This venison chili is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and is the perfect comfort meal to warm up the family this winter. And good thing it makes plenty, because one bowl just won’t be enough!
I know the groundhog didn’t see his shadow, so winter was supposed to be over soon, right? Well, tell that to Mother Nature. Because we’re a week into March, and it’s still pretty dang cold.
I choose to look on the bright side of that dreary reality though, and the fact that more cold temps, means more warm, comforting food. Like this sweet n spicy venison chili. Because y’all…this chili is pretty amazing. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, and has plenty of protein with the meat and two kinds of beans. And yes, I’m a Texan and eat beans in my chili, sometimes. Beans are good, yo.
And then you get to add whatever toppings you love on chili. I went with a dollop of sour cream, some shredded cheese, crackers and chopped green onions. And it was divine.
J loves pretty much anything made with venison, but he seemed to really enjoy this chili. And so did Nat. I think maybe the itty bitty crackers won her over. Who could blame her??
Versatility doesn’t stop with the toppings, though. You can also make this venison chili on the stove OR in the crock-pot. And I know how heavenly those words are if you are away from home all day and love coming home to dinner already done. Slow cooker, for the win! Every. Time.
This time around, I made this on the weekend, so I went ahead and made it on the stove, but you can bet if it’s weeknight, there will be venison chili slow cooking alllll dayyyy looonnnng. And my house will smell amazing. And I will devour a stupidly large amount of said chili for dinner.
And even more versatility comes from being able to use whatever ground meat you prefer. While I highly recommend using venison, you can also use beef, turkey, or chicken and it would still be oh-so-yummy. But if you have access to venison, start with that, ‘k?
Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Venison Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison (or meat of your choice)
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 29 oz can tomato sauce
- 15 oz can Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or more or less
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese, chopped green onions, crackers, sour cream
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add the ground meat and cook over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up as it cooks, until browned. Season with salt and pepper and add the shallot and garlic. Cook for an additional minute until the shallot has softened.
- Add the tomato sauce, beans, and remaining seasonings and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour. SErve with your preferred toppings and/or cornbread on the side!
Notes
Source: Iowa Girl Eats
So many compliments on this chili. Only thing I changed was to add a can of sweet corn, and Rotel tomatoes with green chili’s.
That sounds like an amazing addition! So glad you enjoyed it!