Venison recipes

Venison is a healthy and delicious source of protein and can be used in place of beef in most recipes.

Always cook ground venison to 160 °F (71 °C).
Read more about best practices for wild game processing and preparation.

Cheesy venison meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 egg
• ½ cup breadcrumbs (any style)
• ½ cup shredded cheese (any kind)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Optional ingredients 

• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (for cheddar jalapeno meatloaf)
• Meatloaf glaze: ¼ cup of ketchup, white vinegar, and brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix with hands or a kitchen utensil until everything is evenly distributed.
3. Coat the inside of a loaf pan (8.5”x4.5”x2.5” aluminum, ceramic or glass pan) with non-stick spray, butter, or other cooking oil to prevent the meatloaf from sticking to the pan.
4. Add the meatloaf mixture from the mixing bowl into the loaf pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 1 hour. Use a food thermometer to confirm internal temperature is at least 160 °F.
6. If you want to glaze the meatloaf, pull the loaf out of the oven at 40 minutes and spread a thin layer of ketchup mixed with brown sugar and white vinegar on the top of the loaf. Bake for another 20 minutes. 
7. Remove from oven at 1 hour and let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. 
8. Serve slices with your favorite side dishes or as a sandwich using your bread or roll of choice. Enjoy! 

Venison gravy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add ground venison, diced onion, minced garlic, and butter to a large skillet on medium high heat.  
2. Cook the meat until it’s browned, around 5 – 7 minutes, and add Worcestershire sauce. 
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle flour over the cooked meat mixture.  Stir in the flour until it evenly coats the meat and absorbs the liquid in the pan.
4. Bring skillet back onto the stove on medium heat. Add half the milk and stir constantly.
5. Once the gravy and meat mixture thicken, add the rest of the milk and bring to a simmer and cook until you reach your preferred consistency.
6. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the venison gravy over rice, mashed potatoes, sauteed vegetables, pasta, egg noodles, toast, and more. Enjoy! 

Venison smash burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Butter or cooking oil
• Sliced cheese (any kind)
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder 
• Burger buns or bread
• Burger fixings (condiments, pickles, tomato, lettuce, etc.)

Directions

1. Separate the ground venison into 6-8 equal sized pieces and roll into balls (ping pong to golf ball sized). Set aside.
2. Cut the onion in half. Thinly slice each half of the onion.
3. Heat a large pan over medium-high to high heat. Place cooking oil or butter in 2-3 different spots in the pan, depending on available space.
4. In each butter or oil spot, add a pinch of sliced onions to begin browning in the pan.
5. Add one ball of ground venison to each spot with onions.
6. Using a spatula, ‘smash’ each ball of ground venison into the onion mixture and flatten as thin as possible.
7. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the top of the smashed burger patty.
8. After 2-3 minutes, flip the burger so the onions are on top and you are searing the uncooked side of the patty.
9. After a minute, place a slice of cheese on top of the patty.
10. Once the cheese melts, remove from the pan and serve on a bun with your preferred fixings.
11. Repeat the process until all the ground venison balls have been cooked. Enjoy! 

Pasta with venison meat sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 lb. pasta
• 1 - 2 jars of red pasta sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven, bring pasta sauce to a simmer over medium heat.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground venison, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is well browned, around 5 –7 minutes.
3. Add the meat mixture to the pasta sauce and simmer in the sauce for 30 minutes.
4. While the sauce and meat are simmering, boil water and cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and add the pasta to the meat sauce and stir to combine.
5. Serve as-is or with freshly shaved or grated parmesan cheese over the top. Enjoy! 

Venison sloppy joes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• Olive oil
• 1 jar of sloppy joe sauce
• Sandwich buns

Directions

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet. Add and sauté ground venison over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain off fat.
2. Add one jar of sloppy joe sauce. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
3. Spoon onto lightly toasted sandwich buns. Enjoy! 

Venison tacos or taco salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• Soft or hard taco shells
• Preferred taco toppings (lettuce, shredded cheese, tomato, avocado, onion, hot sauce, sour cream, etc.)

Directions

1. In a large, non-stick skillet, cook ground venison over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Stir and break up the meat frequently.
2. Stir in 2/3 cups water and taco seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes until thickened.
3. Serve in soft or hard taco shells with preferred toppings. Alternatively, serve as a taco salad or as a topping for nachos. Enjoy! 

Venison meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion (white or yellow/sweet)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Optional ingredients

• 1 jar of marinara sauce
• 1 lb. pasta
• Sub rolls
• Provolone cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Combine ground venison, egg, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix well.
4. Form the meat into 1” round balls and place on baking sheet.
5. Cook for 18-20 minutes, turning the meatballs over halfway through. Use a food thermometer to confirm internal temperature is at least 160 °F.
6. Serve as-is or simmer in marinara sauce and serve over pasta with grated parmesan cheese. Alternatively, serve meatballs and sauce in a sub roll with grated parmesan or melted provolone cheese. Enjoy! 

Venison pierogi

For the dough

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 tbsp. (½ stick) softened butter

Directions

1. Mix flour and salt.
2. Stir in egg, sour cream, and butter until the dough comes together.
3. Knead and fold the dough until smooth.
4. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the filling

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 lb. chopped bacon
• 1 chopped medium onion
• 5 lb. mashed potatoes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook onions until translucent.
2. Add chopped bacon and ground venison and cook for 5–7 minutes or until fully browned.
3. Pulse meat and onion mixture through in a food processor to produce a fine uniform mixture.
4. Combine with mashed potatoes and cheddar and mix thoroughly; add salt and pepper to taste.

Filling the pierogi

1. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick.
2. Cut into rounds (from 2 to 4 inches, depending on preference).
3. Place filling in the center of the circle of dough; be careful not to overfill.
4. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal and then press with the tines of a fork.

Cooking

1. Boil a large pot of water and add pierogi.
2. Cook until they float, remove and let them dry.
3. Fry pierogi in oil or butter in a large skillet. Enjoy!