There’s no better time to gather friends and family for a cookout than the 4th of July, and at our house, venison is always invited to the party. Our circle includes lots of non-hunters, and we’ve found that appetizers and party dishes are a great way to introduce venison to those who have never tried it. I shared several venison crowd-pleasers that are great for a Super Bowl party, and it’s time to add another new favorite of ours. This quick and easy recipe for smoked venison nachos is shareable and always a favorite at cookouts!
Ingredients
- 1-lb ground venison
- One package taco seasoning
- One bag of tortilla chips
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Cotija cheese crumbles
- One medium white onion
- One large tomato; diced
- Sliced jalapenos (optional)
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- I like to season the ground venison and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. This really helps the flavor pop, but it’s optional.
- Preheat your smoker to 225° F. (You can also cook in the oven at 225° if you do not have a smoker. Just add a small amount of Liquid Smoke to the meat if using the oven)
- Brown the venison in a cast-iron or regular skillet.
- Place tortilla chips on a perforated pizza pan in an even layer and top liberally with venison and shredded cheese. The tiny holes in the pan allows the air to circulate, yielding crispy chips and perfectly melted cheese.
- Place on the smoker uncovered and cook until the cheese is melted. Typically, this only takes about 15-20 minutes, but I promise you the extra flavor is worth it!
- Remove from smoker and pile high with onion, tomato, jalapenos, sour cream, salsa, Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Since the cook time is so short, I usually make this recipe when the smoker is already up and running and what I cooked prior is resting. I also rarely use measurements when making nachos, because everyone’s preferences are different and I love to load them up.
