Recipes Cooking

Venison Taco in a Bag

There are certain foods that I hesitate to eat in public, and crunchy tacos are one of them. They fall apart in your hands, the filling always finds a way onto your (white) shirt, the grease and salsa dribble all over the place, and lets not forget the mountain of napkins that accumulate before your eyes. Its completely barbaric-- or maybe its just me. 

For all those reasons, this is why I love this recipe. You get all the flavors of a crunchy taco, but in a disposable, no-mess tortilla chip bag. Its perfect for dinner, lunch, parties, tailgating and yes, even deer camp! For me, its a nice change from all those hotdogs and hamburgers I normally eat at outdoor gatherings. 

This hunting season, mix up your camp menu and try Venison Taco in a Bag. Its easy and quick, perfect for all your impatient and hungry hunting friends after they come back from sitting at their blinds. They could even take the bags with them to eat while hunting, but Im not sure how the deer in the area would feel about being able to catch the scent of their late uncle buck again-- gloriously wafting in the autumn breeze like once before, but this time accompanied by an unsettling bouquet of chili powder and paprika. -Jen

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of ground venison
- 1 tbs. of vegetable oil
- 1 tbs. of chili powder
- 1/2 tbs. of ground cumin
- 1 tsp. of cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. of Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3/4 tsp. of paprika
- 1/2 tsp. of ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. of dried oregano
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup of water
- 4 single-serving bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos
- Taco fixings: shredded cabbage, crumbled queso fresco cheese, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced onions, diced avocado, salsa, etc. 


1. In a small container, combine taco spices: chili powder, cumin, cornstarch, salt, paprika, coriander, oregano and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside. 
2. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbs. of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add ground venison and cook until browned. The great thing about using venison is that you dont have to worry about the hassle of draining out any fat. Considerable lower in fat, cholesterol and calories, ground venison is a whole lot healthier than ground beef.
3. Next, stir in taco mix seasoning and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer until almost all liquids have absorbed and evaporated, stirring often. Then take off heat and adjust seasonings. Keep in mind all the salt thats already in the chips and cheese. 


4. Snip off one side of each Doritos bag.

Then add some venison taco meat and all your favorite taco fixings in the bag. 

Voila! Now you have a Venison Taco in a Bag. Enjoy!