Firehouse Venison Chili: The Recipe That Never Makes It to Leftovers

There are two kinds of meals you can bring to a firehouse shift. The kind that gets politely eaten… and the kind that disappears before you get your own bowl. This venison and beef chorizo chili falls into the second category.

If you’ve followed Outdoorsman’s Oath for any amount of time, you know we’re big on one thing: cook what you kill, and do it right. Wild game deserves better than shortcuts and overcooking. Venison gets blamed all the time for being gamey, but most of the time it’s not the meat. It’s the method.

Why Venison Chili Usually Fails

Here’s the truth most people won’t say. Venison is lean. Really lean. Chili needs fat. Real fat. When you throw five pounds of ground deer into a pot with tomatoes and hope for the best, you end up with something dry and flat. That’s where beef chorizo earns its place. It brings fat, spice, depth, and texture. It rounds out the venison without overpowering it. You still taste the deer, just the way it should taste.

The Build: Layering Flavor the Right Way

This isn’t a dump it in and walk away recipe. If you want thick, firehouse level chili, you build it in layers.

First, brown the chorizo and let it render. Don’t rush it. That fat at the bottom of the pot is flavor. Next, add the venison directly into that rendered fat. No draining unless something has gone seriously wrong. Let it brown and develop color. That browning creates depth instead of bland meat floating in red soup.

Then come the onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, and serrano peppers. The serranos bring a sharper, cleaner heat that builds instead of just sitting on the tongue. Let everything cook down and soften. Add the garlic and give it another minute.

After that, add your spices and let them toast in the pot before adding any liquid. Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, even a little cocoa powder. Blooming the spices changes everything.

Once the base is built, add crushed tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, beans if you’re using them, beef stock, and one ingredient most people skip: strong black coffee. It won’t make your chili taste like coffee. It simply deepens the entire pot and ties everything together. From there, let it simmer low and slow for a couple of hours. Stir it occasionally. Let it thicken naturally. Let the flavors come together.

Firehouse Tested

There’s no tougher food critic than a crew that’s been running calls all day. If it’s bland, they’ll tell you. If it’s dry, they’ll tell you. If it’s good, they won’t say much at all. They’ll just grab another bowl.

This batch fed about ten hungry guys at the station. By the end of shift, the pot was scraped clean. No leftovers. That’s how you know.

Feed the Crew. Feed Your People.

This chili isn’t just for the firehouse. It’s for hunting camp after a long, cold sit. It’s for game day with family. It’s for a winter night when you need something that sticks.

Wild game connects us to the land. Cooking it well honors that connection. If you’re going to take the shot, process the deer, and fill your freezer, you owe it to yourself to cook it right.

Behind the scenes, Outdoorsman’s Oath has been moving forward. More hunts. More gear testing. More real-world cooking. The mission hasn’t changed. God, Family, and the Great Outdoors. No fluff. No pretending. Just real experiences, real lessons, and food that feeds your people.

If you make this recipe, tag us and show us your version. Tell us what you tweaked. That’s the best part of cooking wild game. Around here, we don’t just hunt. We cook. We gather. We feed our people. And we do it right.

Simplified Step by Step Recipe

Ingredients (Feeds About 10)

5 pounds ground venison
2 pounds beef chorizo
3 large yellow onions, diced
3 bell peppers, diced (any color)
2 jalapeños, minced
2 serrano peppers, minced
8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced

4 cans (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz) pinto beans, drained
2 cups beef stock
1 cup strong black coffee

1/2 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, brown the beef chorizo over medium high heat. Let it fully cook and render.

2. Add the ground venison directly into the pot with the chorizo. Break it up and brown completely. Do not drain unless there is excessive grease.

3. Add onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, and serrano peppers. Cook until softened. Add garlic and cook another minute.

4. Stir in all dry seasonings and cocoa powder. Let them toast in the pot for about 60 seconds.

5. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, beef stock, coffee, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

6. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

7. Taste and adjust salt, heat, or thickness as needed. If it gets too thick, add a little more beef stock. If too thin, let it simmer longer.

Serve hot with shredded cheese, sour cream, cornbread, or straight out of the bowl after a long day. Firehouse approved.

Written by Tyler Tesch