Ingredients
18 oz ground venison (alternatively, substitute with ground elk or very low fat ground beef)
16 oz chorizo
1 onion, chopped
3 bell peppers of various colors, cut into bite size pieces
1 jalapeño, deseeded and minced
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 chipotles in adobo with the sauce, finely minced
2 TBs brown sugar
2 TBs ground cumin
2 TBs paprika
1 TB dried oregano
1 TB coriander
1 TB ground chipotle pepper
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1½ cups beef broth
½ cup coffee
To Serve
rice
shredded cheddar
sour cream
sante fe style tortilla strips
lime wedges
Instructions
In a large pot, cook the chorizo over medium heat, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat into crumbles. When cooked through, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain on several paper towels. Add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes until just starting to soften. Add the bell peppers and cook 5 minutes. Add the jalapeños and garlic and cook until fragrant ~ about 30 seconds. Add the venison and cook until mostly cooked through, breaking up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add the chipotles in adobo sauce, spices, tomatoes, coffee, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for an hour and a half (NOTE: you can serve the chili after simmering half an hour, but a longer simmer enhances and melds the flavors ~ it is highly recommend to go low and slow).
Options for serving ~ I love serving chili over rice, but that is totally optional. It is satiating on its own. Top with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and tortilla strips. The crunch from the tortilla strips adds a nice texture to the dish. Squeeze over a wedge or two of lime for a nice zest.
Enjoy!
Notes
If you substitute the ground venison for ground beef, note that beef inherently has more fat in it. I recommend draining off some or all of the fat before adding the spices, tomatoes, and liquid.
Keywords: Chili, venison chili, elk chili, spicy chili, beanless chili, no bean chili, hunter’s chili, chili with coffee, how to make venison chili, chorizo chili