?
Yes, this will work fine on high for four hours.