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    Home » By Ingredient » Venison / Rabbit / Game » How to Cook Venison – Cooking Delicious Deer Meat

    How to Cook Venison – Cooking Delicious Deer Meat

    Posted on October 7, 2020 By Beth Neels

    2.7K shares
    Venison tutorial Pinterst image with text overlay
    Venison tutorial Pinterst image with text overlay
    Pinterest image with text overlay.

    How to Cook Venison – The Ultimate Guide is your one stop to learn everything there is to know about cooking venison! From processing, to sourcing and cooking various cuts of deer meat, you will find the information you need! Complete with over 50 recipes!

    change

    Jump to:
    • What is Venison?
    • Is Venison Healthy?
    • Deer Meat Processing
    • Why Does Some Venison Taste Gamey?
    • General Rules for Cooking all Types of Venison
    • Quick Cooking Deer Meat
    • List of ingredients commonly used for cooking deer meat
    • How to Cook Venison – Slow Cooking
    • Smoking deer meat
    • Venison Recipes – Other Venison Recipes
    • Canning Venison
    • Sourcing Venison for Non-hunters
    • Summary

    Have you always wanted to learn about cooking venison? Venison is a protein that has been eaten since paleo times. It is healthy and delicious, if you know the secrets to cooking it properly.

    We will give you over 50 recipes from some of the worlds’ most renowned venison chefs. Plus a whole lot of useful information to make you an expert too.

    What is Venison?

    Venison comes the Latin verb venari, or ‘to hunt’, according to D’Artagnan. In that context, venison can be applied to boar, rabbit, hare, moose, antelope, elk, caribou and a few others. The term most often refers to deer meat.

    It can also refer to any specific cut of the animal, as with beef and pork different cuts are referred to with different terms. For instance, loin or filet, bottom round, top round, flank, etc.

    In different areas of the world, the regulations differ. In most American states, there are specific times of the year when deer can be taken.

    These are usually in the fall after the fawns are mature enough to survive for themselves and before the winter, when food is less plentiful.

    In many areas, it is essential to hunt deer to reduce the populations. Loss of habitat due to human encroachment on their territories has played a huge role in over population of deer herds in many areas.

    If populations are not reduced the entire herd will suffer from starvation, during the winter.

    Car accidents are a large danger to deer and motor vehicle users in many regions, especially when a herd is overpopulated.

    There are also diseases and pests that will be more prevalent in an overpopulated herd. In the northeast, pests like deer ticks are quite dangerous to humans, they are carriers of lyme disease.

    Is Venison Healthy?

    This question is, as they say, is relative. Comparatively speaking venison has almost half the fat of beef and more protein. It also contains almost no saturated fat. It is high is iron, niacin, vitamin B6, and riboflavin, according to Outdoor Life.

    Deer meat also has about half of the calories and less than 1/4 total fat, compared to pork, according to the USDA National Nutrition Database.

    That being said, venison is still a “red meat” and does contain cholesterol (about 30% of the RDV per serving). It is suggested that we only eat red meat a few times per week.

    With the grocery store shelves teeming with “grass feed” and “no antibiotic” beef and pork, venison is a clear choice for an alternative.

    In my particular area, the deer feed heavily on apples and residual corn and soybeans left in farmers’ fields, after the harvest. In other areas, deer feed heavily on nuts and berries. They are about as organic as you can get.

    Deer Meat Processing

    Proper processing of the deer meat is terribly important. Not only for taste of the finished product but for food safety as well.

    Field dressing should be done immediately. Make sure you are knowledgeable in this art. Here is a good YouTube field dressing video to get you started.

    If you need help with identifying individual cuts of venison, see our Venison cuts plus their uses article.

    Chicken fried venison social media image

    Aging Deer Meat – Dry Aged vs. Wet Aged

    There is much debate whether aging helps tenderize the meat. We are convinced that it aids in tenderizing the meat.

    Aging breaks down collagen and connective tissues in the meat, as this article from RealTree explains in more depth.

    There are 2 methods for aging meat. Dry aging and wet aging. Both types of aging should be done for 2 to 7 days. Larger bucks could take up to 14 days. After aging, the meat should cut into different cuts, packaged, labelled and frozen, if not consumed within a short period of time.

    Dry Aging

    When dry aging you need to have a clean area, protected from animals but cold enough. The temperature must be below 40°F and above 32°F to hang the deer.

    If you do not have these conditions, you could dedicate a refrigerator to aging deer for the season. Quarter the deer leaving it loosely wrapped and store it in the refrigerator.

    It is suggested that a fan to circulate the air will enhance and speed up the aging process. Battery operated fans are widely available.

    When dry aging, the outer layer of meat will dry out and should be cut off and discarded.

    Wet Aging

    Wet aging serves the same purpose, but is done in vacuum sealed bags to maintain the moisture levels. We prefer dry aging but in years when the weather is too warm, we have wet aged deer as well.

    When cutting the deer into specific cuts, have a clean workspace, clean, sharp tools and clean hands, or food grade gloves.

    Vacuum pack or wrap the cuts immediately. Then label them and get them into the freezer right away.

    When you are ready to cook a cut of meat. Remove it from the freezer a day or two ahead of time and thaw it in the refrigerator, to minimize any harmful bacteria that can grow at room temperature.

    Why Does Some Venison Taste Gamey?

    Deer meat quality depends on two different, but related factors. Topography and food sources.

    The main source of food in the deer population around your local area will have a large effect on the flavor of your venison.

    Deer that have to work harder for sustenance can have a tougher texture, due to more developed muscles and tendons, than deer populations that have plentiful food sources.

    Deer taken in a flat topography will ultimately be more tender. These deer generally feed on corn, beans and fruits and will have less gamey taste.

    Deer taken in areas, where there are lots of mountains and woods have a tougher texture, the gamey flavor comes mostly because they eat acorns and evergreens.

    As a result, tougher deer may need special treatment sometimes, to remove the gamey taste and/ or tougher texture.

    How to Remove Gamey Taste From Deer Meat

    Because of the low fat content of deer meat, special care must be taken to ensure that the venison does not dry out and the flavor is not gamey.

    Some things that we already discussed above will minimize the gaminess of certain game species.

    • Proper cleaning and butchering
    • Soaking meat to remove gaminess. This is a highly disputed topic among hunters. Many hunters swear by soaking the meat prior to packaging and freezing. Some of the most common soaking ingredients include;
      • milk
      • buttermilk
      • vinegar
      • salt water
      • lemon juice
    • Proper freezing. Vacuum packaging works the best, but freezer paper can be used as well as commercial freezer bags. Make sure to eliminate as much air from them as possible.
    • Proper cooking, more on that below.
    • Marinating venison. More below.

    General Rules for Cooking all Types of Venison

    • Always use a good quality meat thermometer and test for doneness.
    • Deer meat is best cooked to medium-rare. Do not cook over 135°F, except when slow cooking deer meat
    • Practice safe raw food handling procedures! ie: process properly, freeze immediately, thaw under refrigeration.
    • Let meat come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, especially when quick cooking, such as baking, pan frying or grilling..
    • Tenderizing cuts from larger deer with a meat mallet can help. In particular, loin and tender roast cuts.
    18 Beginner Venison Recipes

    Quick Cooking Deer Meat

    It is especially true that different techniques must be used when quick cooking the meat. When making kebabs, stir fries and sandwiches, the best way to ensure tender, great tasting meat is to soak or marinate the meat.

    Milk, buttermilk, vinegars and vinegar/ oil based marinades all work well for this. Salt is also a good tenderizer, when applied hours or a days prior to cooking. This Venison Teriyaki is a good example. Marinate in refrigerator, if marinating longer than 30 minutes.

    Dishes like burgers, meatloaf, meatballs and other fast cooking recipes require added fat. This is because of the low fat content in the meat.

    Types of Fat to Choose

    • pork fat
    • bacon
    • beef fat, our favorite for burgers, we use steak trimmings from our local butcher
    • butter or oil added to meat
    • cheeses

    How Much Fat to Use

    Obviously, the more fat you use, the less healthy the meat becomes. For ground recipes, we use a mixture of 80% venison and 20% steak fat. That is the percentage that gives burgers and meatballs the perfect texture and flavor, while still being able to taste the venison and maintaining as much of the healthy aspect as we can.

    Make sure both the fat and the deer meat are ice cold before grinding. It is also beneficial to freeze the grinder attachments and sausage stuffers. This way you avoid most of the bad pathogens that can infect the meat, when it warms up.
    We usually freeze the meat for an hour or two, so that it is ice cold.

    Work quickly when grinding meat and wear clean, food safe gloves. Once meat is ground, refrigerate or freeze immediately.

    **Pro Tip** Only grind enough meat for a few servings. Ground meat tends to freezer burn faster than large chunks. When processing the deer, save any meat that is destined to be ground in separate bags labelled as such. Then grind as needed throughout the year. The meat will have a better flavor, ultimately.

    List of ingredients commonly used for cooking deer meat

    • onions, shallots, scallions, leeks
    • tomatoes
    • carrots
    • potatoes
    • garlic
    • blackberries
    • green beans
    • peas
    • celery
    • red wine
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • spices and herbs, including;
      • cloves
      • juniper berries
      • cinnamon
      • bay leaf
      • cumin
      • coriander
      • chili powder
      • paprika
    Red Dutch oven filled with venison sausage casserole
    Low Fat Venison Sausage Casserole

    How to Cook Venison, Ground Venison Recipes

    When you grind your venison you open up so many possibilties! Meatballs, burgers, chilies, casseroles, venison sausages and more.

    Mix deer meat with fat at your preferred ratio, using recommendations above. Add any flavorings that you prefer.

    Handle the meat as little as possible to maintain the texture and not make the meat tough. The addition of raw eggs or milk/ buttermilk can help with burger that tends to be dry. Also adding cheese to the meat will increase the juiciness of the ground meat.

    Spices to Use for Burgers, Meatballs, Sausages

    • garlic
    • oregano
    • Italian Seasoning
    • basil
    • parsley
    • coriander
    • cumin
    • paprika
    • hot pepper
    • thyme
    • rosemary
    • fennel
    • pepper
    • salt

    Here are some delicious recipes using ground deer meat.

    Venison Chorizo
    Learn how to make your own specialty sausage with venison. This Venison Chorizo Recipe is a delicious addition to your journey with venison.
    Make This
    Close up photo of venison chorizo taco.
    Venison Italian Sausage Recipe
    This Venison Italian Sausage Recipe only takes a few minutes to make so it couldn't be easier! Delicious, fresh new use for your deer.
    Make This
    3 Italian sausage on wooden cutting board.
    Venison Breakfast Sausage
    Homemade sausage is easy and you control the quality of the ingredients!
    Make This
    Whirl of venison breakfast sausage on brown paper.
    Venison Meatballs
    Venison Meatballs are an easy, low fat alternative to beef! These Venison Meatballs can be baked, or air fried to make them even healthier!
    Make This
    Spaghetti topped with venison meatballs.
    Low Fat Venison Sausage Casserole
    Low fat venison sausage casserole is an extremely tasty and easy one pot budget family meal. Made in just one hour, you’ll want to add this recipe to your quick healthy meals dinner list!
    Make This
    Indian Venison Meatballs
    These glorious Indian inspired venison meatballs are served with a masala style sauce and all cooked up in a single skillet. Get your naan breads ready!
    Make This
    Hearty Venison Chili
    This Hearty Venison Chilli (Venison Chili) is a comforting, filling chilli that will warm you up from the inside out. Made with venison, it’s lower in fat than traditional beef chilli. It is suitable for gluten-free diets.
    Make This
    Cranberry Glazed Venison Meatballs
    A sweet and tangy homemade cranberry sauce with a bit of a kick makes the perfect glaze for these Venison Meatballs. (You can use it with regular meatballs too!)
    Make This
    Venison Meatloaf
    This savory Venison Meatloaf recipe is delectably tender, perfectly seasoned, and lacquered in a rich and tangy sauce! This recipe will quickly become a favorite use of deer meat!
    Make This
    Italian Stuffed Meatloaf
    Our Italian venison meatloaf version goes a little further by stuffing the loaf with mozzarella cheese filling that melts smooth and creamy. A comfort food that will become a family favorite
    Make This
    Spicy Baked Venison Meatloaf
    By adding a bit of hot Italian sausage to the ground venison, you’ll not only increase the flavor of the baked meatball but you’ll render them amazingly moist and tender.
    Make This
    Closeup of venison recipe - Venison burger with peaches and blue cheese showing under towering bun
    Venison Burger with Peaches and Blue Cheese

    How to Cook Venison, Burgers

    See all of the notes in the above section for ground venison recipes. They all pertain to burgers, as well.

    Do NOT overcook!! Cooking venison burgers to well done, or even medium well, is a recipe for disaster. If you prefer your meat not to be pink in the middle, cook until medium rare, or medium (125°F- 135°F) and let rest thoroughly, at least 5 minutes. All of the pink color will drain away and you will have perfect, juicy burgers!!

    Here are some delicious burger recipes from some of the worlds’ preeminent authorities on the subject!

    Venison Burger
    Venison burger, if not cooked properly, can be dried out and tough as hockey pucks! These Venison burgers, are juicy moist and delicious! This recipe is fast and easy and utilizes a secret ingredient- steak trimmings.
    Make This
    venison cheeseburger on a Kaiser rolls with lettuce and tomato slice.
    Venison Burger with Peaches
    You can’t beat a good grilled burger, but there is life beyond beef. This venison burger is topped with gin cooked peaches and blue cheese!
    Make This
    Freddy’s Epic Bacon & Chipotle Venison Burgers
    These epic venison burgers are perfect for summer grilling or kitchen grilling (when it’s just too cold to go outside and turn on the grill).
    Make This
    How to Make Venison Burgers
    Learning how to make venison burgers is not only simple and easy, grinding your own meat is more cost-effective than paying a butcher!
    Make This
    colorful venison kebabs on a gray board
    Venison Kebabs

    Grilled Venison Recipes

    Grilling Venison is another quick cooking technique that may require marinating or the addition of added fats. You have to save some venison to cook on the grill in the summer! I know it’s difficult, but take my word for it, save some! It is so delicious. Yum.

    Venison Steak Kabobs
    These Venison Steak Kabobs are great for Father’s Day! 
    Make This
    Venison with colorful vegetables on kebab skewers.
    Grilled Venison Backstrap
    The grill adds a wonderful smoky flavor to this delicious deer roast. Grilled venison backstraps only take a few minutes to come together too!
    Make This
    Close up of sliced venison backstrap.
    Venison Kebabs
    I decided to brighten up the atmosphere of my kitchen by cooking these vibrant venison kebabs. It’s a recipe you can keep in mind for the summer as well, but it also works as an “indoor” dish
    Make This
    Grilled Tenderloin
    This cut of meat is very lean. The hickory-smoked bacon wrap is important because it gives the tenderloin just the right amount of fat and salt. Before wrapping with bacon though, we first marinate it.
    Make This
    Grilled Fajita Kebabs
    Say hello to a new way to enjoy fajitas at a cookout! These Fajita Style Venison Kabobs mean no plates are required to enjoy your fajita flavors!
    Make This
    sliced venison loin with blackberry sauce on a bed of arugula
    Venison Loin with Blackberry and Wine Sauce

    How to Cook Venison, Loin, Tenderloin and Backstrap Recipes

    The loin of the deer, similar to cow or pig, are one of the most tender cuts of venison. No matter where the deer has foraged, this cut is tender and has very little fat!

    When cooking loins, such as venison backstrap, it is, again, imperative not to overcook the meat. Serve these cuts with chopped fresh herbs, sauces and marinades.

    Venison Wellington
    Venison Wellington is an easy, gourmet meal that will impress your guests! It’s made with store bought phyllo sheets, so it comes together in 20 minutes!
    Make This
    Venison Wellington on gray plate with sides.
    Chicken Fried Venison
    Another easy, delicious venison recipe! This Chicken Fried Venison is the epitome of Southern comfort food! Lightened up a bit because we use venison!
    Make This
    chicken fried venison sliced on gray plate with sides
    Venison Loin Parmigiana
    Cook once and eat twice! Words to live by! This Venison Loin Parmigiana is tender, juicy and delicious!
    Make This
    Venison parmigiana on a fork with spaghetti.
    Venison with Blackberry Sauce
    This Venison with Blackberry Sauce is elegant enough for company but easy enough for any weeknight dinner! Venison with Blackberry Sauce is also one of the most delicious recipes in my repitoire of Venison Recipes!
    Make This
    Venison with blackberry sauce on a bed of arugula.
    Roasted Venison Loin
    Roasted venison loin with a balsamic pan sauce. It is simple, elegant, and damn tasty.
    Make This
    Grilled Antelope/ Venison Tenderloin
    This cut of meat is very lean. The hickory-smoked bacon wrap is important because it gives the tenderloin just the right amount of fat and salt. Before wrapping with bacon though, we first marinate it.
    Make This
    Italian Venison Wellington
    This is the ultimate elegant holiday dish that you assemble ahead so you can enjoy celebrating with your friends and family.
    Make This
    white bowl filled with colorful venison stew topped with homemade biscuit
    The Best Venison Stew Ever

    How to Cook Venison – Slow Cooking

    Venison Stews are maybe the ultimate in Fall comfort foods. Slow cooked and braised recipes lend themselves well to deer meat.

    Less fat is required, because they cook for a longer period of time, and they become fork tender! Some of the tougher roasts from the back legs can be used for these dishes.

    Braised Venison Shanks
    Venison Shanks are an underutilized cut of the deer. When slow braised, these shanks are tender, flavorful and juicy. Also known as ossobucco.
    Make This
    Venison shank with gravy on white plate with sides.
    Venison in the Slow cooker – Carnitas
    Venison Carnitas are delicious and so easy! The meat stays moist, tender and never tough when cooked in your slow cooker!
    Make This
    Two enchiladas on white plate with casserole in background.
    Slow Cooker Corned Venison Recipe
    This Slow Cooker Corned Venison Recipe is so easy! Tender and juicy with a usually tough piece of the deer!
    Make This
    Slices of corned venison on bamboo cutting board.
    Venison Stew, slow cooker or stovetop
    This Venison Stew is so easy! It’s so much healthier than beef, and has just as much flavor. The venison in this Venison Stew is neither gamey, nor tough. It is melt in your mouth tender, in the slow cooker or on the stove!
    Make This
    Venison stew in blue bowl.
    Venison Enchiladas
    These Venison Enchiladas are one of our favorite ways to enjoy venison! The venison is slow cooked so it is tender and juicy every time!
    Make This
    Two venison enchiladas on gray plate.
    Slow Cooker Venison Carnitas Tacos or Tostadas
    This is another easy way to prepare some of the leg roasts of venison that tend to be tough!
    Make This
    Taco on gray background.
    Venison Neck Roast
    The Venison Neck Roast is not a cut that we saved years ago. I am not sure why, because when it is cooked properly, the Venison Neck Roast is one of the more tender cuts of the deer.
    Make This
    Venison neck roast in a stew with bread garnish.
    Reuben Dip
    This super easy Reuben dip only has 4 ingredients! Only those ingredients contained in a traditional sandwich! Perfect for St. Patty’s Day or any party!
    Make This
    Reuben dip in rye bread bowl
    Reuben Sandwiches on YouTube!
    The king of all grilled sandwiches! Made with corned beef or venison and topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and 1000 Island dressing!
    Make This
    Stacked Reuben sandwiches on black plate.
    7 ingredient Venison Stew
    Need an easy weeknight supper? Then look no further than this 7 ingredient slow cooker venison stew from pantry staples. Comforting, filling and over-the-top delicious.
    Make This
    The Best Venison Stew Ever
    Perfectly seasoned tender meat with hearty carrots, potatoes, celery and onions….this stew recipe is the ultimate comfort food.
    Make This
    Slow Cooker Venison and Bean Stew
    Need something warming, nutritious and comforting to eat that is not too much trouble to make either? Then make this Venison Slow Cooker Stew. Suitable for Gluten-free diets.
    Make This
    Venison Stew with Champ
    Wild meat is a real treat and this warming venison stew with mushrooms matched with an Irish champ is an Autumnal treat to keep you warm.
    Make This

    Venison Chilies

    closeup chunky venison chili topped with scallions slices. and cheese
    Chunky Venison Chili

    Venison Chilies are the other category that are the epitome of comfort food. Spicy, hearty, one-pot meals.

    Chunky Venison Chili – Slow Cooker Version
    Chunky venison chili only takes a few minutes to put together but it slow cooks for 2 days! So tender, you won’t believe it’s venison!
    Make This
    Chunky venison chili in white bowl with black trim.
    Hearty Venison Chili
    This Hearty Venison Chilli (Venison Chili) is a comforting, filling chilli that will warm you up from the inside out. Made with venison, it’s lower in fat than traditional beef chilli.
    Make This
    Spicy 3 Bean Venison Chili
    But the star of this rich, red venison chili is not the beans. It is the venison. Tender and lean chunks of last year’s deer slow simmered in chili spices.
    Make This
    Venison Chili
    This classic thick and hearty Venison Chili recipe will warm you to your soul. As an equally passionate hunter and cook, I hope you find this recipe worthy of the effort required to secure the meat.
    Make This
    overhead photo of venison on pewter dish sitting on top red berry sauce
    Venison Steak with Port and Red Berry Sauce

    Venison Steaks and Roasts

    I usually save most of our back legs roasts whole and freeze them. The meat has less of a tendency to freezer burn. Here is where there is huge opportunity to get creative. There is a ton of creativity in the recipes below.

    Venison Roast
    Learn how to cook a Venison Roast in the Instant Pot, Crockpot or stovetop. An easy, delicious winter meal. Perfect comfort food!
    Make This
    Whole venison roast with vegetables on white platter.
    Venison Shepherd’s Pie
    This Venison Shepherd's Pie is the perfect comfort food to make to celebrate St. Patrick's day or any cold winter day!
    Make This
    3 individual shepherd's pie on wood slab.
    Chicken Fried Venison
    Another easy, delicious venison recipe! This Chicken Fried Venison is the epitome of Southern comfort food! Lightened up a bit because we use venison!
    Make This
    chicken fried venison sliced on gray plate with sides
    Steak Taquitos
    These Steak and Chorizo Taquitos couldn't be easier and require just a few ingredients. They can be made with any steak or roast you have.
    Make This
    Woman's hand dunking taquitos in salsa.
    Venison Steak with Port and Red Berry Sauce
    Venison steak is super lean and cooks very quickly – this impressive dish can be on the table in 20 minutes or less! Serve with a green salad or mashed potatoes and steamed spinach.
    Make This
    Venison Marsala
    Venison Marsala is a deep and flavorful recipe that provides a unique way to use your venison steak. (But it would work just as well with beef!)
    Make This
    Deep Filled Venison Pie with Cherries
    There’s not much I like about this time of year. It’s getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and I am full of man flu! But, there is a silver lining and that’s seasonal comfort food. I give you venison pie, packed with deep, rich flavours and chunky meat, perfect for evenings in, in front of a roaring fire!
    Make This
    Venison Steak and Blackberry Sauce
    Fancy a memorable dinner for the holidays to come? Look no further than this venison steak with blackberry sauce. This dish is delicious and is perfect for when you have guests or family over. With its beautiful umami flavours paired with a creamy mash and blackberry sauce, this recipe will definitely impress.
    Make This
    Beer Braised Venison Roast
    Braising is the perfect technique for cooking venison roast, and this Beer Braised Venison Roast recipe brings a German flair and intense flavor that are destine to be a family favorite.
    Make This
    Venison Steak Gyros
    Venison steak (or beef) is sliced thin, marinated, and piled on flatbread to create these Venison Gyros, a easy twist on the classic Greek street food.
    Make This
    Venison Mole Rojo
    This is an easy recipe for a classic red mole sauce that we’ve paired with strips of venison steak.
    Make This
    Grilled Marinated Venison Steak
    Grilled Marinated Venison Steak is a low-calorie nutritional meat that is very tender and tasty with proper preparation.
    Make This
    Juniper berry Crusted Venison
    Our Juniper Crusted Venison Tenderloin recipe brings a deep, peppery heat together with the bright, rustic flavors of juniper. Top it all off with a red wine and mushroom gravy, and you have yourself one elegant dinner./
    Make This
    Venison Bourguignon
    Running out of ideas for deer meat recipes? This venison recipe is a Southern remake of Julia Child’s most famous dish — bourguignon. It’s rich and hearty and perfect for a chilly winter night.
    Make This
    Country Fried Steak
    Chicken Fried Venison Steak makes this traditional Southern dish leaner, but just as comforting. Don’t have venison? Our recipe works just as well with beef Read more at Curious Cuisiniere: Chicken Fried Venison Steak https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/country-fried-steak/
    Make This
    Slow Cooker Corned Venison Recipe
    This Slow Cooker Corned Venison Recipe is so easy! Tender and juicy with a usually tough piece of the deer!
    Make This
    Slices of corned venison on bamboo cutting board.
    Reuben Sandwiches on YouTube!
    The king of all grilled sandwiches! Made with corned beef or venison and topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and 1000 Island dressing!
    Make This
    Stacked Reuben sandwiches on black plate.
    Venison Loin Parmigiana
    Cook once and eat twice! Words to live by! This Venison Loin Parmigiana is tender, juicy and delicious!
    Make This
    Venison parmigiana on a fork with spaghetti.
    Slow Cooker Venison Carnitas Tacos or Tostadas
    This is another easy way to prepare some of the leg roasts of venison that tend to be tough!
    Make This
    Taco on gray background.

    Smoking deer meat

    Deer meat can actually be slow smoked in your smoker, grill or oven. This is another great technique to make some of the less tender cuts (like the brisket) delicious and tender.

    Venison Brisket
    Venison brisket can be one of the toughest cuts on the deer. Learn how to prepare it so that it comes out tender and juicy every time!
    Make This
    Sliced venison brisket on cutting board.
    Brisket tacos
    Brisket tacos are the perfect way to use up your leftover brisket. Learn about making these tacos so that your brisket stays nice and moist.
    Make This
    Overhead shot of colorful brisket tacos.

    Venison Recipes – Other Venison Recipes

    venison jerky scattered on white board
    Basic Venison Jerky

    Venison Jerky is one of the first recipes that many hunters learn. It is easy and can be done in the oven, in a smoker or in a commercial dehydrator. It is one of the first ways that I learned to cook venison (that I actually liked! My, how times change! 😂)

    Deer Jerky – How to make venison jerky
    One of the first recipes many new hunters make has to be jerky. Deer jerky is easy, delicious and a perfect on-the-go snack. Learn how to make venison jerky with the easy step by step recipe.
    Make This
    Woodland scene with venison jerky in a canning jar.
    Basic Venison Jerky
    Need a good jerky recipe? Here’s how to make deer jerky at home in the oven or dehydrator. But, you can use beef or other meat instead./
    Make This

    Canning Venison

    Venison lends itself well to canning. The meat gets very tender and you can create hundreds of quick meals with a can of venison. You can also can bone broth for extra flavor in soups and stews.

    Canning Deer Meat
    Canning deer meat at home is incredibly easy and the flavor just can’t be beat! You can simply raw pack venison with only two ingredients.
    Make This
    Close up of canned deer meat in a pint jar.
    Venison Bone Broth | Venison Stock
    This venison bone broth or venison stock is so easy. It's the key to making delicious soups and stews with deer meat. Limits waste as well!
    Make This
    Clarified venison stock in jars

    Sourcing Venison for Non-hunters

    More and more high end butcher shops and grocers are carrying venison these days. With the demand for grass fed and non GMO foods, venison is a good alternative to beef and other traditional meat proteins.

    Many states will not allow the sale of wild deer meat to protect the populations. There are many farms raising venison now. So it is becoming slightly easier to source. If all else fails, there are some reputable online merchants, who ship it frozen to you.

    Online Sources For Venison

    Contains affiliate links, for full disclosure, see FTC Disclosure, here.

    • Ground Venison
    • Whole Tenderloin
    • Osso Bucco Fore Shank
    • Osso Bucco Hind Shank
    • Stew Meat
    • Venison Flank Steak
    • Venison Medallions

    Summary

    Venison is a low fat, all natural, organic alternative to purchasing beef, pork, lamb, or other land mammals. Venison has been eaten since paleo times and can be cooked in a variety of ways, with numerous methods!

    Don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter, so that you don’t miss any new recipes! Only 1 email per week, on Fridays! Sign up form is below!

    If you have any questions about cooking your venison, let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear from you and will help where I can!


    Also, don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!

    Enjoy! And have fun cooking!

    Xoxo,

    Binky’s Signature

    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something, at no additional cost to you. See FTC Disclosure, here.

    Originally published 8/5/2019 Updated with new content 4/19/22.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah Holt

      October 13, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      So many amazing recipes! Also, this is so informative, really enjoyed reading it.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 13, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        Thanks Sarah! I appreciate that and hope that it helps!

        Reply
    2. Luci

      October 13, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      So many delicious recipes! I have never cooked venison before, but everything looks delicious! I think I’ll start with those Venison Meatballs! They look so tasty and filling!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 13, 2020 at 1:21 pm

        They are some of our favorite! Thanks Luci! Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    3. Noelle Simpson

      October 13, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      This was the perfect guide! So many great tips that I can’t wait to try out 🙂

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 13, 2020 at 1:21 pm

        Glad it’s helpful for you! Thanks Noelle!

        Reply
    4. Erica Schwarz

      October 13, 2020 at 12:42 pm

      So many recipes I had no idea you could do so much with venison.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 13, 2020 at 1:20 pm

        The possibilities are pretty much endless!

        Reply
    5. Jill

      October 13, 2020 at 12:21 pm

      Thank you for this comprehensive guide. That burger and breakfast sandwich look particularly mouth-watering!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 13, 2020 at 1:19 pm

        Thank you Jill! I’m glad it’s useful to you.

        Reply
    6. Tisha

      October 04, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      Venison is delicious if done correctly! I love this guide and sooo many recipes!!! Great share thanks!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 04, 2019 at 12:23 pm

        Agreed! Glad you found the article, Tisha! Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    7. Denay DeGuzman

      October 04, 2019 at 11:58 am

      Wow! These recipes look incredibly flavorful! I will make my way down the list and try every single one!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 04, 2019 at 12:23 pm

        Haha! Thanks Denay! You will be a busy woman!

        Reply
    8. Mindy Fewless

      October 04, 2019 at 11:14 am

      What an amazing list you’ve compiled!! THANK YOU!!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 04, 2019 at 12:21 pm

        Thanks Mindy! I appreciate you taking the time to comment!

        Reply
    9. Jill

      October 04, 2019 at 10:51 am

      This is such an informative post. I know a lot of people who hunt deer so I will be sure to share this with them.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        October 04, 2019 at 12:21 pm

        Thanks Jill! I would appreciate that!

        Reply
        • Sonia

          October 04, 2019 at 1:53 pm

          Oh. Y goodness! So many amazing recipes to choose from! Saving it for later.

          Reply
          • Beth Neels

            October 05, 2019 at 4:49 pm

            Yes, there are a ton of delicious recipes here! Thanks Sonia!

            Reply

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    Welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I am Beth "Binky" Neels, wife, mother of 2 boys and 3 dogs! I will impart tips and tricks I have learned over the years, to make cooking easier and fun for you!

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    photo of Beth Neels aka Binky

    Welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I am Beth "Binky" Neels, wife, mother of 2 boys and 3 dogs! I will impart tips and tricks I have learned over the years, to make cooking easier and fun for you!

    More about me →

    Subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss a recipe

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