Venison is such versatile and healthy meat. It’s much leaner than beef and is a great alternative for red meat in any recipe. I’ve gathered 50 of the best venison recipes to inspire you to use this delicious meat.
Historically, “venison” meant any wild game meats, today it’s used mainly to mean the meat from antlered animals such as deer, elk, caribou and moose. It’s important to know that the meat from each of these animals will taste a little different, even though it’s all called venison.

Where to get venison
Hunting season for deer (and other antlered animals) is the late fall and winter. Each state has it’s own regulations for hunting, so before you go out and try to get your own deer (even on your own property) make sure you’re aware of and are following your state laws.
If you’re not a hunting family but know others who are, let them know that you’d be willing to take any extra venison off their hands. Sometimes hunters need to thin the deer population on their property and need to harvest more than their family needs. It’s a blessing to them when someone is willing to take the meat.
In some states, it’s possible to purchase venison from specialty butcher shops and online but most don’t allow the commercial sale venison. While Texas doesn’t allow the sale of whitetail deer meat, it does allow the sale of non-native venison that has been ranch raised.

Tips for Cooking Venison
As a general rule, venison is much leaner than beef and there are a few things to know if you’re not experienced cooking venison.
- Remove all visible fat. Much of the gamey flavor in venison is in the fat, so removing the fat will give you more mild flavor. If your making something that needs more fat, like venison sausage, add pork fat to the mix.
- Don’t overcook or cook at temperatures above 375 F. The short fibers in wild game meat will get tough. Venison is best served medium-rare with an internal temperature of about 135 degree Fahrenheit
- Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.
- Oil the meat not the pan. Brush meat with oil before putting it in the pan.
- Baste very lean cuts with fat while cooking. Covering with bacon strips acts a a self-baster.
- When stir-frying, keep the meat moving to avoid overcooking.
- After cooking let venison rest for 15 minutes to let the juices disperse evenly. Be sure to cover the meat while it rests.
- Canning is a great way to preserve venison because the meat turns out super tender once cooked under pressure. There’s a whole chapter on canning wild game in my book, Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond.
Delicious Venison Recipes
There are so many different ways of cooking venison! You'll love these delicious easy venison recipes for ground venison, venison backstrap, venison steak and much more!
Venison Preserving Recipes
Freezing isn't the only way to preserve venison. Venison is fantastic when canned and dried as jerky.
Canning Venison with the Hot Pack Method
Canning venison makes a deliciously tender shelf stable meat that will help you get dinner on the table quickly.
Canning Beef Stew for Convenience and Emergencies
Canning venison stew is a fantastic way to have shelf stable meals available year round. This is a tomato based beef stew that makes for a wonderful canned stew.
Venison Jerky
Making jerky is a great way to preserve some of your venison in ready-to-eat form. Venison jerky makes a great protein-filled snack that filling and lightweight - perfect for camping or hiking trips. This will easily become one of your favorite venison recipes.
Venison Backstrap and Tenderloin Recipes
Venison backstrap is super versatile; it can be grilled, wrapped in bacon, or even cooked in a skillet on the stovetop.
Korean Bulgogi Venison Marinade
A delicious backstrap venison marinade with a Korean flavor you’re going to love.
Grilled Venison Backstrap
An easy venison backstrap recipe marinated overnight and grilled to perfection the next day resulting in a tender, juicy and incredibly flavorful deer backstrap.
Korean BBQ Style Venison Backstrap Medallions
Korean BBQ style venison backstrap is our absolute favorite way to enjoy venison. You can also use the marinade on steaks or thinly sliced beef for a more traditional take on this bul kogi style goodness.
How to Cook Elk Backstrap
This elk or deer backstrap recipe is all you need for a tender and flavorful venison steak.
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Venison Backstrap with Honey Ginger Glaze
This Smoked Bacon Wrapped Venison Backstrap with Honey Ginger Glaze is to die for! OMG! You don’t even have to like Venison to like this recipe! So easy & delicious.
Marinated Venison Back Strap or Pork Tenderloin
This easy skillet venison backstrap dish comes together quickly and is great for a weeknight meal.
The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe
Fried deer tenderloin that may just change the way you cook deer meat forever! Tender, juicy, and delicious!
Glazed Bacon Wrapped Venison Tenderloin
This glazed bacon wrapped venison tenderloin is a simple recipe that turns this tender cut of meat into a sweet and savory tender cut of meat.
Smoked Venison Tenderloin (Deer Tenderloin)
This smoked venison tenderloin will become a favorite recipe for cooking wild meat. Two venison tenderloins are tied together, soaked in a fresh marinade and smoked to a perfect medium. The simple marinade helps to seal in moisture and create a flavorful crust.
Venison Roast and Steak Recipes
Slow cooker venison roast or on the grill you can't go wrong with venison roasts and steaks.
Venison Swiss Steak
Venison Swiss Steak makes a hearty winter meal and is really great served with mashed potatoes.
Roasted Rack of Venison: An Easy And Elegant Venison Main Course Meal!
This roasted rack of venison recipe is a flavorful and elegant main course meal perfect for weeknight dinners or any special occasion! Two racks of venison are seasoned with salt & black pepper, seared in a cast iron skillet, then finished in the oven. This tender venison rib roast is the perfect way to impress your family!
Best Smoked Venison Roast Recipe
If you love smoked meat, you will love this recipe for Smoked Venison Roast! This recipe is simple and easy to follow, and it will yield some of the most delicious smoked deer meat you have ever tasted!
Easy Instant Pot Venison Roast (One-Pot Recipe)
This Instant Pot Venison Roast recipe is perfect for cold winter days. This hearty roast is cooked with onions, potatoes, and carrots for a complete, comforting meal with fall-apart-tender meat that melts in your mouth.
Instant Pot Venison Roast
This easy Instant Pot venison roast is cooked with potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms for a comforting winter meal. Pressure cooking the meat results in a tender, pull apart texture that sits in a delicious red wine balsamic sauce.
Dutch Oven Venison Roast Recipe
This delicious venison roast recipe makes the perfect one-pot meal that the whole family loves. Serve fall-apart tender venison with this great recipe!
Deer Steak Recipe - On the Stovetop
There are many deer steak recipes, but this quick & flawless recipe using browned butter, salt & pepper in a skillet, is great!
Venison Osso Buco Recipe (Braised Venison Shanks)
This venison osso buco recipe uses venison shanks to make a tender, delicious meal! Serve over risotto, rice, or mashed potatoes and with braised vegetables for a tasty meal. As with so many tomato dishes, this osso buco tastes great the next day too! You can also freeze for later use. This is a wonderful make-ahead venison dish.
Pappardelle pasta with venison ragu from Trentino-Alto Adige
This rich slow-cooked venison ragu with pasta recipe from North-Eastern Italy is perfect for special occasions and cold winter nights.
Easy Grilled Venison Steak Recipe
There aren't many foods better than these easy-grilled venison steaks. This venison recipe is full of great flavors while remaining one of the best comfort food classics.
Grilled Venison Chops
Grilled Venison Chops are seasoned with a quick dry rub and grilled with hardwood smoke for the most tender and delicious venison steaks on the grill.
Venison Stew Recipes
Venison is most tender when it's cooked low and slow, which makes it a great stew addition. Just add a loaf of crusty bread and you'll have a classic comfort food for cold nights.
Venison Lentil Stew (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
This venison lentil stew is made with ground deer meat, red lentils, tomatoes and spinach. Make it in the Instant Pot, slow cooker or stovetop!
Venison Stew
This Venison Stew is a hearty recipe with tender chunks of meat simmered in a rich broth with potatoes and veggies. It's a flavorful dish that warms you up, ideal for cozy evenings or get-togethers. Stovetop and slow cooker instructions.
Slow Cooker Paleo Venison Stew
This Slow Cooker Paleo Venison Stew is super hearty, healthy & delicious! Especially perfect for a cold rainy day. Prep it in the morning & it will be done by dinner time.
Northern Hearty Venison Stew Recipe
This hearty northern venison stew recipe uses juniper, maple syrup and sage for a unique and delicious recipe.
The Best Venison Stew Recipe
Full of hearty ingredients and rich flavor, this easy deer recipe is sure to become a family favorite, add it to your weekly meal planning today!
Venison Bone Broth
Venison bone broth made with deer bones, a delicious base for making soups, stews or sauces. Easy to make on the stovetop or in a crockpot. (If you live in an area with Chronic Wasting Disease, don't use the bones to make broth)
Instant Pot Venison Chili
This is a rustic, stick-to-your-bones meal packed with protein and fiber. It’s made in a crockpot with lean ground venison, three types of beans, veggies, and smoky chili seasonings. Instant Pot and stovetop instructions included.
Ground Venison Recipes
Ground venison is super versatile, you can make anything from tasty burgers to delicious stroganoff with it.
Venison Queso
Based on the classic Rotel dip, Venison Queso is the ultimate appetizer for game day, cookouts or any gathering with friends.
Venison Koftas With Yoghurt Flatbread
Venison koftas & yoghurt dressing, wrapped in a flatbread. A delicious, crowd pleasing venison mince recipe.
Juicy Oven-Baked Venison Burgers Recipe
Mouthwatering, juicy Venison burgers without added fat! Make lean delicious venison burgers in less than a half hour.
Venison Pie (Deer Pie)
This easy venison pie recipe is richly flavoured with bacon and mushrooms. Wrapped up in crisp and golden short crust pastry a slice of this deer pie at suppertime is hard to resist.
Mediterranean Venison Meatballs
Made with the fresh flavors of kalamata olives, fresh herbs, and nutritious venison, these Mediterranean venison meatballs are the perfect high-protein snack, appetizer, or main course.
Venison Meatloaf
Grilled Venison Meatloaf is a comforting meal and the perfect dinner to enjoy ground venison from your freezer. Smoky grilled meatloaf is a fun spin on classic meatloaf that your family will love!
Venison Tacos
Taco Tuesday just got better! These venison tacos are made with ground venison or elk meat and piled with your favorite toppings into a crunchy taco shell or a soft corn tortilla.
These delicious tacos can be ready in under 30 minutes!
Venison Chili with Beer
This venison chili is made with ground deer meat, peppers, tomatoes, beans and beer. Make it with an Instant Pot, slow cooker or stovetop!
Venison Chili – Slow Cooker + Stovetop Directions
This Venison Chili is hearty, easy and perfectly spiced. It’s a basic chili but with ground venison making it leaner and healthier. It can be made on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Ground beef can also be used.
Hamburger Helper From Scratch
This hamburger helper from scratch is a quick, healthy meal for when you’re in a rush! Made with ground venison or extra lean ground beef, veggies, whole wheat pasta and a mix of spices make this comforting classic a healthy, from scratch meal!
Venison Chili
Traditional chili has tomatoes, beans, seasonings, and ground beef - however, this chili has a nice spin on it. We're going to be making this chili with venison!
Juicy Venison Burgers
Shake up your regular burger routine and make tasty and lean venison burgers on the stovetop or grill. Suitable for low carb, keto, paleo, and gluten free diets.
Hearty Venison Chili
This Hearty Venison Chili is a comforting, warming filling chili. Made with venison, it’s lower in fat than traditional beef chili. Instant Pot version and a Slow Cooker version included!
Venison Tacos - Easy Ground Venison Recipe - Low Carb Keto Gluten-Free
Ground Venison Tacos have great taste, are easy to make, and are the perfect intro to ground venison for a venison newbie!
Venison Meatballs with Bourbon Cream Sauce - Keto Low Carb Gluten-Free
Venison meatballs with bourbon cream sauce sound fancy but are easy to make and are delicious!
Venison Meatballs in a Yoghurt Curry Sauce
Venison meatballs loaded with Indian flavors are served in an easy yoghurt-based curry sauce that complements the rich meat in the kofta.
Venison Burgers with Blue Cheese
Juicy venison burgers topped with gin cooked peaches, blue cheese and basil make for the perfect gourmet burger.
Ultra Juicy Venison Burgers
These tender venison patties are seasoned with a simple yet flavorful spice mixture and piled on a buttery brioche bun with your favorite toppings.
The Ultimate Venison Chili
Loaded with tender chunks of deer meat, pinto beans and your favorite toppings in every bite, this hearty chili comes with just the right touch of spicy heat to keep you and your guests feeling perfectly cozy.
Ultimate Venison Burgers | Quick + Easy Deer Burger Recipe
Venison burgers are packed full of flavor, easy to prepare ahead of time, and quick to cook. They are a great grilling recipe that can be made on the busiest of weeknights. Double or triple the batch and freeze your deer burger patties for good food FAST.
Meatballs and Rice
Juicy, insanely good venison meatballs and rice. Nourishing, filling dinner the family will crave.
Ground Venison Stroganoff Recipe
Ground venison stroganoff is a rich and creamy comforting meal. It is a family-favorite dinner made with ground venison instead of beef for a tasty twist on a classic recipe! It comes together in under 30 minutes.
Crockpot Venison Chili
Crockpot venison chili is a healthy recipe with deer meat you'll love.
Venison Snack Sticks {Hickory Smoked} - Out Grilling
Venison Snack Sticks are a tasty snack to make with ground venison and spices. Our version is all natural with no preservatives and all of the smoke flavor you love. A lean protein snack that will rival your favorite store bought snack sticks!
Homemade Salisbury Steak - Easy Recipe ~ Miss in the Kitchen
A hearty and delicious beef or venison patty with a rich onion and mushroom gravy served over mashed potatoes.
Easy Venison Meatballs Recipe – Best Oven Method
This venison meatballs recipe offers a delightful twist on a classic favorite, making them ideal for a comforting Sunday dinner or a satisfying plate of spaghetti and meatballs anytime.
Air Fryer Venison Meatballs
Air Fryer Venison meatballs are juicy on the inside with a crisp outside. These are perfectly seasoned and loaded with flavor. This recipe creates a quick and easy meal that is ready in minutes.
What is your favorite way to prepare venison?
