A wooden spoon stirs in a cast iron skillet, making a Mexican-inspired ground black bear meat recipe.
bear recipes

Brett’s Mexican-Style Ground Black Bear Skillet

Try a unique twist on Mexican cuisine with this flavorful ground black bear recipe developed by MKC’s very own Brett, an avid hunter and cook.

Brett’s Mexican-Style Ground Black Bear Skillet

Montana Knife Company

Servings

6

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Cuisine

Mexican

Category

Bear Meat Recipes

This recipe comes from Brett, an avid cook and valued MKC employee.

As an avid hunter, I’m always looking for creative ways to prepare the meat I bring home. Recently, my wife and I were craving some Mexican-inspired comfort food and thought a ground black bear recipe would be perfect. With a recent successful black bear hunt under my belt, I had plenty of meat to use.

We searched online for ground bear meat recipes that incorporated Mexican flavors. We found some good starting points, but nothing matched our preferences exactly.

Time to get creative. We adapted multiple recipes by adding ingredients, swapping in different herbs, and customizing the spices. After some trial and error, we landed on a flavor-packed ground black bear recipe the whole family loves.

Brett’s Mexican-Style Ground Black Bear Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground black bear meat

  • 1⁄2 white onion, diced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup poblano pepper, diced

  • 1⁄2 cup red bell pepper, diced

  • 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice

  • 2 cups wild game bone broth or stock

  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

  • 1 tsp. cumin

  • 1 1⁄2 tsp. chili powder

  • 1 tsp. oregano

  • 1 tsp. garlic powder

  • 1⁄2 tsp. salt

  • 1⁄2 tsp. black pepper

  • 1 cup Mexican blend cheese

  • 1⁄2 cup cotija cheese or extra Mexican blend

  • Chopped cilantro (optional)

  • 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)

Directions

  1. Brown the ground bear meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat with the onion and garlic until fully cooked and no longer pink. This should take 5–10 minutes.

  2. Drain the excess fat, then return the meat to the skillet along with the peppers, tomatoes, rice, broth, tomato paste, and spices. Stir well.

  3. Allow the mixture to come to a steady boil, then reduce the heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

  4. Fluff the rice with a fork, then stir in the cheeses and re-cover until the residual heat melts the cheese completely.

  5. Garnish with cilantro and jalapeño if desired. Enjoy!

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