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    Home » Recipes » Easy Weeknight Dinners

    Ground Bison Chili Recipe

    Last Updated: Sep 17, 2021 · Published: Mar 14, 2021 · by Seanna Borrows · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin This!
    Pinterest Title Banner and Bowl of Bison Chili with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.

    Ground Bison Chili is a healthy chili recipe for an easy weeknight dinner that can be ready in 30 minutes! This tasty recipe is made with ground bison, tomatoes, chili beans, and spices. Such a delicious and satisfying easy dinner! Yum!

    Bowl of Bison Chili with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.
    Jump to:
    • Here's What You Need
    • Notes on Ingredients
    • How to Make It
    • Pro Tip
    • Recipe FAQS
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Meal Prep And Storage
    • Meal Prep
    • More Easy Weeknight Dinners
    • More Ground Bison Recipes
    • Watch How to Make It
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Community

    Looking for a healthy chili recipe for your family? Get a tasty meal on the table fast with this easy dinner option. Our Ground Bison Chili Recipe has all the satisfying, classic chili flavors you love but it's made with a healthy twist by using lean ground bison instead of ground beef.

    We're always looking to add that healthy twist to our Easy Weeknight Dinner recipes. If you feel the same way, be sure to try out our other ground bison recipes, like our tasty Ground Bison Pasta or Bison Meatballs.

    This tasty recipe is based on our classic chili recipe and was an instant hit around here! It's so good!

    Here's What You Need

    Photo of individual ingredients list for Bison Chili.
    Make sure you have what you need. Use this convenient ingredient list in the grocery store while you shop!

    Notes on Ingredients

    ground bison - Sealed packages of ground bison meat are commonly found in your local grocery store's packaged meat refrigerator case, right next to the ground beef.

    salt - Salting the meat and adjusting seasonings at every step of the cooking process is essential to building the layers of flavor important to any dish. It is important to note that bison is a sweeter tasting meat when compared to beef, which is more savory in taste. So the seasonings need to be adjusted accordingly. For this recipe, this means balancing some of that sweetness with a little extra salt!

    How to Make It

    Make this tasty recipe for Ground Bison Chili in 4 easy steps.

    Collage showing four steps for making this delicious Bison Chili recipe.
    1. Sauté Ground Bison. First, sauté 1 lb of ground bison meat in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Break the meat up into pieces and season with 1 teaspoon of salt as it cooks. Once browned and seasoned, the bison should be tasty. Add more salt if necessary.
    2. Add Fresh Vegetables. Stir in onions, celery, and garlic.
    3. Add Remaining Ingredients. Add diced tomatoes, chili beans, and seasonings. Stir until combined.
    4. Simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 Minutes. Then Enjoy!

    Pro Tip

    Chili Add-Ins: This Bison Chili Recipe produces a mild flavored chili. For spicy chili, try any of these add-ins:

    • An extra teaspoon of chili powder.
    • ground red pepper.
    • crushed red pepper.
    • Sriracha.
    • diced green chili pepper, canned or fresh.
    • diced jalapeño, canned or fresh.

    Bowl of Ground Bison Chili Recipe with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.
    Make this delicious Bison Chili Recipe tonight for an Easy Weeknight Dinner win!

    Recipe FAQS

    What does Bison taste like?

    Bison and beef are similar in taste, making bison an easy substitution choice in recipes containing beef. Bison meat tastes sweeter and less savory than beef.

    Is Bison healthier than Beef?

    Bison may be a healthier choice than beef because it is the leaner meat. When comparing bison and beef, bison is lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Bison is higher in protein than beef.

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    A spoonful above a bowl of Healthy Ground Bison Chili sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese.
    Try this tasty recipe for delicious Bison Chili with your favorite Chili toppings and sides!

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve Bison Chili with your favorite toppings and sides!

    • Sprinkled with cheese.
    • Topped with sour cream.
    • Or with some avocado.
    • Scooped up on tortilla chips.
    • Spooned over hot dogs!
    • Or over nachos.
    • Over macaroni.
    • Or on baked potatoes!
    • With cornbread.

    Meal Prep And Storage

    Two Quarts of Bison Chili Recipe in Restaurant Storage Containers with blue towel in background.

    Meal Prep

    Freeze this tasty Bison Chili Recipe for later for the perfect last minute easy dinner option!

    Bison Chili is a great recipe to make ahead or to use as a meal prep option! Make your weeknights easier by making this recipe ahead of time on the weekend!

    Store leftover chili in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It also freezes well for 2-6 months in these handy food storage containers.

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      Leftover Bratwurst Pasta
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    More Ground Bison Recipes

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      Bison Meatballs
    • Easy weeknight dinner of Ground Bison Pasta made with rotini pictured in a white bowl, topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
      Ground Bison Pasta Recipe

    There you have it! Ground Bison Chili is a delicious a healthy chili recipe that can be made in 4 easy steps in just 30 minutes. It's as simple as that! We hope you enjoy this delicious and satisfying Easy Weeknight Dinner! Try it and let us know how you like it. We'd love to hear from you!

    xo ~ Seanna

    Watch How to Make It

    YouTube video

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    📖 Recipe

    Bowl of Ground Bison Chili Recipe with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.

    Ground Bison Chili

    A healthy chili recipe for and easy weeknight dinner in 30 minutes!  This tasty recipe is made with ground bison, tomatoes, chili beans, and spices.  Yum!
    | www.seannaskitchen.com
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe!Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 230kcal
    Author: Seanna Borrows

    Equipment

    • stock pot
    • chefs knife

    Ingredients 

    • 1 Lb Ground Bison
    • 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 Medium Onion Diced
    • 2 Stalks Celery Diced
    • 1 Clove Garlic Minced
    • 1 - 28 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes with Juice
    • 2 - 16 Oz Cans Hot Chili Beans
    • 2 Teaspoons Salt
    • 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
    • ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
    • ¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    Get Recipe Ingredients
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    Instructions

    • Saute Ground Bison. First, Saute 1 lb of ground bison meat in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Break the meat up into pieces and season with 1 teaspoon of salt as it cooks.  Once browned and seasoned, the bison should be tasty.  Add more salt if necessary.
      1 Lb Ground Bison, 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Add Fresh Vegetables. Stir in onions, celery, and garlic.
      1 Medium Onion, 2 Stalks Celery, 1 Clove Garlic
    • Add Remaining Ingredients. Add diced tomatoes, chili beans, and seasonings.  Stir until combined.
      1 - 28 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes, 2 - 16 Oz Cans Hot Chili Beans, 2 Teaspoons Salt, 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder, ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin, ¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    • Simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  And Enjoy!

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    Tasty Tip

    Taste and adjust seasonings while you cook. Salting the meat and adjusting seasonings at every step of the cooking process is essential to building the layers of flavor important to any dish.

    Adjust Seasonings

    It is important to note that bison is a sweeter tasting meat when compared to beef, which is more savory in taste. So the seasonings need to be adjusted accordingly. For this recipe, this means balancing some of that sweetness with a little extra salt! 

    Chili Add-Ins

    This Bison Chili Recipe produces a mild flavored chili. For spicy chili, try any of these Add-Ins:  An extra Teaspoon of Chili Powder, Ground Red Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, Sriracha, Diced Green Chili Pepper, Canned or Fresh, Diced Jalapeño, or Canned or Fresh.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1242mg | Potassium: 709mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 4mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @SeannasKitchen and tag #seannaskitchen!

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    Comments

      5 from 4 votes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ginger says

      March 10, 2023 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this is delicious. I added a few cut pepper pieces. 1/4 teaspoon of ground ancho chili spice, and 2 flat tablespoons of red chili goop (sorry, couldn’t think of a better description) from a can. It came out really well. Thanks for posting this recipe. 🙂

      Reply
      • Seanna Borrows says

        March 11, 2023 at 8:48 am

        Great to hear! Your additions sound tasty!

        Reply
    2. Evonne Simoff says

      March 16, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      Love this! It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s healthy. Winning combination. I added a little extra spice like Seanna recommended and I also added some diced carrots because I needed to use them up.

      Reply
      • Seanna says

        March 16, 2022 at 6:21 pm

        Awesome to hear Evonne! So happy you like it. Carrots are a great addition.

        Reply
    3. Ashlee says

      October 28, 2021 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      I found your recipe after searching google for a bison chili recipe. This recipe was great! There was so much flavor and I loved the added red chili flakes. I didn't change a thing and wont the next time I prepare this recipe. Thank you, it feels good to have a satisfying recipe to add to my rotation!

      Reply
      • Seanna says

        October 28, 2021 at 4:27 pm

        Thanks so much Ashlee. I'm so glad you like it!

        Reply
    4. Russ Borrows says

      March 14, 2021 at 2:42 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this chili, and the fact that it was a healthy option!

      Reply
      • Seanna says

        March 14, 2021 at 2:44 pm

        Thank you! Love these Easy Weeknight Dinners!

        Reply
    Photo of Seanna Borrows of Seanna's Kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Seanna!

    Welcome to my kitchen! I'm a Midwestern home cook and food blogger, sharing simple, tasty, family-friendly recipes.
    Good food…made with love…for the people you love…Now, that's a great recipe!

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