
Here are all my best, most popular Venison Recipes in one simple list using ground deer meat and classic cuts like backstrap, tenderloin, and hindquarters.
Whether grilled, smoked, baked, fried, or slow-cooked in the Crock Pot, these delicious venison dinner recipes are easy to cook and sure to satisfy even the hungriest of hunters!
Deer season has officially begun here in Texas! This means my freezer will soon be filling back up with delicious deer meat!
Venison is my favorite meat to cook since it's leaner than beef and higher in protein. Plus, I grew up eating deer meat at least once a week, so the flavor of venison takes me back in time to that little yellow table I grew up eating at in our little yellow kitchen in our little yellow house. (Want to guess why my favorite color is yellow?)
Over the years, my venison recipes have become very popular online, so I thought I'd share them all with you in one easy place. From my delicious Award-Winning Venison Chili (perfect for cold nights like tonight) and my Chicken Fried Deer Steak (the recipe that made me famous; not quite but close!).
These recipes include some of my favorite ways to cook venison; like in the frying pan, smoker, slow cooker, and on the grill. Goodness, now my stomach is growling!
FAQ About Deer Meat
Venison is derived from the Latin word venari, meaning "to hunt". It generally refers to the meat from a deer but can also mean meat from any large wild game animal, such as elk, caribou, mouse, and buffalo (to name a few).
It's a good rule of thumb to store packaged deer meat in the freezer for up to 9-12 months. With that said, I have eaten deer meat that was 2 years old before and it was still good. Be sure to prepare and seal the meat properly before freezing and make sure it stays frozen until ready to be eaten. This will help it stay good longer. If the deer meat is over a year old and the color and smell are off, I'd say throw it to the dogs!
There are so many ways to cook venison; from grilling, smoking, frying, slow cooking, to even pressure cooking. Pretty much any way you can cook beef, you can cook venison. Keep in mind, venison is leaner than beef so it usually benefits from a fat addition and tends to cook faster.
Marinating or cooking the deer meat with something acidic will lessen the "gamey" flavor; buttermilk, vinegar, Italian dressing, and Worcestershire sauce are some good options.
The Best Deer Meat Recipes for Dinner
The wait is over! Here are all my best, most popular venison recipes in one simple list. Please leave a comment at the end of this post if you've tried one of these recipes and how you liked it!
1. Chicken Fried Deer Steak
This Southern-style Chicken Fried Deer Steak is the most tender and flavorful venison backstrap recipe you will ever try!
Delicious cubed steaks are soaked in buttermilk, coated in seasoned flour, and pan-fried to a golden perfection!
Be sure to save your pan drippings to make my Country Cream Gravy to pour on top!
Trust me, you'll want to make this venison recipe time and time again!
2. Juicy Deer Burgers
Both juicy and flavorful, these delicious Deer Burgers are the best!
Whether you prefer to grill them or cook them on the stovetop, both cooking methods are provided in this recipe post.
Since deer meat is so lean, venison burger patties often turn out too dry and tough. To prevent this from happening, I use an 80% lean to 20% pork fat ratio.
Click the recipe button below to find out more of my secrets for how to make the most tender, juiciest deer burger patties that won't fall apart on the grill.
3. Award-Winning Venison Chili
With 4 chili cook-off wins under its belt (and counting), this award-winning Venison Chili is sure to be your new favorite cold-weather comfort food!
Here in Texas, we believe chili should be meaty, spicy, and made without beans (don't worry bean-lovers, there's an option to add beans in the recipe). Speaking of spicy, green chilies, red chili powder, and cayenne pepper provide the perfect amount of Southern heat that's easily adjusted for your liking.
This deer chili will fill your home with the most deliciously mouthwatering aromas while it cooks in the slow cooker!
Stovetop and Instant Pot cooking method instructions are also provided in this recipe post.
4. Slow Cooker Venison Stew
Full of tender deer stew meat, hearty veggies, and savory goodness, this delicious Venison Stew recipe is the best you will ever try!
Since it's made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, you won't have to make an extra trip to the grocery store for this recipe.
Thanks to the slow cooker, this deer stew is so easy to cook and with very little clean-up!
Serve with crackers or my soft dinner rolls for a delicious venison meal that's sure to satisfy even the hungriest of hunters!
5.Bacon-Wrapped Venison Jalapeno Poppers
Venison Jalapeno Poppers (aka Deer Rolls) are the best!
Fresh sliced jalapenos are stuffed with cream cheese, topped with tender deer backstrap, and wrapped in bacon. Yum!
While I prefer to smoke them in a pellet grill, they can also be baked in the oven. Both cooking methods are provided in the recipe post.
Click the recipe button below and prepare to be blown away by these delicious venison appetizers!
6. Chicken Fried Elk Steak
These tender and juicy Chicken Fried Elk Steaks are pan-fried to a golden perfection and are bursting with flavor!
This wild game recipe is a meat hunter's ultimate comfort food!
Don't forget to drizzle my rich and creamy Southern Country Gravy on top and serve with my pillowy-soft homemade dinner rolls!
Well, that's all folks! More delicious venison recipes will be added to this post as I develop them.
Now get to cooking and please leave a comment down below if you've tried one of these recipes and how it turned out!
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Chelsea
I have made most of your deer recipes now, and they were all absolutely delicious! Your venison stew is next on my list, and I know it will be equally amazing! Thank you for sharing these recipes!
Ranch Style Kitchen
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you have enjoyed these recipes! Please let me know how your venison stew turns out!