Name: Venison Enchilada Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 TBSP grapeseed oil; 3 TBSP flour; 2 TBSP chili powder; 2 tsp. garlic powder; 1 tsp. cumin; 1 TBSP kosher salt; 1 TBSP fresh oregano ((or ½ TBSP dried)); 2 TBSP tomato paste; 2 cups chicken stock; 2 tsp. kosher salt; 1 tsp. garlic powder; 1 tsp. onion powder; ¾ tsp. cumin; ½ tsp. paprika; ½ tsp. chili powder; ¼ tsp. coriander; 2 TBSP olive oil; 1 small white onion (diced); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 2 pounds ground venison; 4 ounces diced green chilis; 8 flour tortillas; 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 1 ½ cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese; Sour cream (for serving); Tomatoes (for serving); Avocados (for serving); Cilantro (for serving)

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This venison enchilada recipe is the perfect Midwestern dinner! They’re full of flavorful venison, melted cheese, and a homemade red enchilada sauce that is so easy!

A venison enchilada is pulled out of a white enamel pan against a blue back drop. There are avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, and limes scattered around. As well as sour cream and hot sauce.

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list in this recipe. Please! First, most of them are spices, so that’s just flavor. Second, going the homemade route with this enchilada recipe makes all the difference. Trust.

Venison Enchilada Components

Enchilada Sauce (The red kind. The homemade kind!)
Ground Venison
Onions, Garlic, and Green Chilis
Tortillas (Flour. But you can use corn, I wouldn’t hate it.)
Shredded Cheese (Wisconsin’s finest.)
Fun Toppings! (Think sour cream, avo, and tomato, etc.)

An overhead shot of venison enchiladas in a white enamel pan. The enchilada recipe is covered in cheese, sour cream, avocados, and tomatoes.

Be a Deer

There’re all kinds of enchiladas out there. Veggie, chicken, tuna (whut?). This venison variation uses ground deer meat in the same way that a classic beef enchilada recipe uses ground beef. It’s my favorite way to use venison! Find a recipe that uses beef, and sub in venison. That’s how I wound up making the best darn burgers to ever grace a grill.

If your venison supply is limited (or nonexistent) ground beef can absolutely be substituted into this easy recipe. Or chicken or turkey. Go crazy. Or! Cut a venison roast into 2-inch chunks, cover in a thin layer of beef broth, and bake at 325 until the meat easily shreds apart – about 2 hours. (Ok, now I need to make them that way!)

A close up overhead shot of venison enchiladas in a white enamel pan. The enchilada recipe is covered in cheese, sour cream, avocados, and tomatoes.

How to make this easy enchilada recipe

Make the red enchilada sauce. It’s so quick! And flavorful! You’ll never do storebought again!
Brown the venison. With some onion, garlic, and green chilis. And lotsa spices. Flavor!
Assemble the enchiladas. A little sauce in the pan. A little sauce on a tortilla. A lotta filling in a tortilla. Roll ‘em up and cover them in more sauce and the most cheese.
Bake and enjoy. The cheese will get so melty. And the fresh toppings add crunch and cool and creamy and contrast. Don’t skimp on these!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Work ahead – From the sauce to the filling, all of these components can be prepped ahead of time! And! The enchiladas themselves can be prepared ahead of time.
Freeze! – Because this dish can be prepared ahead, it’s a great option for weeknight dinners! Fill up the pan and instead of baking, wrap it in plastic wrap, cover in tinfoil, and throw in the freezer for later. The night before serving, thaw the enchiladas in the refrigerator and bake as directed the following evening.
Shred it – For the love of all that is good in this world, shred the cheese by hand! It makes a world of difference! First of all, many pre-shredded bagged cheeses have additives to keep them from clumping. Unfortunately, this also keeps them from melting smoothly and creamily into the dish. You want the smooth. And the cream. You want to shred the cheese. As a bonus, bulk blocks of cheese are usually cheaper than the pre-shredded bags!

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A white plate has two venison enchiladas on it. The plate sits on a white backdrop with a blue background. There are tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, and cilantro on top of the enchiladas.

What other venison recipes would you like to see from me? Leave a comment below to let me know!

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4.75 from 4 votes