Are you tired of your venison roast turning out dry and tough? Well, good news! Today I'm going to share my tried-and-true deer roast recipe with you, along with tips and tricks for the most tender and flavorful results.
After you make this slow cooker venison roast, be sure to try more of my delicious venison recipes that are sure to satisfy the hungriest of hunters.
Crockpot Deer Roast Recipe
Deer meat has been a staple in my kitchen all my life. My dad was an avid hunter; then I married one and gave birth to another. Needless to say, I have cooked and ate a lot of venison over the years.
Some recipes, like my juicy deer burgers and southern fried deer steak, I remember from my childhood, but others are new to my kitchen, like my hearty venison stew and now this crockpot deer roast recipe.
There were many trials and errors involved in developing this wild game recipe. I quickly learned that I could not cook a venison roast on high heat and expect tender, juicy results. This chunk of lean meat needs to be cooked low and slow to allow time for tough connective tissues to break down.
The crockpot works perfectly for this. You simply sear your roast and veggies, toss them in the slow cooker, and then set it and forget it while your house fills with the most mouth-watering aromas as it cooks.
Also, I wanted to make sure the deer meat did not have a gamey flavor, so I added some acidic ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce and strong coffee.
Once it was all said and done, I finally made the best slow cooker venison roast recipe that my family devoured all in one day. We love this recipe, and I know you will too.
The Best Cuts of Venison for a Roast
My husband and son, who do all the deer hunting and processing, were gracious enough to lend me some wisdom on this topic. Some ideal cuts of deer meat for a roast are the shoulder, neck, and rump.
However, the best cut, according to my husband, is the sirloin tip from the hindquarter, also known as a "football roast". For this recipe post, he cut me 2 football roasts, both weighing about 1.5 pounds each.
How to Keep Venison from Tasting Gamey
Personally, I love the wild taste of venison, but certain factors like the deer's diet and how it was harvested and processed can sometimes make the meat have a strong gamey flavor. While we can't change the above, we can do a couple of things to improve the outcome.
- Trim the meat. Silver skin, connective tissue, and fat on venison tend to hold the strongest wild flavors. Also, the shiny membrane doesn't always cook down and can cause your deer meat to be tough and chewy. Using a sharp knife, try to remove them all from the surface of your roast.
- Add acid. To mask gamey flavors, use acidic liquids in your slow cooker. I use strong coffee and Worcestershire sauce in this recipe for that purpose, but also to further tenderise the meat.
- Fatten it up. Since venison is lean, adding extra fat can improve the flavor and keep the meat from drying out. I prefer to add pork fat to my deer meat, which is why I use bacon grease and bacon slices in this recipe.
How Do You Know When Venison Roast Is Done?
Your slow cooker deer roast is done when it is fork-tender. If you check it after cooking on low for 8 hours and it still feels rubbery, try cooking for another hour or two until fall-apart tender. Try not to go past 10 hours, though, to prevent the meat from drying out.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Venison Roast
This slow cooker venison roast recipe uses simple ingredients you probably already have on hand or can easily find at your local grocery store. (For measurements, please scroll down to the recipe card below.)
- venison roast: This recipe calls for a 2 to 4-pound roast. I used two 1.5-pound roasts for this recipe post. If your roast is larger than 4 pounds, you may consider cutting it in half and increasing the amount of seasonings. This will ensure that it cooks evenly and is flavorful throughout.
- flour: used to coat the roast with and to create a gravy while it cooks
- seasonings: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, celery seed, and Italian seasoning
- vegetables: onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes
- chicken broth: To me, beef broth has a certain bitterness to it that tranfers to the meat, so I prefer to use chicken broth instead. If you have venison broth on hand, that's even better!
- strong coffee and Worcestershire sauce: the acidity helps tenderize the meat and mask any gamey flavors
- sliced bacon: laid on top of the deer roast to baste the lean meat with fat while it cooks to ensure moisture, tenderness, and flavor
Please see the recipe card below for measurements.
How to Cook Venison Roast in the Slow Cooker
Here are the steps and process images for how to make this venison pot roast recipe. (More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1. Start by prepping your vegetables: peel and thinly slice the onion, peel and mince the garlic cloves, peel and cut the carrots into thirds, and cut the potatoes into large chunks.
Step 2. In a small bowl, add flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and celery seed. Stir them together with a spoon.
Step 3. Coat all sides of your roast with the seasoned flour. (I used two 1.5-pound roasts for this recipe post.) Save the leftover seasoned flour for later use.
Step 4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease. Sear the roast for 1 to 2 minutes per side until all sides are golden brown.
Step 5. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker.
Step 6. Turn the heat down to medium and add more grease if needed. Add the onion, garlic, and leftover seasoned flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour turns golden brown.
Step 7. Pour in the chicken broth, strong coffee, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce starts to thicken. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while you stir for extra flavor.
Step 8. Pour the onion mixture over the top of the roast in the slow cooker.
Step 9. Lay halved bacon on top of the deer roast. Add the carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker, then top with Italian seasoning and salt.
Step 10: Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until the meat is fork-tender. (I don't recommend cooking on high for lean meat like venison. This could cause the meat to turn out dry and tough.)
Step 11: Allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes before shredding or slicing.
Serve by spooning the cooking liquid (gravy) on top and enjoy!
Please see the recipe card below for printable instructions.
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Below is the recipe card for this crockpot deer roast recipe. You can save it, pin it to Pinterest, or print it out for ease of use.
Slow Cooker Venison Roast Recipe
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For Seasoning the Venison Roast
- 2-4 pound venison roast, thawed
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
For Searing the Roast and Sautéing the Vegetables
- 2 Tablespoons bacon grease (or any cooking oil)
- 1 small yellow onion (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 4 garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
- 1 cup chicken broth (or beef broth)
- ½ cup strong coffee (or red wine vinegar)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
For the Slow-cooker
- 2 slices bacon (halved)
- 3 large carrots (peeled and cut into thirds)
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes (cut into large chunks)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables and Roast
- Start by prepping your vegetables: peel and thinly slice the onion, peel and mince the garlic cloves, peel and cut the carrots into thirds, and cut the potatoes into large chunks.
- Rinse your venison roast, trim off any fat or connective tissue (silver skin), and pat dry with paper towels.
Season the Venison Roast
- In a small bowl, add flour, 2 teaspoons salt, garlic powder, ground black pepper, onion powder, paprika, and celery seed. Stir together with a spoon.
- Coat all sides of the deer roast with the seasoned flour. Save the leftover seasoned flour for later use.
Sear the Roast
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease. Sear the roast for 1 to 2 minutes per side until all sides are golden brown. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker.
Sauté the Vegetables
- Turn the heat down to medium and add more grease if needed. Add the onion, garlic, and leftover seasoned flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour turns golden brown.
- Pour in the chicken broth, strong coffee, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce starts to thicken. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while you stir for extra flavor.
- Pour the onion mixture over the top of the roast in the slow cooker.
Load the Slow Cooker
- Lay halved bacon on top of the deer roast. Add the carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker, then top with Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Cook the Roast
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until the meat is fork-tender. (I don't recommend cooking on high for lean meat like venison. This could cause the meat to turn out dry and tough.)
Rest and Serve
- Allow the venison roast to rest for 10 minutes before shredding or slicing. Serve by spooning the cooking liquid (gravy) on top and enjoy!
Notes
- Best cuts of venison for a roast: I prefer the sirloin tip from the hindquarter (also known as a "football roast"), but you can also use cuts from the shoulder, neck, and rump.
- Roast size: This recipe calls for a 2 to 4-pound roast. I used two 1.5-pound roasts for this recipe post. If your roast is larger than 4 pounds, you may consider cutting it in half and increasing the amount of seasonings. This will ensure that it cooks evenly and is flavorful throughout.
- Trim your meat. Try to trim all the connective tissue (silver skin) from the surface of your venison roast before cooking to help prevent a chewy texture and gamey flavor.
- Cook on low. It's tempting when you're in a hurry to crank the slow cooker up to high, but trust me, this lean chunk of deer meat needs to be cooked low and slow to allow time for tough connective tissues to break down.
- Leftovers: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional facts are calculated by third party sources and are not always accurate. If you are on a special diet, we highly recommend you calculate these values personally.
How to Store Leftovers
Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw at room temperature before reheating, and be prepared to add extra broth to keep the meat from drying out.
Oven Venison Roast
If you want to make this deer roast recipe but don't have a slow cooker or are short on time, you can cook it in the oven instead.
- Preheat oven to 300°F
- Sear the roast and saute the veggies as directed in this recipe
- Place everything in a covered Dutch oven
- Cook for 3-5 hours until fork-tender
- Add extra liquid if needed
What to Serve With Deer Roast
You can simply serve the roast with the carrots and potatoes it was cooked with, but I like to add bread as well. My fluffy homemade rolls and buttermilk biscuits are perfect for dipping in the rich gravy. My son even wrapped some roast meat in a corn tortilla one night with cheese, which actually looked pretty good. Even a slice of homemade butter bread would add a "comfy" feel to this warm, hearty dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may not have cooked it long enough. Venison needs time for tough connective tissues to break down.
You may have overcooked it or need to add more liquid. Try not to cook this roast for more than 10 hours. If it looks like the meat is drying out, baste it with the cooking liquid or add a little more broth. Placing bacon slices over the roast before cooking, as called for in this recipe, really helps with moisture and flavor.
Beau
The best deer roast I’ve ever ate! The gravy it made was delicious as well. I will be saving this recipe to make again real soon!
Christi
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear that!
Michelle
This roast was so amazing! My family loved it. I thought I would have leftovers for tomorrow, but it has been completely devoured. Thanks for sharing!
Christi
Wow, that’s awesome! I’m so glad y’all liked it!