Venison · Wild game recipe

Texas Red Venison Chili (No Beans)

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Venison recipe illustration

A proper bowl of red: chunks of venison simmered low and slow in a sauce made from dried chiles. Ground venison works too, but cubed shoulder or neck makes it something special.

Serves6–8
Prep30 min
Cook3 hr
Safe temp160°F (ground) / fork-tender (cubed)

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Ingredients

  • 3 lb venison shoulder or neck, cut into ½-inch cubes (or ground)
  • 3 tbsp bacon grease or oil, divided
  • 6 dried ancho chiles
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles
  • 2 cups hot beef broth
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne (more to taste)
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 bottle (12 oz) Mexican lager or more broth
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 3 tbsp masa harina mixed with ¼ cup water
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar

Steps

  1. Pull the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet for 30 seconds a side until fragrant, then soak them in the hot broth for 20 minutes.
  2. Blend the chiles and broth until completely smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a heavy Dutch oven, brown the venison in batches in 2 tbsp of the fat over medium-high heat. Don't crowd the pot. Move each batch to a plate.
  4. Add the remaining fat and the onion. Cook 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika and cayenne and stir for 1 minute.
  5. Return the meat. Add the chile purée, tomato sauce, beer and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover partway and cook on low for 2½ to 3 hours, stirring now and then, until the meat is tender.
  6. Stir in the masa slurry and simmer 10 minutes more to thicken. Finish with the vinegar, taste and adjust the salt and heat.
Camp tip: Chili is better the next day. Make it Friday night at camp, cool it in the ice chest and warm it up after the evening hunt.

Food safety: If you use ground venison, it must reach 160°F. Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Gear that helps

Cast iron Dutch oven

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Meat grinder

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