A bowl of delicious game bird chili verde. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
This chili recipe works with just about any ground wild game , but if you’re looking at game birds, then ground pheasant or wild turkey are my picks. This recipe borrows from white and red chili, as I use white beans but also go heavy on the chili powder. It’s a good compromise with upland game birds or wild turkey, which can stand a little more spice but isn’t overpowered by darker red or black beans.
To save time, you could throw the meat, onion and seasonings in the crock pot without browning them first, but I would advise against this as browning adds flavor.
Game Bird Chili Verde Recipe Serves: 6-8 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 8 hours
Ingredients: 2 pounds of pheasant or wild turkey 1 tablespoon of olive oil 2 tablespoons of chili powder 1 teaspoon of ground coriander 1 teaspoon of cumin 1 onion, chopped 2 (15 ounce) cans of canned great northern beans, including juice 2 cups of chicken stock, plus extra 1 bay leaf 1 jar (16 ounces) of Herdez salsa verde 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilies Lawry’s Seasoned Salt , to tasteFresh cilantro, for garnish Shredded cheese, for garnish Sour cream Avocado Directions: Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat with a pinch of salt, chili powder, coriander, and cumin. Brown meat until cooked through and crusty, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Next, add chopped onion and sweat for 5-7 minutes until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the cooked meat mixture into a slow cooker, along with salsa verde, green chilies, beans (plus liquid) and bay leaf. Add enough chicken stock to submerge. Cook on low for 8 hours, adding more stock if needed. When done, season to taste with seasoned salt. Serve with cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado.
