This thick and hearty Elk Chili recipe covers all the basic food groups. We're talking ground elk, chorizo, bacon, and beer! Also, if you're a fan of the show The Office, check out my bison chili recipe. It's featured in Brian Baumgartner's Seriously Good Chili Cookbook!
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Elk is one of my favorite wild game meats because it has a wonderful flavor. Unlike some wild meats, for example, boar, elk meat is not gamey at all! This could be why my other elk recipes including elk burgers, elk steak, venison meatloaf, and elk jerky are so popular with my readers!
In the past, I have used canned tomatoes to make turkey pumpkin chili. However, since I harvested a plethora of tomatoes from my garden this year, I decided to use fresh tomatoes instead. Not only that, but I decided to roast the vegetables similar to how I did in my recent how to can salsa post. Just one of the reasons why this is the BEST elk chili I've ever made!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Do you have a lot of elk scrap or trim in the freezer that you're not sure what to do with? Besides using it to make elk jerky, it can be ground and used to make various ground elk recipes, including this elk chili recipe!
- Elk chili freezes well, and leftovers can be used to make different meals, including chili dogs, nachos, and even Cincinnati chili!
- This elk chili recipe is moderately spicy, but the spice level can easily be adjusted to suit your personal taste.
- You can substitute ground deer, bison, antelope, beef, or turkey if needed.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Meat: You'll need 1½ lbs of ground elk meat to make this chili. I didn't have pre-ground elk meat, so I decided to grind some elk scrap. Ground venison (deer), bison, moose, beef, or turkey can also be used.
- Tomatoes: Instead of adding canned tomatoes, freshly roasted tomatoes are used instead. However, if you absolutely have to, you can use two 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes.
- Chiles: I added a few dried ancho chiles. However, a few canned chipotle chiles can be substituted. You can also add a few fresh jalapeno peppers if you wish. If you absolutely can't tolerate any heat, you can add 1 green pepper.
- Broth: The recipe calls for beef bone broth; however, chicken or vegetable broth can be used.
- Spices: You'll need the following spices: coriander, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, salt, and a pinch of cumin. Cayenne pepper is totally optional but recommended, especially if you like spicy chili!
- Beans: I used 3 cans of beans (black beans, red kidney beans, and refried beans to thicken the chili. You can substitute great northern beans or cannellini beans if you'd like.
- Beer: I added an ale, but you can use your favorite beer as long as it's not too sweet or fruity.
- Chorizo: Choose from beef or pork chorizo, or try my spicy chorizo verde!
- Optional Ingredients: Canned corn (drained), 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, and a pinch of cinnamon.
*See recipe card for a complete ingredients list.
How To Make Ground Elk Chili
Step 1: Core tomatoes, then peel and roughly chop onions. Add tomatoes, onions, and chiles to a sheet pan. Remove the cloves from around the garlic bulb, leaving 5 cloves in the center. Slice the tip off, then wrap the bulb in foil. Drizzle garlic and veggies with avocado oil.
Step 2: Broil veggies for 5-8 minutes on high. Remove chiles after a few minutes, so they don't burn. Flip the veggies as needed. Remove the garlic when it begins to char. Once everything is charred, remove the pan from the oven and allow the veggies to cool. Peel tomatoes and add to a food processor with the other veggies, and puree.
Step 3: Meanwhile, add chopped bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven and saute for a few minutes using medium heat. Add chorizo and cook for a few minutes more. Finally, add ground elk and saute until cooked through.
Step 4: Add spices and saute for a minute until aromatic. Stir tomato paste into the meat and cook for a minute longer. Add pureed veggies, balsamic vinegar, broth, and beer. Mix the chili, then add black beans, kidney beans, and refried beans. Break up the refried beans until they dissolve into the chili.
Step 5: Simmer chili, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Here is another great recipe to try... This Chile Colorado recipe is loaded with spicy, smoky flavor and goes great with these discard sourdough tortillas or plain white rice.
What To Serve With Venison Chili
Did you know elk is technically venison meat? I know I was surprised when I learned that. This chili is excellent straight out of the pot. It's spicy, comforting, and so warming. Especially as we get into fall and winter here in Montana. Besides standing over the pot with a spoon, you can serve this chili with any of the following:
- corn tortilla chips
- cornbread
- shredded or crumbled cheese
- diced green onions, chiles, and cilantro
- sour cream
- hot sauce
Recipe FAQs
Chili without beans is usually referred to as Texas chili. In Texas, it's customary to prepare chili without beans, and many Texans insist that any chili containing beans is not chili at all!
Chili and chili con carne are one and the same. Chili con carne is just the Spanish name for chili and translates to chili with meat.
A flavor bomb is any unexpected ingredient that can be added to a recipe to enhance the flavor. In chili, flavor bombs can be anything from peanut butter, vinegar, chocolate, beer, cinnamon, or coffee! Each one of these ingredients adds another layer of flavor and gives the chili a unique flavor profile.
Pro Tips
- I did not cover the pot to allow the chili to reduce and thicken. If you don't want it thicker, you can simmer the chili with the lid in place.
- I've added balsamic vinegar to the chili as a flavor bomb. You can also try cinnamon, coffee, cola, or honey. It all depends on how adventurous you want to be!
- Store leftover elk chili in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To freeze leftover chili, add the chili to a large ziplock bag or quart-sized freezer bag for individual servings. Mark the contents and date before freezing the chili for up to 3 months.
- Leftover chili can also be repurposed to make amazing chili nachos, chili dogs, and Cincinnati chili!
More Elk Recipes
Looking for other ground elk recipes? Make sure you try my juicy elk burgers! Feeling a little adventurous? Try these ground elk pinwheels, too. Or maybe you're in the mood for Salisbury steak with ground elk instead? Finally, give my elk backstrap recipe a try!
More Chili and Soup Recipes
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Core tomatoes then peel, and roughly chop onions. Add tomatoes, onions, and chiles to a sheet pan. Remove cloves from around the garlic bulb until you have 5 cloves left in the center. Slice the tip off then wrap the bulb in foil. Drizzle garlic and veggies with avocado oil.
- Broil veggies for 5-8 minutes on high. Remove chiles after a few minutes, so they don't burn. Flip the veggies as needed. Remove the garlic when it begins to char. Once everything is charred, remove pan from the oven and allow veggies to cool. Peel tomatoes and add to a food processor with the other veggies, and puree.
- Meanwhile, add chopped bacon to a Dutch oven and saute for a few minutes using medium heat. Add chorizo and cook for a few minutes more. Finally, add ground elk and saute until cooked through.
- Add spices and saute for a minute until aromatic. Stir tomato paste into the meat and cook for a minute longer. Add pureed veggies, balsamic vinegar, broth, and beer. Mix the chili then add black beans, kidney beans, and refried beans. Break up the refried beans until they dissolve into the chili.
- Simmer chili, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Nutrition
Notes
- I've added balsamic vinegar to the chili as a flavor bomb. You can also try cinnamon, coffee, cola, or honey. It all depends on how adventurous you want to be!
- I did not cover the pot to allow the chili to reduce and thicken. If you don't want it thicker, you can simmer the chili with the lid in place.
- Store leftover elk chili in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To freeze leftover chili, add the chili to a large ziplock bag or quart-sized freezer bags for individual servings. Mark the contents and date before freezing the chili for up to 3 months.
- Leftover chili can also be repurposed to make amazing chili nachos, chili dogs, and Cincinnati chili!
Julia Francis says
We have made this two years in a row for our annual chili night with neighbors and I think it is why they continue to come back. A big hit. People love the smokey flavor and rave about how different it is and how they've not had anything like it.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks for the review, Julia!
I'm glad you and your neighbors are enjoying it. I can't seem to win the church chili cook off no matter how many times I enter it, lol!
Erin says
Can I skip the chorizo??
Hilda Sterner says
For sure! Just add an equal amount of elk or beef!
Tim J Duecker says
Confused....
Do you mean "chili powder"
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Tim,
You had me confused too for a minute there, too early in the morning and still sipping on my first cup of coffee... I scoured the entire post until I saw what you were referring to, the ingredients list. I found and fixed the typo, thank you!