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These black bear tacos with chipotle lime slaw are a fun, modern way to enjoy wild bear meat. At Granite Peak Outfitters, our guides love making bear tacos after a successful Idaho hunt — the slow-braised meat shreds perfectly for tacos.

WILD GAME RECIPES

Spiced ground bear in tortillas with a crunchy, tangy slaw

If you want to introduce someone to bear meat without the weird factor, start with tacos. Ground bear, well-seasoned with traditional Mexican spices and cooked thoroughly, is indistinguishable from seasoned ground beef in a taco. The chipotle gives depth and just enough heat without being overpowering. We serve these at the lodge when we have ground bear in the freezer, and half the time guests do not realize they are eating bear until we tell them.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs ground black bear (trimmed of fat before grinding)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 12 corn or flour tortillas
• For the slaw: 3 cups shredded cabbage, 1/4 cup sour cream, juice of 2 limes, 1 chipotle in adobo (minced), 2 tbsp adobo sauce, salt
• Toppings: crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, lime wedges, hot sauce

Directions

1. Make the slaw: Toss shredded cabbage with sour cream, lime juice, minced chipotle, adobo sauce, and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate while you cook the meat.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the diced onion for 3-4 minutes until softened.
3. Add the ground bear and cook for 7-8 minutes, breaking it into fine crumbles. Cook thoroughly — no pink remaining. Bear must reach 160°F.
4. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add 1/4 cup water and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the liquid creates a saucy coating on the meat.
6. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or over an open flame. Fill each tortilla with seasoned bear meat, top with slaw, queso fresco, cilantro, avocado, and lime.

Pro Tips from Our Guides

• Cook the ground bear thoroughly with no pink remaining. This is a safety requirement for all bear meat.
• The chipotle lime slaw adds a cool, crunchy contrast that makes the tacos.
• If your bear was processed with fat left in, the heavy seasoning will mask any gaminess.
• Double the meat recipe and freeze half. Pre-cooked seasoned bear meat reheats perfectly.

The secret bear-meat gateway recipe. We have yet to meet someone who did not love these tacos.