Category: Venison Recipes

Most folks will tell you that there is nothing better than venison backstrap on the grill, and I think they are right. This venison backstrap recipe is as simple as it is fantastic! All you really need is some venison and some bacon and you are in business.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of venison backstrap
• 10 slices of bacon
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• skewers or toothpicks

Directions

Prepare backstrap for cooking and pat dry. Cut backstrap into bacon-width sized pieces, about 1 1/4 inch slices. Wrap each backstrap fillet with a single slice of bacon and then toothpick or skewer the bacon in place. I prefer to put fillets on skewers because 3 or 4 of them will fit on a skewer and it makes the mini-steaks easier to handle on the grill.

Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Grill bacon-wrapped fillets over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes per side, then let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Alternatively, this venison backstrap recipe can be also cooked in the oven broiler at 450-500 degrees for 6 minutes per side.

Hunt in Texas? Stay connected:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

There is never a bad time to fire up the grill for this venison kabobs recipe. Whether it be for the Fourth of July or even during late winter, these kabobs—complete with vegetables—are a crowd pleasing treat to eat! Serve these venison kabobs right on the skewers or remove the venison and vegetables and serve the grilled offerings over rice. Simple, yet sensational!

Ingredients

• 1.5 pound venison steak or backstrap
• 1 medium white onion
• 1 bell pepper or 3 large jalepeno peppers
• 5 slices thick-cut bacon
• Zesty Italian dressing
• Salt, pepper and garlic to taste
• 4, 8+ inch skewers

Directions

Cut the venison steaks or backstrap into 1 1/4 inch cubes. Cut bacon and onions into 1 1/4 inch pieces. After removing the seeds, do the same with peppers. Place venison chunks on skewers, sandwiched by bacon slices, with peppers and onions in between pieces of meat. This alternating technique will sandwich meat chunks and vegetables, providing moisture and flavor during the grilling process. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to your liking.

Grill venison kabobs over medium-high heat, turning and mopping with Italian dressing about every 2 minutes. Grill until the meat is almost cooked throughout, about 10 minutes. Remove the kabobs from the grill and let them rest for an additional 5 minutes, then serve. This venison kabobs recipe also works with vegetables such as squash and zucchini on the skewers too.

This venison tamale pie recipe is a favorite casserole of mine. It’s easy and it has the Tex-Mex flavor that my family really enjoys. It goes great with black, refried or charro beans. We love making this dish especially during the cooler months, but it’s a winner throughout the year!

Ingredients for venison tamale pie casserole:

• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
• 1 12 ounce can whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon comino (cumin) powder
• 3 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste

Ingredients for tamale pie corn meal topping:

• 3/4 cup yellow corn meal
• 2 cups cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter

Brown ground venison with chopped onion and green pepper until meat is just done. Then drain and add everything except for the shredded cheese. Simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes to let the flavors come together. Next, mix in the cheese and stir until melted. Spoon the meat and vegetable portion of the venison casserole into a greased, large cast iron skillet or a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

For the corn meal topping, stir the corn meal and salt into the cold water. Continue to cook and stir the mixture over medium heat thick. After the mixture thickens, add the butter and mix well. Spoon the corn meal topping over the venison and vegetable mixture. Place the venison tamale pie casserole in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Garnish with additional shredded cheese and cilantro, if desired. Serves 6 normal folks or 4 hungry Texans!

It’s summer time, so that means it’s burger time on the grill! This loaded venison burger recipe makes four Texas-sized burgers for chowing down around the pool or on the deck. This recipe calls for tasty vegetables right in the burger not only to add delicious juices, but delicious taste too. Garnish with your favorite adult beverage and enjoy the long summer days!

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds ground venison
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced bell pepper
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• crushed black pepper
• garlic powder
• salt

Directions

This venison burger recipe is a snap. It can be thrown together as you are heating up the grill, or mixed up and placed in the fridge overnight to “marinate.” Either way, it is best if you can let the meat sit out for at least one hour before placing on the grill. This will help the temperature to rise and result in more even cooking. Even cooking is important for burgers, but especially for venison.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg then add Worchestershire sauce, olive oil, bell pepper, onion and venison and mix together. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, because you will have to anyway! Divide the mixture into four equal parts and hand-form the four generous-sized venison patties. Lastly, season the burgers to your liking with salt, pepper and garlic.

The venison burgers should be placed on a charcoal or gas grill with about medium-high heat. Cook the burgers for seven to eight minutes and then flip for another seven to eight minutes. Venison is lean, so cook the burgers until they are just done, then remove them from the grill at let sit for about three to four minutes before building your perfect, loaded venison burger!

This venison recipe works great for making venison meatballs in bulk for a big event, or to freeze in batches and use later. The meatballs can stand alone, be used in spaghetti or used for a tasty Italian sandwich.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs. ground beef
• 1 cup Italian seasoned fine, dry bread crumbs
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic

Directions

Use a very large pot or electric roaster heated to 425 degrees F. Combine all ingredients. Next, form into 1-inch meatballs. Place meatballs in pan. Cover and bake 30 to 45 minutes or until done. Stir occasionally to brown on all sides. This recipe makes  approximately 75 venison meatballs.

This grilled venison backstrap recipe is one of my favorite summer time treats, but I also enjoy this one just sitting around a campfire. It works great for an evening of grilling “with the guys” as a main course or as an appetizer. You can’t go wrong!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds venison backstrap
• 1 1/2 pounds thick sliced bacon
• 1 quart apple cider
• 24 ounces of barbecue hickory sauce

Directions

Cut venison backstrap into 2 inch chunks and place them into a shallow baking dish. Pour enough apple cider in the pan to cover the venison chunks. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove, and pat chunks dry. Discard apple cider and return venison back into the dish. Pour the barbeque sauce over the chunks, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 more hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove venison from the refrigerator and let stand until no longer chilled, about 45 minutes. Wrap each piece of venison in a slice of thick-cut bacon and secure with toothpicks.

Prepare the grill grate by brushing with olive oil when hot, then place venison pieces on the grill so they are separated. The bacon will cause flaming as the grease drips off, so keep an eye out for flare ups. Grill, turning occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon develops burnt edges.

This venison backstrap recipe goes great with baked beans, dirty rice, or potato salad. And, of course, it wouldn’t be grillin’ without a beer!

This recipe is a great way to cook venison for just about anyone. I love the taste of venison, but some people shy away from even the mild game flavor that it possess. This spicy, but delicious recipe is great way to introduce “first-timers” the the wonderful world of venison. It is similar to the Mexican dish carne guisada and goes well as a main course or in tacos. A slow cooker/pressure cooker allows the venison comes out moist and tender.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean venison trimmings or steaks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Venison Magic or seasoned salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup onion, halved and sliced
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 dried red chile peppers
• 2 cups water

Directions

Use lean venison trimmings or cut steaks into bite size pieces. Lightly season the venison steaks with 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning salt. Mix the flour with 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt, then set aside 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture for later use. Toss the cubed meat in the seasoned flour.

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker or a skillet over high heat. Add the venison cubes and cook until well-browned on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir the reserved tablespoon of seasoned flour and the ground cumin into the pan drippings. Cook and stir until the flour is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, which should be about 5 minutes.

Pressure cooker method – Return the browned venison to the pan or slow cooker (see below), along with the beef bouillon cubes, Mexican oregano, bay leaf, and whole chile peppers. Pour in the water and seal the pressure cooker, turning the heat up to high.

Bring the pressure up to high and reduce the heat to maintain the pressure. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally. Remove the lid. Remove the chile peppers and bay leaf. Now,  squeeze the pulp from the peppers, returning the pulp to the pan and discarding the skins and the bay leaf.

Slow cooker method – Follow recipe as outlined above, but transfer the venison to a slow cooker after browning the meat and cooking the flour mixture. Cook until the meat is tender, 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low

I created this spice mix years ago using all of my favorite spices to get that just-right seasoning that I enjoy. It works so good with venison that I gave it the name “Venison Magic.” It’s a fairly simple concoction that can be created in bulk to save time in the kitchen. This spice mix works great with just about every venison recipe as well as beef, pork, chicken and even fish!

Ingredients

• 26 ounces salt
• 1 cup ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons onion powder
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Mix an entire 26-ounce round container of salt with the pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cayenne, and ground ginger. Store it in a dispenser with large holes for sprinkling.

This is a fast and easy venison chili recipe that hits the spot time and time again. This is a no-fuss recipe that yields some good chili in a rush. Goes great with cornbread or over rice and even pasta. If you’ve been looking for an easy venison chili recipe, this is it!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground venison
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 1 10 ounce can diced tomatos and green chiles
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 15 ounce can of kidney or pinto beans
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place ground venison and diced onions in a pot and cook on medium heat until venison is cooked through (done). Then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer and cook another 5 minutes. Your fast and easy venison chili is done. Enjoy!

Regardless of how you slice it, venison backstrap is a great cut of meat. This recipe puts a spin on traditional seared backstrap by adding in flavorful rosemary and some caramelized onions. This is a quick and easy dish that goes great with rice and vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds prepared venison backstrap
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup white onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• freshly ground black pepper
• garlic powder
• salt

Directions

Rinse venison backstrap and then pat dry. Season liberally with garlic powder, salt and pepper. The add the balsamic vinegar and 1/3 of the olive oil. Rub into meat and let this marinate for 30 minutes.

Next, heat 1/3 of the olive oil over medium high heat. Do not put venison in the pan until the pan is hot. Pan fry venison backstrap, turning to brown, until medium rare, about four minutes total for a two-inch thick backstrap. Remove from heat and tent with foil.

Add the remaining olive oil to pan. Now add onions, garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Toss and cook until onions brown and are slightly caramelized, which takes about two minutes. Remove from heat and let rest about 3 minutes. Slice venison and serve with garlic and onions. Angle your cut for a fancy presentation.