Our Smoked Venison Chili is so good! It’s made with a 2-pound venison roast, seasoned with an umami rub, and smoked for three hours.

The chili is a delicious combination of canned crushed and diced tomatoes. Three kinds of beans, onions, garlic, corn, and potatoes.

Seasoned with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, and freshly crushed black peppercorns.

Topped with grated cheddar cheese and green onion.

Serve with crusty bread and you’ve got yourself one of the best-tasting chili recipes you’ve ever tried!

How to make Smoked Venison Chili

This smoked chili venison is one chili recipe that will leave you wanting seconds.

This smoked venison is diced up and paired with all your favorite flavors of chili.

Ladle up this venison chili and pair it with some crackers, sliced French bread, piled high with cheese, and dive in.

The ultimate venison recipe you have to try out.

What You Need To Make Our Smoked Venison Chili

Venison Roast. Make sure to remove the silver skin and then rub with EVOO and add salt and peppercorns, which will enhance the flavor of your venison roast. The smoking step will transform the chili.

Onion. Yellow or white onion works best for this recipe, in my opinion.

Beans. I used fava beans, chili beans, and black-eyed peas. All three bean varieties come together and really work well with all the other ingredients.

Tomatoes. I used crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. I know it seems like a lot of tomatoes, but trust me—the rich tomato flavor is so incredibly delicious.

Garlic. I used fresh cloves that were chopped up. You can buy minced garlic in a jar to use if you don’t want to cut up fresh garlic.

Vegetables. I also used yellow potatoes and fire-roasted corn. The fire-roasted corn really adds a subtle sweetness that we enjoy.

Spices. I used a handful of spices to season the chili. You will most likely have all the spices in your spice cupboard already.

Broth. I used beef broth. Feel free to go a step further and do venison broth if you have some homemade on hand; a vegetable stock works too.

*want a thicker chili? Add a cup of ground masa harina to this recipe.

Smoked Chili Venison

*Made in an 8-quart InstaPot. Cook the 2.5 lbs venison roast on a smoker. Rub the venison with EVOO, add coarse sea salt, and freshly cracked black peppercorns.

Smoke it for 3 hours at 185 until an internal temperature of 145. Remove the venison roast from the smoker and let it rest for 15 minutes, cut it into chunks, and add it to the finished chili.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pound venison roast
1 tbsp of EVOO (for rubbing)
2 tbsp EVOO (for sauteing)
1 large onion, chopped
3 large cloves of chopped garlic
4 cups unsalted beef broth
2 (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
2 (14.5) cans chili-ready diced tomatoes
2 (15-oz) cans of yellow potatoes
2 (14.75) cans fire-roasted corn
1 (14-oz) can broad fava beans
1 (15.5 oz) can black-eyed peas
3 (16-oz ) cans chili beans
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp coarse salt or kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Instant Pot Directions

Select the sauté function on the Instant Pot, and add 1-2 tbsp of EVOO.
When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are soft- about 5 minutes.
Add beef broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, corn, potatoes, tomato paste, and all beans. Add the seasonings.
Select the chili setting and cook for 15 minutes. Release pressure and add chunks of smoked venison (recipe on how to smoke it listed below). Cover with the lid, and select the warm setting.
Allow the chili to steep for 15 minutes, then serve with all of your favorite chili toppings!

Toppings For Chili

Here are a few of our favorite chili toppings you might try out.

Avocado slices
Shredded Cheese
A dollop of Sour Cream
Splash of Dill Pickle Juice
Splash of Hot Sauce
Etc.

How I smoked the venison roast using a Masterbuilt Gravity Smoker

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I prepped the 2-pound venison roast by allowing it to come to room temperature for 45 minutes, then applied a mushroom umami rub.

I placed the roast into an aluminum pan. Using my Masterbuilt Gravity Series™ 800, I adjusted the temperature to 190°F, filled the hopper with lump charcoal, and placed 5-6 large chunks of cherry wood (applewood works well too) into the ash pan.

When the temperature reached 190°F, I placed the meat into the center of the grill and inserted the meat probe into the thickest part of the roast.

I closed the lid and set the timer for 4 hours, allowing the meat to smoke until it reached an internal temperature of 140°F. I removed the meat and let it rest for fifteen (15) minutes.

I cut the meat into cubes and folded it into the finished chili. Serve hot.

Can I make The Chili On the Stovetop?

So I made the chili in the Instant Pot. If you do not own or want to use a pressure cooker, you can also use a large stockpot and cook the chili on the stovetop.

Just sauté the onions with a little extra virgin olive oil until they are soft and translucent, for about 5-6 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Next, add all the spices, beans, veggies, and such, and let it come to a boil.

Once the mixture comes to a full boil, adjust the temperature to low and allow the chili to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

The longer your chili simmers, the more the flavors intensify.

Then, once the meat is ready, dice it into chunks and stir it into the chili mixture.

Slow Cooker Steps

Sauté the onions using a skillet and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on the stovetop, and add them to the stockpot along with all other ingredients.

Then cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or use high heat and cook for 4-5 hours.

Add in the venison when the chili is fully cooked to avoid overcooking the meat.

How to Store Leftover Chili

Refrigerate. You can refrigerate your chili for up to 3 days in the fridge. You will find that this chili blends the flavors even more the next day.

It is a great soup to reheat. Just store in an airtight container.

Freezer Friendly. Go right ahead and freeze the chili for later. Leave room at the top of a container and freeze for up to 3 months.

The chili will expand a bit in the container as it freezes.

Then, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat as desired.

This smoked chili recipe is ideal on those cold, winter nights or whenever you’re craving a bowl of chili.

Give this recipe a try.

Find more chili recipes below:

Chili Stuffed Peppers Easy Recipe

Smoked White Salmon Chili *a favorite

Cheesy Chili Bread Bowl + Garlicky Fried Tortillas

Instant Pot Loaded Chili Recipe