The Best Deer Steak Chili Recipe
This deer steak chili is the best venison chili recipe ever. That's a bold statement, especially since I also love my own Easy Venison Chili made with ground venison. But the steak chili has a rich bold flavor, and the tender chunks of slow-cooked deer meat are what dreams are made of.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds deer steak
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ounce Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored tortilla chips, crushed (¼ cup)
- 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 cups beef broth
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans or pinto beans
- Coarsely chopped red onion
- Coarsely chopped cilantro
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roughly cut steak into 2-inch cubes or slice it against the grain into pieces about ¼-inch thick by 1 ½-inches square. Toss with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add Doritos, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, and black pepper to food processor or coffee grinder and process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
- In a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the meat for about 3 minutes, turning occasionally until crusty. Adjust heat to prevent scorching. As it is cooked, remove the meat to drain on paper towels. Add more oil as needed for browning, but do not clean out the pot.
- To the empty but crusty pot, add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add Dorito/spice mix, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, beans with their liquid, and the cooked deer steak. Bring to boil, scraping bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until deer meat is tender and chili is slightly thickened, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Remove chili from oven and let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve with optional garnishes on the side such as chopped red onion, cilantro, shredded cheese, and more Doritos on the side. (Chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.)
