Venison with Blackberry Sauce

This Venison with Blackberry Sauce is elegant enough for company but simple enough for a weeknight dinner. The rich berry sauce brings out the best in the lean meat, pairing beautifully with roasted or pureed vegetables.

Pin

Protecting Your Venison From Freezer Burn

Vacuum sealing is a better option than freezer bags or freezer paper because it removes all of the air from the bag. If you’re storing venison for future use, proper vacuum sealing makes a huge difference. Here’s a quick refresher:

• Cut your vacuum seal roll to fit the meat portion.
• Seal one end, then place your venison inside.
• Use your vacuum system to remove all the air and seal the bag.
• Label with the contents and date using a permanent marker.

Thanks to vacuum sealing, venison stays in excellent condition even after months in the freezer, with no freezer burn in sight.

The vacuum sealer is also great for speeding up the marinating process. This venison only needs to marinate for about 10 minutes, instead of the hours it would usually take. I can take an entire loin for a crowd or just a few slices for the family, as the bags can be cut to whatever length I need to accommodate my portions.

What you Need

• Shallots: Add a mild onion flavor to the meat.
• Garlic: Adds that signature umami.
• Dry red wine: Use a decent, drinkable red wine. It doesn’t need to be expensive; just something you would drink.
• Venison or vegetable stock: I make both stocks to store in my pantry or freezer. Venison will be impossible to find at a grocery store, but vegetable stock is readily available.
• Whole black peppercorns: These will add that spicy pepper bite.
• Juniper berries: Juniper berries pair beautifully with venison.
• Kosher salt: Salt will boost the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Blackberry jam: Adds a sweet note to the meat, and blackberries pair very well with venison.
• Demi-glace: This is a rich, deeply concentrated sauce made by slowly reducing brown stock (usually veal or beef) with aromatics and wine until it becomes thick, glossy, and intensely flavorful. It “finishes” this sauce. Find it at higher-end grocers, usually in the meat department or online.
• Fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary: The herbs add an earthy, aromatic depth to the sauce.

How to Make the Marinade

How to Marinate the Venison

Finishing the Marinated Venison with Blackberry Sauce

Sear all sides over medium-high heat in a cast-iron pan or on the grill, using a bit of high-temperature oil. Once seared on all sides. Check internal temperature.

We take the venison out at between 125-130°F. Then, tent the meat with foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

If you are using a very large backstrap, the meat can be finished in the oven at 350°F. Keep a close eye on the temperature. Venison does not fare well when overcooked.

Reheat the reserved marinade in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat. Let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes. This reduction becomes your sauce. If you’d like a thicker sauce, finish it with a cornstarch slurry (two tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with water and added to the sauce.) After adding the cornstarch, stir it until it thickens.

We used venison from last year for this Venison with Blackberry Sauce. It remains perfect, with no freezer burn, thanks to our vacuum sealer. Try that with freezer paper.

Pin

This Venison with Blackberry Sauce is tender, juicy and delicious. The blackberries really add another dimension to the flavor profile.

Serving Suggestions

This dish pairs beautifully with sweet potato puree, parsnip mash, or roasted root vegetables. We served ours with broccoli for a pop of green and fresh blackberries as garnish.

Venison is significantly healthier for you than beef. It has half of the calories and a small fraction of the fat, as reported in Outdoor Life.

What to do With Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Place leftovers in storage containers or bags and consume within 3 days.

Although you can freeze the leftovers for a couple of months, it’s best to use it fresh. The meat will overcook if you try to reheat it. If you want to use it cold, then go ahead and freeze it to go on salads and sandwiches.

More Venison Recipes

• Venison Shepherd’s Pie
• Venison Burger
• Deer Heart
• Venison Summer Sausage
• Venison Meatballs
• Venison Stroganoff

Helpful Tools

• vacuum sealed bags
• vacuum sealed bags
• extra large bamboo cutting board
• chef’s knife

Pin

I hope you enjoyed the recipe today for Venison with Blackberry Sauce.

Want to learn more about How to Cook Venison? Don’t miss our awesome, Ultimate Guide. Complete with 65 FREE Recipes from some of the top venison recipe developers in the world.

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 September 24, 2018. Updated June 19, 2025.

• Recipe Name: Venison with Blackberry Sauce
• Type: Main Course, entree
• Main Ingredients: Venison loin, blackberry jam, red wine, shallots, garlic, demi-glace, fresh herbs
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Marinade Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Servings: 8
• Cuisine: American
• Cooking Method: Searing and reduction
• Special Notes: Quick marinade using vacuum sealer; sauce can be made ahead and reheated