Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe
When Winter weather rolls around, the soups, stews, and chili come to the table in our weekly rotation of meals. My husband absolutely refuses to eat those items during the warmer months and quite frankly I have to agree with him. On those long summer days, you want something light, cool, and refreshing. But when it’s 20 degrees outside, raining, and a possibility of snow (it happens once in a blue moon in Louisiana), you need something hot and hearty. And that’s exactly why I’m going to show you how to make my Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
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Deer chili holds a special play in my heart for so many reasons. One reason is because it’s made from deer. Deer hunting is a really big deal in my family and played a huge role in my childhood. Everyone, including myself, hunted in our household when I was growing up. It was a major pass time in the Fall and not only provided an exciting challenge but also filled our freezers for the year with delicious meat.
Another reason I like deer chili is because of its versatility. Not only is chili tasty on its own with crackers, but it’s the perfect topping/sauce for a multitude of other dishes.
Take a look below at all of the great options you can make from this one-pot wonder!
- Chili Loaded Baked Potatoes – Russett potatoes are baked until perfectly fluffy and then topped with delicious chili, cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Serve with a salad and call it a day!
- Frito Chili Pie – Crunchy Fritos are topped with chili and cheese. It’s the perfect “snacky” dinner. (A winner for the kids.)
- Nachos with chili and cheese – A concession stand classic comes home! Top your favorite tortilla chips with chili, cheese, and jalapeno peppers!
- Chili Dogs – Bring grilled hot dogs up a notch by topping them with chili, cheese, mustard, and onion. Serve with corn chips and dip or some fries.
- Chili Mac – Add this delicious chili to your favorite pot of homemade mac and cheese. Pair with some bread for the win.
The third reason that deer chili will always have a place in my home and at my table is because of how easy it is to make. It fits perfectly into my theme for August, one-pot wonders and casseroles, and is on rotation for us pretty often. Normally, I have a big pot of chili simmering away on the stove but I’ve made the cooking process even easier for you by using the Instant Pot.
All you have to do is place all of your ingredients in the Instant Pot, mix well, turn it on for 2 hours, and let it cook while you are at work or taking a nap on the couch. (I’m not here to judge… I love a good nap.)
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And the final reason that I’m excited to bring you this recipe is because it won a little local chili competition! Let me tell you all about it.
Here’s the backstory for my AWARD-WINNING deer chili:
It’s actually a funny story. Our local church hosted a Men’s Chili Cook-off. I believe the hope was that there would be so many participants that the members of the church could come over and eat after service was finished.
Every Sunday the announcement would be made for men to sign up in order to compete in this fun event. I jokingly made a comment that they wouldn’t allow women to enter because they knew that we would win. Of course, I was just picking. I love to pick.
What is life if you can’t have fun in it? It’s just better with fun, games, and a little banter.
But as each Sunday passed and with every announcement, it became apparent that there had not been enough men to sign up for the cook-off and they needed more participants in order to feed the congregation (we have a large church.)
As a result, the decision was made to allow women to enter the competition in hopes that we could just get more numbers and in turn more food.
I had already talked enough smack that I knew I had to enter. Deep down did I think I was going to win? No.
I LOVE my chili. My family loves my chili. But it’s just chili. It’s simple and tasty. There’s not a secret element. There isn’t a list of items that sound foreign and work magic. It’s just some tried and true ingredients that work well together. Couple that with a little time to simmer and you’ve got yourself a fantastic meal!
How it went down:
The judges had been selected. The chili samples had been placed into cups with numbers on them. And the judges were making their way through the tasting when we entered.
After they had sampled all of the chili, we were then able to make our way through the line and fix our plates.
It wasn’t long before they announced the winning chili number and lo and behold, it was mine! I was super excited for a couple of different reasons:
- There had been so much picking that went on between the male competitors and myself over the weeks before the competition that I was hoping to place somewhere near the top to back up my banter.
- I take a lot of pride in my cooking and recipes and was grateful to know that others enjoyed it and even voted it as the BEST. Making people happy with food brings me great joy!
- There was a $50 gift card prize. Who doesn’t need $50? (HA)
- It confirmed what I had already believed: Recipes that taste great don’t have to be pretentious. In other words, your ingredients don’t have to be super expensive or exclusive. The end result is what matters. Flavor is king, not hype.
Tips for Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe:
- If you don’t have venison (deer meat) use any lean ground meat that you have. (Make sure that it’s lean meat, then you don’t have to worry about draining off any excess grease.)
- If you want to use a fattier meat, then make sure that you drain off the excess grease on a paper-towel lined plate before adding your spices.
- No Instant Pot? No worries! Use a crock pot instead. The settings that I’m using is basically the same thing anyway. Or you can always use a large dutch oven and let it simmer away on the stove or in the oven if you have the time and are at home.
- If you are in a really big hurry and your meat isn’t thawed, you can always cook this Instant Pot Venison Chili on high pressure and have it on the table in under an hour!
Where exactly does chili come from? Click HERE to find out!
Make this Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe with me on YouTube!
Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. ground venison (Feel free to substiute with ground beef… but the flavor won’t be quite as good)
- (2) 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
- (1) 10 oz can of Rotel diced tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1/2 Tablespoon Tony’s Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon Beef Powder (if you can’t find this ingredient, use beef broth instead of water)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
Our Favorite Chili Toppings:
- Cheddar Cheese
- Chopped white onion
- Sour cream
Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe Instructions:
- First, add the ground deer meat to the Instant Pot and cook on the saute setting until the meat is browned.
- You can totally skip this step if you are in a hurry or if you don’t want to do any cooking at all. Simply drop the meat in the Instant Pot and carry on.
- Second, add the dry spices to the meat and mix well. I like to let the seasonings really absorb into the meat before I add any liquids.
- Third, add the rest of the ingredients: tomato sauce, ketchup, water, and Rotel to the meat and mix well.
- Place the Instant Pot lid on and set it to slow cook for 2 hours.
- Finally, serve hot with crackers and your favorite toppings!
Other Variations of the Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe:
- My people don’t like beans in their chili, but I’m a fan. Addany canned beans that you like: black beans, white beans, chili beans, pinto beans or even red kidney beans for even more texture and a nice chew.
- My picky crew also doesn’t like large pieces of vegetables in chili, which is why I use onion powder. But if you don’t mind that texture, chop up a medium onion and bell peppers and saute until translucent to add even more flavor.
- Adding ground cumin and some green chiles will give your chili a small hint of “taco” flavor and add a nice warmth to the dish.
Storage for Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe:
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What are the Macros for Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe?
Makes 8 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 cup)
- Calories – 226
- Protein – 14 grams
- Carbs – 9.6 grams (net)
- Fat – 1 gram
Check out some of my other deer meat recipes!
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Instant Pot Venison (deer) Chili Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground venison Feel free to substiute with ground beef… but the flavor won’t be quite as good
- 2 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
- 1 10 oz. can of Rotel diced tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1/2 Tablespoon Tony’s Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon Beef Powder if you can’t find this ingredient, use beef broth instead of water
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
Our Favorite Chili Toppings:
- Cheddar Cheese
- Chopped white onion
- Sour cream
Instructions
- First, add the ground deer meat to the Instant Pot and cook on the saute setting until the meat is browned.
- You can totally skip this step if you are in a hurry or if you don’t want to do any cooking at all. Simply drop the meat in the Instant Pot and carry on.
- Second, add the dry spices to the meat and mix well. I like to let the seasonings really absorb into the meat before I add any liquids.
- Third, add the rest of the ingredients: tomato sauce, ketchup, water, and Rotel to the meat and mix well.
- Place the Instant Pot lid on and set it to slow cook for 2 hours.
- Finally, serve hot with crackers and your favorite toppings!
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