Wild GameLeaner

Bison Green Chile Chili

Name: Bison Green Chile Chili
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs ground bison; 4 Hatch green chiles, roasted and diced; 1 cup frozen corn; 1 large onion; 4 garlic cloves; 28 oz crushed tomatoes; 2 cans black beans; 2 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; Salt

Bison built the chili traditions of the high plains long before beef did, and this Colorado-style bowl leans into that frontier lineage. The meat is the reason to make it: leaner than beef but deeper-flavored, almost sweet, without the heaviness a fatty ground-chuck chili leaves behind. We pair it with roasted Hatch green chiles and a handful of corn — the flavors of a Southern Colorado green chili — so the bison's richness has something bright and smoky to lean on. It simmers low until the whole pot tastes like the mountains it came from: warm, earthy, and honestly a little addictive.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

⏱

Cook Time

🦬

Bison

Protein

📍

Colorado

Region

Heat Level

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Hot

Nutrition Per Serving

487

calories
per serving

36g

Protein

22g

Fat

40g

Carbs

13g

Fiber

Sodium1023mg

Sugar8g

Estimates per serving (7 servings total) · Powered by Edamam

Community Photos

📷

Serving suggestions

Serve with warm tortillas for scooping; sharp cheddar, cotija, sour cream, or a squeeze of lime all play against the smoky chiles.

Substitutions & tips

No bison? Ground beef, turkey, or lamb all work (drain beef). No fresh Hatch? Use canned roasted Hatch or Anaheim. Even better the next day.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground bison

4 Hatch green chiles, roasted and diced

1 cup frozen corn

1 large onion

4 garlic cloves

28 oz crushed tomatoes

2 cans black beans

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

Salt

Steps

Get a large heavy pot hot over medium-high and brown the ground bison, breaking it up as it cooks. Bison is far leaner than beef, so it goes from browned to dry fast — pull it the moment the pink is gone, and don't drain it. That bit of rendered fat carries the flavor.

Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion and garlic in the bison's fat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes — cooking them in the drippings ties the aromatics to the meat.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika and stir about a minute until toasty and fragrant. This quick bloom in the hot fat wakes the spices up; skip it and they taste flat.

Stir in the roasted Hatch chiles and crushed tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the pot. The Hatch chiles are the soul of a Colorado green chili — their smoky-sweet edge is the whole point.

Bring to a gentle simmer, drop to low, and cook uncovered 45 minutes, stirring now and then. Lean bison rewards the slow simmer by staying tender.

Stir in the black beans and corn and simmer 15 minutes more — adding them late keeps the beans whole and the corn with a little snap.

Taste, then salt carefully; bison and Hatch chiles both bring their own flavor, so it needs less than you'd think. Serve with warm tortillas.