Venison Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers

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These venison stuffed jalapeño peppers are a killer appetizer to serve at your next party or tailgate! Made with ground venison, pimento cheese, and spices, the flavors are ridiculously delicious! Move over traditional and boring venison recipes, there’s a new kid in town!

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If you’re looking for your next game day appetizer, look no further! This delicious ground venison recipe is so full of flavor, your guests won’t even realize they’re eating venison! You could also easily swap in ground elk meat, too.

Ingredients needed

To make these venison stuffed jalapeño peppers, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground venison
• 7 oz. pimento cheese spread
• 12 large jalapeños
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

How to make venison stuffed jalapeño peppers

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1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil.
3. Prepare the jalapeño peppers by slicing them in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds and membranes. Be careful doing this, you don’t want to get any of the juices in your eyes! Lay the jalapeño halves onto the baking sheet.
4. In a large skillet, add the ground venison, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook thoroughly until there’s no pink remaining. With venison, there most likely will not be much, if any, grease to drain.
5. Transfer the cooked venison to a large bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes.
6. Then, add the pimento cheese spread and stir to combine.
7. Using a spoon, fill each of the jalapeño halves with the venison pimento mixture. You want to fill them just until full without overstuffing them.
8. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The top should be a nice golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Recipe FAQs and Variations

Is ground venison healthy?

Ground venison comes from deer, which are by nature much leaner animals than cattle. They contain less fat than beef, therefore containing lower calorie and fat content.

Why does venison taste bad?

I’m sure you’re familiar with people saying venison and other wild game meat tasting “gamey.” The “gamey” flavor actually comes from a variety of factors, including the diet of the deer, the processing of the meat, the season in which the animal was harvested (i.e., if the male deer was in rut), the age of the animal, and more. Outside these factors, venison will not taste exactly like beef, so if you’re expecting that, you’ll be in for a surprise. However, I’ve also found how the meat is cooked can also greatly reduce any strong gamey flavor.

If you’ve had a bad experience with venison tasting “gamey”, there are a few things you can try.

1. If it’s your kill/harvest, do your research on proper field dressing, bleeding, and processing to know what elements can affect the flavor of the meat during these.
2. Purchase ground venison from a company like The Honest Bison. By doing this, you’ll ensure the meat was properly processed and see if you experience a noticeable difference in the taste and texture.

Recipe variations

• Swap in ground elk meat if you have that on hand.
• If you find your venison harvest has a strong flavor, you can add in ground sausage to the mix. Simply reduce down the ground venison to about 3/4 pound and 1/4 pound ground sausage.
• Cook them in the air fryer! Pop these into your air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top.

Kitchen resources for this recipe

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Enjoy these other wild game recipes

• Elk Chili Recipe – a hearty elk chili recipe made with ground elk meat and vegetables
• Venison Reuben Sandwich – a delicious venison pastrami sandwich
• Elk Bolognese Sauce – a hearty bolognese sauce made with ground elk meat

Venison Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers Recipe