Venison Chili

Summer ended and Fall arrived yesterday… Time to make my Venison Chili!

The Reality Is…

Chili Con Carne made of venison
Chili Con Carne

Fall doesn’t officially arrive for another week or so… but

My hummingbirds left me… I saw the last one yesterday morning. She came to my feeder, quickly sipped some nectar from all four ports – quickly – then flew away. I didn’t see her or any of her friends for the rest of the day. Yes, September 16 was the end of Summer for me and the beginning of Autumn…

Believe me, it was not a celebration for me. Love my little friends… but it did make me think about the cooler weather to come… and Chili! Venison Chili!

Chili is such a comfort food – and I needed some comfort…

Ground venison
Ground Venison

So I got out my Instant Pot pressure cooker (my very favorite cooking tool) and went to work!

Where did I get my venison from?

I received a phone call from my dear friends, Mary and Carl. Carl had his quota of deer… their freezer was full. A friend of Carl’s hunted with him and shot a deer. However, this friend enjoyed the hunt but his wife hated venison… so I received the benefit of his kill!

I understand many reading this may feel repulsed with the idea of eating deer…

Putting it all in perspective, I grew up on a dairy farm. I took care of cows and young calves. I even named a few and had a “bond” of some sort with them. Nevertheless, it never stopped me from eating beef!

While I used ground venison from last deer season… you can use any ground meat for this – beef, chicken, turkey, etc.

Venison Chili
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Venison Chili Con Carne

Chili is such a comfort food… and I was in need of comfort today. And while I used ground venison for this recipe, remember you can use any ground meat – beef, chicken, turkey, etc.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Resting Time10 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Low Carb
Keyword: beef chili, chili with beans, gluten free, instant pot chili, venison chili
Servings: 6
Author: Jo

Equipment

  • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Oil I use avocado oil. It has a very high heat tolerance.
  • 1 large Onion I used a Vidalia onion – so sweet!
  • 1 lb Ground meat Your choice – I used ground venison.
  • 15 oz Kidney beans
  • 1 quart Tomatoes These can be crushed, whole, Roma – your choice
  • 1 tbsp Chili powder Add more if you want it spicier
  • 1 tsp Sea salt
  • tbsp Cumin powder
  • tbsp Garlic powder

Instructions

  • Remove rack from your Instant Pot, you will not need this.
  • Using the Saute setting, pour your oil in and allow to heat.
    Instant Pot Pressure Cooker buttons
  • Chop your onion and add to the hot oil. Stir and allow to cook for 1 minute.
  • Add your ground meat to sauteing onions. Stir evenly and often, breaking up your meat into smaller pieces and in order to brown your meat.
    Saute onions and ground meat
  • Add your spices.
  • Add your beans.
  • Add your tomatoes. And stir.
    Homemade Canned Tomatoes
  • Turn off the saute feature place the cover on your Instant Pot making sure it is closed securely. Check that your valve is set for pressure cooking!
  • Next, turn on the "Manual" setting and set the cooking time to 25 minutes.
  • When 25 minutes is up (your Instant Pot should beep), allow your Instant Pot to rest for at least 10 minutes… it can be more.
    **Always follow the manufacturers instructions for releasing your Instant Pot pressure cooker valve!
  • After releasing the pressure valve, open the Instant Pot carefully. I usually tilt the cover so as to release the heat or steam away from me.
  • Scoop out and enjoy!
  • I love topping mine with a little sour cream and cheddar cheese!
    Chili topped with sour cream and cheddar cheese

Notes

Pressure cooking is not for the faint-hearted. For years I avoided it because I remember (as a child) my mother telling me horror stories about food coming out of the valve and hitting the ceiling. So, needlesstosay, I was very leery before buying my Instant Pot. Once I became accustomed to using it, I can only say it is my best cooking friend!
Always be sure to follow the manufacturer directions on your Instant Pot in order to avoid hot steam or hot food burning you!

So there you have it – my own special recipe for Venison Chili! And of course, you can use other ground meats in place of venison.

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