Slow Cooker Venison Chili (Deer Chili)

This award-winning Venison Chili recipe is hands-down the best you will ever make! I have gotten numerous comments from people who have won first place in chili cook-offs with this slow-cooker deer chili recipe!

If you're a hunter or are married to one (like me), chances are your freezer is currently full of deer meat! Nothing is more comforting on a cold winter's night than to cozy up to a warm bowl of spicy venison chili (and my delicious Venison Stew)! Plus, the aromas that fill your home while it cooks in the slow cooker are downright mouthwatering!

This is one of my all-time favorite venison recipes, along with my Venison Jalapeno Poppers, juicy Deer Burgers, and Chicken Fried Deer Steak topped with Country Cream Gravy! Yum!

Here in Texas, we believe chili should be meaty, spicy, and made without beans. In this venison recipe, green chilies, red chili powder, and cayenne pepper provide the perfect amount of Southern heat!

If you're looking to spice up this deer chili even more, tone it down a hair, or prefer to add beans (like in my hearty chili con carne), you can follow my tips and variations listed below to easily suit your fancy!

I prefer to cook my venison chili in the Crockpot (slow cooker) but it can also be made on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker). Whether you're cooking this chili at home or right at deer camp, you can find instructions below for the cooking method you prefer.

Ingredients for Deer Chili

• Olive oil - used to brown the deer meat in.
• Ground venison - For a rich and flavorful chili, I prefer to use an 80/20 deer-meat to pork-fat ratio. This percentage of fat is usually added to your ground venison while your deer is being processed. However, if your deer meat has no fat added to it, don't worry, the chili will still be delicious!
• Vegetables - diced tomatoes, green chilies, tomato sauce, and an onion.
• Chicken broth - Most people add beef broth to their chili but I'm not a fan of its potent taste in this dish. Chicken broth has a lighter, saltier flavor that carries well in this recipe.
• Seasonings - chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, ground cumin, minced garlic, ground black pepper, ground oregano, paprika, salt, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper.
• Masa harina flour - used to slightly thicken the venison chili and add a subtle corn taste that takes the flavor to a whole new level! This can be substituted with flour, cornmeal, or cornstarch.

How to Make Venison Chili in the Slow Cooker

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add ground venison.

Cook until the ground venison has completely browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.

Drain and discard excess fat/grease from the meat, if necessary.

Transfer the browned deer meat into the slow cooker.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except for the masa harina flour and water).

Close the lid and cook on High for 3-4 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours.

Place masa harina flour into a small bowl. Add ½ cup warm water and stir.

Pour masa slurry into the venison chili and stir.

Place the lid back on the slow cooker and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve hot.

Top with corn chips, sour cream, chopped green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with crackers or cornbread.

Tips and Variations

• Add beans: Sometimes you need extra bulk to your chili, especially if you have a growing boy (like mine) whose stomach is ultimately a bottomless pit - ha! In this case, simply add one 15-ounce can of pinto beans (drained and rinsed) and one 15-ounce can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed) about one hour prior to the end of your cooking time.
• Spicier: My father-in-law cannot get his food spicy enough and always throws a jalapeño in the chili pot along with the rest of the ingredients. When the chili is done cooking, he smashes up the jalapeño and then discards it. You can also add another tablespoon of chili powder for an extra fiery kick! (Just have a glass of water handy, you're gonna need it!)
• Milder: If you have young children (like me) chances are they will take one bite of this and turn their noses up at it (after running for water!). You can tone down the heat by adding only one tablespoon of chili powder instead of two, using a can of diced tomatoes without green chilies, and ditching the cayenne pepper. Trust me, after you do this they will be licking their bowls clean!
• Beer: Simply omit the chicken broth and pour the whole can of beer into the deer chili before cooking. The beer will cook down and delicately flavor the chili. The taste will be slightly different but equally as yummy! Especially good when cooking over an open fire at deer camp!
• Thicker: Add an extra tablespoon of masa harina flour and cook longer until the preferred thickness is reached.
• Thinner: Add more chicken broth, a little at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
• Masa harina flour alternatives: I realize not everyone has this ingredient in their pantry and you sure don't want to buy a large bag of it just to use one tablespoon for this recipe! Substitute this with the same amount of flour, cornmeal, or corn starch instead.

How to Cook Venison Chili on the Stovetop

Cooking this deer chili on the stovetop will take less time than cooking in the slow cooker and, best of all, you only dirty up one pot - how great is that!

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground deer meat and cook until completely browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.
3. Drain and discard excess fat/grease from the meat, if necessary.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients (except for the masa harina flour and water) and stir.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Place masa harina flour in a small bowl. Add ½ cup warm water and stir.
7. Pour masa slurry into the venison chili and stir.
8. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

How to Cook Venison Chili in the Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)

The one-pot wonder! If you're in a hurry and only want one dish to clean - this is the way to go!

1. Set Instant Pot to the "Saute" function and heat olive oil.
2. Add ground deer meat and cook until completely browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.
3. Drain and discard excess fat/grease from the meat, if necessary.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients (except for the masa harina flour and water) and stir.
5. Lock the lid in place and pressure cook on manual high for 20 minutes. Once done, allow pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes and then do a manual release, if necessary.
6. Place masa harina flour in a small bowl. Add ½ cup warm water and stir.
7. Carefully open the lid and pour the masa slurry into the venison chili and stir.
8. Cook, uncovered, on the "Sauté" setting for an additional 10 minutes. If the chili is too thin, cook longer until the right consistency is reached. (Remember, chili thickens as it cools.)

Other Recipes You'll Love!

• Slow Cooker Venison Stew
• Southern Fried Deer Steak
• Best Deer Burger Recipe
• Venison Jalapeno Poppers
• Chicken Fried Elk Steak
• Boudin Stuffed Pork Loin Wrapped in Bacon
• Nana's Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

Be sure to check out all my best, most popular venison recipes in one simple list!

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Be sure to check out my how-to video in the recipe card below!