Deer Chili
Gluten Free Living – 2015
Deer Chili is a great way to use up venison and a delicious comfort food on cool winter nights. For those of you deer hunters (or those of you married to deer hunters), I’ve got a great venison chili recipe for you today. This one is super easy, using ground venison (which is preferred, although I used hot venison links and sliced them down like sausage). It also uses ground pork, Low-Sodium V-8, a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, green pepper and kidney beans along with a Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Brand Chili Kit. Deer Chili is gluten free for those with gluten intolerance.
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I have a friend whose husband hunts regularly so he keeps them supplied with venison. This recipe came from his father although they NEVER include beans when they make this chili. Jeff tells me his dad was from St. Louis and they never put beans in their chili. I’ve eaten this chili both with and without beans and it is wonderful either way.
If I would have had ground venison I probably would have eliminated the beans, but since I sliced the hot links, I decided the chili needed more texture so I added a can of beans and a bell pepper. I have to admit this is one of our favorite chili recipes. For those of you concerned about the pork, you can probably substitute ground turkey, but if you do you will have to increase the seasonings accordingly because turkey is so bland.
I used part the of the Chili Kit. I skipped the Masa Flour as the thickener because I didn’t think the recipe needed it. I also used only half of the cayenne pepper. Yes, I’m a chicken! 🙂 Because the venison sausage links were already hot, I didn’t think I needed the full effect of the cayenne pepper. But if you have plain venison links or plain ground venison without seasonings you may want to increase the cayenne seasoning.
We are so busy with the construction of our new house that I don’t have a lot of time for extensive meal preparation. I’ve been over at the house writing Scripture verses on stud after stud trying to fill the house with verses that are meaningful to us. On top of that, we’ve had changes we’ve had to make on the fly, so it’s been helpful to be able to pick up and go and meet with the contractors.
Gratefully, I was on hand when the licensed plumbers in Vancouver were installing the shower knobs a couple of days ago because we wanted a remote entry location and the way we placed it on the plan was backwards! The nice thing about Deer Chili is it’s one of those dump and cook recipes for the most part. I made it one morning with very little effort. That way I was free to pick up and go and take care of house business.
If you have friends that hunt and are willing to give you some ground venison out of their freezer, or if you are in part of the country where you can purchase venison, this is a fantastic way to use it. You can make it the way Jeff does without the beans or bell pepper, or you can add those if you desire.
I chose a low-sodium V-8 because the original is so high in sodium it gives you a week’s worth in one meal! This recipe is flexible–use two different kinds of meat and you’re good to go. I made it and brought it to a fellowship at Jeff & Debra’s house a few weeks ago and served it with a batch of Jalapeno Cheddar Honey Cornbread. Ahh, yes, a match made in heaven. 🙂
Deer Chili has wonderful savory and spicy flavors.
Every spoonful is scrumptious! It’s also gluten free.
Garnish Deer Chili with either sour cream or cheddar cheese, if desired.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven with olive oil. Brown pork and venison.
Add the seasoning packet, the salt packet and half the cayenne pepper packet from the Chili Kit.
Add diced tomatoes with green chiles, Low-Sodium V-8 juice and if desired, drained kidney or pinto beans.
Simmer one hour. Add green pepper, if desired. Cook a few more minutes until pepper is tender.
Serve Deer Chili with your favorite homemade rolls, bread, or cornbread.
This is a hot and spicy chili that is absolutely delightful.
I love the easiness with which this recipe can be prepared–leaving me time to do other things.
Here’s the recipe.
DEER CHILI
(Recipe adapted from Jeff Kilzer, Ovilla Road Baptist Church, Ovilla, TX)
Deer Chili
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven with lid
- 1 hamburger choppper to break meat down into small pieces while frying
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 soup ladle
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground venison or hot links with casings removed and sliced (I prefer the ground venison in bulk like sausage)
- 1 lb. ground pork sausage
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 15.5 oz. can light red kidney beans drained, or pinto beans, if desired
- 32 oz. can Low Sodium V-8 Original vegetable juice
- 4 oz. pkg. Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Brand Chili Kit I used only half of the cayenne pepper packet
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream for garnish, if desired
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated, for garnish
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a heavy Dutch oven with olive oil.
- Add venison and sausage and brown until meat is no longer pink and cooked through.
- If both venison and sausage are in bulk (rather than in casings) use a hamburger chopper to break the meat up in small pieces while frying.
- Add seasoning packet from Chili Kit, also the salt packet and half the cayenne pepper packet.
- (Add the whole packet of Cayenne Pepper if you want really hot chili).
- Cook an additional 3 minutes until meat is well coated.
- Add tomatoes, kidney beans and V-8 juice.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer about one hour.
- Add green pepper and continue cooking about 5 minutes.
- Thicken with the masa corn flour thickening packet from the Chili Kit, if desired.
- Garnish each serving with sour cream and cheddar cheese, if desired.
Notes
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Nutrition
- 2 lbs. ground venison or hot links with casings removed and sliced
- 1 lb. ground pork sausage
- 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 15.5-oz. can light red kidney beans, drained (or pinto beans, if desired)
- 32-oz. Low Sodium V-8 Original vegetable juice
- 4-oz. pkg. [url href=”http://www.carrollshelbyschili.com/site.php” target=”_blank”]Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Brand Chili Kit[/url] (I used only half of the cayenne pepper packet)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- olive oil
- sour cream or cheddar cheese for garnish, if desired
- Coat the bottom of a heavy Dutch oven with olive oil.
- Add venison and sausage and brown until meat is no longer pink and cooked through.
- Add seasoning packet from Chili Kit, also the salt packet and half the cayenne pepper packet.
- (Add the whole packet of Cayenne Pepper if you want really hot chili).
- Cook an additional 3 minutes until meat is well coated.
- Add tomatoes, kidney beans and V-8 juice.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer about one hour.
- Add green pepper and continue cooking about 5 minutes.
- Thicken with the masa corn flour thickening packet from the Chili Kit if desired.
- Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese if desired.
The venison and pork take on the heat from the chili powder and cayenne pepper making this chili pop with flavor.
If you love chili, this is a great one to make for cold, winter nights, tailgating games or other fun family get-togethers.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Deer Chili
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven with lid
- 1 hamburger choppper to break meat down into small pieces while frying
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 soup ladle
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground venison or hot links with casings removed and sliced (I prefer the ground venison in bulk like sausage)
- 1 lb. ground pork sausage
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 15.5 oz. can light red kidney beans drained, or pinto beans, if desired
- 32 oz. can Low Sodium V-8 Original vegetable juice
- 4 oz. pkg. Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Brand Chili Kit I used only half of the cayenne pepper packet
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream for garnish, if desired
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated, for garnish
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a heavy Dutch oven with olive oil.
- Add venison and sausage and brown until meat is no longer pink and cooked through.
- If both venison and sausage are in bulk (rather than in casings) use a hamburger chopper to break the meat up in small pieces while frying.
- Add seasoning packet from Chili Kit, also the salt packet and half the cayenne pepper packet.
- (Add the whole packet of Cayenne Pepper if you want really hot chili).
- Cook an additional 3 minutes until meat is well coated.
- Add tomatoes, kidney beans and V-8 juice.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer about one hour.
- Add green pepper and continue cooking about 5 minutes.
- Thicken with the masa corn flour thickening packet from the Chili Kit, if desired.
- Garnish each serving with sour cream and cheddar cheese, if desired.
7 Comments
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June 29, 2021 at 8:14 am
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Bonnie warkentine
February 23, 2016 at 9:12 pm
This is a very good recipe ! Especially if you are new to venison
Teresa
February 24, 2016 at 6:02 pm
Thanks, Bonnie, I’m so glad you liked it. We thought it was delicious too. I have a friend that makes it frequently. Always tasty.
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Andrea
November 24, 2015 at 3:33 am
Your recipes Rock!
I get tired of making the same things over & over for every event. Even though they are asked for.
You have so many great twists on the classics & new idea’s!
And this Deer Chili, is perfect! A lot of hunters where I live, so this is a great one for me!
Thank you!
Happy Holiday’s
Teresa
November 24, 2015 at 11:45 am
Thanks, Andrea. While I would have preferred ground venison, I used hot venison links and sliced them down (because that’s what I had on hand). I’m sure this recipe would work with elk, buffalo, or any other wild game you would like to make it with–whether it’s ground, or cut in cubes like stew meat, or shredded like BBQ pork.