Fresh Herb Venison Nachos with Garden Peppers

These venison nachos combine ground venison, melted cheese, fresh garden peppers, and herbs for an easy meal that works especially well for game day. We wanted something simple that could use both venison from the freezer and whatever peppers and herbs were ready in the garden.

The recipe is easy to adjust depending on what you have growing. Jalapeños add more heat, while banana peppers keep things milder. Fresh cilantro, chives, and oregano add plenty of flavor without needing a complicated seasoning mix.

Why Venison Works Well for Nachos

Ground venison is lean, flavorful, and works well anywhere you would normally use ground beef. Because it has less fat, it cooks quickly and pairs especially well with melted cheese, peppers, and fresh herbs.

For these nachos, we keep the venison seasoning simple so the garden ingredients still stand out. A little salt, black pepper, oregano, and culantro is enough to give the meat plenty of flavor without overpowering everything else.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 large bag tortilla chips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 fresh jalapeño, cowhorn pepper, banana pepper, or other garden pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/2 culantro leaf, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican-blend cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, optional
• 1 can black beans, drained, optional

Optional toppings:

• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Diced tomato
• Lime
• Avocado or guacamole
• Extra peppers
• Extra fresh herbs

Prepare the Garden Peppers

Dice the peppers before you start cooking.

Cooking the peppers with the onion softens them and lets their flavor blend into the venison. You can adjust the pepper combination depending on what your garden is producing and how much heat you want.

Cook the Ground Venison

Heat the olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the diced onion and peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to soften.

Add the ground venison and cook until browned. Stir in the oregano, culantro, salt, and black pepper and cook for another minute.

Because venison is lean, avoid overcooking it. Once it is browned and completely cooked through, it is ready for the nachos.

Build the Nachos

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spread half of the tortilla chips across a large sheet pan. Add half of the venison mixture, optional black beans, and shredded cheese.

Add another layer of chips, followed by the remaining venison and cheese.

Layering the ingredients instead of putting everything on top helps prevent the pile of plain chips that usually ends up underneath loaded nachos.

Bake Until the Cheese Melts

Bake the nachos at 400°F for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the chips around the edges are beginning to toast.

Keep an eye on them toward the end because tortilla chips can brown quickly.

Finish With Fresh Herbs

Remove the nachos from the oven and top them with fresh cilantro and chives, plus optional basil and diced tomato.

Squeeze fresh lime over the top if desired.

We prefer adding the fresh herbs after baking because they keep more of their flavor and color.

Serve the nachos while hot with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or any other toppings you like.

Garden Pepper Options

One of the best parts of this recipe is being able to change it depending on what the garden is producing.

Jalapeños: classic nacho flavor with moderate heat.

Cowhorn peppers: mild to medium heat with a slightly sweet pepper flavor.

Sweet banana peppers: mild and slightly sweet.

Hot banana peppers: good middle ground between sweet peppers and jalapeños.

Using a combination of peppers also works well and gives each bite a slightly different flavor.

Fresh Herbs for Venison Nachos

You don’t need every herb in the garden for this recipe. A few fresh herbs work better than adding too many competing flavors.

Our favorite combination is:

• Cilantro for the fresh finish
• Chives for a fresh onion flavor on top
• Oregano cooked lightly with the meat
• Basil as an optional finishing herb

If you grow culantro, a small amount works well in the venison because its flavor is generally stronger than cilantro.

Quick Venison Nachos Recipe

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: About 25 minutes

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add onion and peppers. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add ground venison and cook until browned.
5. Add oregano, culantro, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for another minute.
6. Spread half the tortilla chips on a sheet pan.
7. Add half the venison, optional black beans, and cheese.
8. Add another layer of chips, then the remaining venison and cheese.
9. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
10. Remove from the oven.
11. Top with fresh cilantro and chives, plus optional basil and diced tomato.
12. Squeeze lime over the top if desired.
13. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole if you have them.

A Simple Garden-to-Table Game-Day Meal

These fresh herb venison nachos with garden peppers are the kind of recipe we like for Cluck & Sprout: simple food that makes use of ingredients we already have around the backyard and kitchen.

The venison makes the nachos filling, while fresh peppers and herbs make them easy to change throughout the growing season. It is also a good recipe for using a handful of peppers or herbs that might not otherwise be enough for a larger meal.

Whether you’re making them for game day or just need an easy dinner, they come together quickly and are easy to customize with whatever the garden is producing. See more of our Recipes.