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This easy Southwestern Bison Chili recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, uses ground bison, beans, and seasonings for the perfect chili recipe.
There really isn't anything better on a cold day than a big bowl of chili with a side of cornbread. One of the things I love about this chili recipe is that it can be made in under 30 minutes on the stove or can be put in the slow cooker in the morning and be ready by dinner time.
This recipe has a bit of a southwestern twist compared to a traditional bison chili recipe. Using cumin, diced tomatoes, and diced green chili really takes this chili to the next level!
Using ground bison in this recipe really gives it a richness that you don't get from using ground beef. If you haven't tried ground bison yet you should! I eat ground bison all the time and have been obsessed with this bison shepherd's pie lately.
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Ingredients
Chili beans- chili beans are pinto beans in a chili sauce and can be found on the bean aisle in your local grocery store.
Rotel- Rotel is diced tomatoes and diced green chilis
Ground Bison- ground bison can be found at most local grocery stores or at Costco
Substitutions
Ground bison- You can use ground beef or ground turkey if you can't find or don't want to use ground bison
Beans- If you want to change the types of beans you can. If you can't find chili beans that's ok but they really help give the chili an amazing flavor. Adding black beans would be great in this recipe!
Cayenne pepper- The diced green chilis in this recipe already give the chili and little kick, but if you want more heat then you can add some cayenne pepper with the other seasonings
Paleo- To make this Paleo friendly, omit the beans
Step by step
- Dice the onion and add it to a dutch oven or large pan with the avocado oil on medium heat and saute until tender, about 5 minutes
- Add the ground bison to the dutch oven and cook until browned, about 8 minutes
- Add the tomato sauce, the chili beans with the sauce, the kidney beans (drained and rinsed), the can of Rotel, and all the seasonings to the dutch oven and stir till combined
- Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes or for a few hours if you would like
Slow cooker
- Cook the ground bison over medium heat with the avocado oil until there is no pink left, about 6 minutes
- Add the ground bison, diced onion, the chili beans with the sauce, the kidney beans (drained and rinsed), the can of Rotel, and all the seasoning to a slow cooker and stir to combine
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours
I have this slow cooker and you can use the saute function to brown the ground bison right in the slow cooker then turn it to slow cook. It's amazing!
Frequently asked questions
You might be surprised to find out that bison is a lot healthier for you than beef.
One of the biggest differences between bison and beef is the fat content. Bison has over half the amount of fat as beef! It also has more protein in one serving than beef and fewer calories.
Bison is rich in omega-3, vitamin b, iron, and zinc. It is also a lot lower in cholesterol than beef.
Kidney beans and pinto beans are great in chili. Black beans would also go great in this chili.
Bison chili tastes similar to a regular ground beef chili. In my opinion, ground bison has a better taste than ground beef. The taste profile is very similar to a lean cut of beef. I bet you if you didn't tell anyone this was bison they would never know. Bison is also healthier for you than beef.
Toppings
There are so many ways you can jazz up the toppings on your chili. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Shredded or grated chedder cheese. If you want to keep this dairy free, you can use dairy free cheese or leave it off all together
- Sour Cream- Adding a dolop of sour cream would be a great addition
- Avocado- I love adding avocado to the top of my chili
- Cilantro- Adding a littel bit of fresh cilanto to the top would be great with this recipe
Storing/reheating
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Reheating is as simple as putting the cold chili in a bowl and heating it in the microwave. You could also reheat it on the stove on low heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Looking for more bison recipes? Check these out!
Easy Sheet Pan Bison Steak Meal
Savory Swedish Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes
Recipe
Southwestern Bison Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Bison
- 32 oz tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- ½ Onion Diced
- 1 can Rotel (green chilies and diced tomatoes)
- 1 can chili beans
- 1 can dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 2 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- shredded cheese for topping (optional)
- avocado for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Add avocado oil to a dutch oven and heat to medium heat
- Add diced onions to the dutch oven and sautee for 3-4 minutes until translucent
- Add ground bison to the dutch oven and cook till browned. About 8 minutes
- To the pot, add the whole can of Rotel, chili beans, kidney beans, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine
- Add in the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Let cook on low for as least 15 minutes or cover and let sit on low for a few hours
Slow Cooker
- Cook the ground bison over medium with the avocado oil until there is no pink left, about 6 minutes
- Add the ground bison, diced onion, the chili beans with the sauce, the kidney beans (drained and rinsed), the can of Rotel, and all the seasoning to a slow cooker and stir to combine
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours
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