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Best Easy Slow Cooker Venison Chili for Hunting Season

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This budget-friendly slow cooker venison chili is the perfect bowl for hunting season. It’s warm, hearty, and deeply satisfying without demanding a lot of time or money, featuring tender venison, beans, and a rich, smoky spice blend.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs ground venison
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
  • 3 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
  • 1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (optional)
  • 1 cup frozen corn (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground venison and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it apart, until browned. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
  2. In the same skillet, add diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños. Cook for 4-5 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker.
  3. Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper to the empty skillet. Toast over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour in ½ cup beef broth and stir to dissolve spices into a paste. Scrape into the slow cooker.
  4. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with juices, remaining beef broth, kidney beans, pinto beans, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and optional cocoa powder or chipotle pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Taste 30 minutes before serving and adjust salt or heat. If too thin, leave lid off for the last hour.
  6. Turn off slow cooker and let chili rest for 10-15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the meat—it creates deep flavor. Deglaze the pan with broth to capture all the browned bits. For a milder game flavor, soak venison in milk or buttermilk for 1 hour before cooking. To thicken, mash some beans against the side of the slow cooker. Leftovers keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Keywords: venison chili, slow cooker chili, hunting season chili, budget-friendly chili, game meat chili

Find it online: https://willarecipes.com/best-easy-slow-cooker-venison-chili-for-hunting-season/