Venison Recipes
Delicious venison recipes — steaks, stews, burgers, and creative preparations for this lean, flavorful wild game.
★ Fan Favorite
Fan FavoriteVenison Tacos
Brittany KhamilleIngredients
- 1 lb ground deer (with bacon)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
- garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- cajun seasoning (to taste)
- 1 lime juice
- 1/3 cup water
- small flour tortillas
- 1 bag shredded coleslaw mix
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño juice
- salt (to taste
- black pepper ( to taste)
- onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- chopped cilantro (to taste)
- 1/2 lime juice
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 lime juice
- 1/2 finely minced jalapeño
- cilantro (chopped)
- black pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- 1In a pot on medium heat, add the oil & ground deer. Season well. Cook for about 5 minutes, add in the onion and cook until completely browned. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add in the lime juice & water, let simmer on low until you're done with everything else!
- 2In a large bowl, combine the mayo, hot sauce, cilantro, lime juice, & pickled jalapeño juice. Season to taste and stir in the shredded coleslaw mix. Set aside
- 3In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, diced pepper, & lime juice. Season to taste.
- 4Warm the tortillas and build your tacos how you like!
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Open in Pepper →Why Venison Is the Most Rewarding Meat to Cook
Venison is lean, gamey in the best sense of the word, and deeply flavorful. It's lower in fat than beef and higher in protein, but it requires a slightly different approach — the leanness means it can overcook quickly.
For steaks and loins, high heat and a short cook time to medium-rare is ideal. For shoulders and tougher cuts, low-and-slow braising with robust flavors like red wine, juniper, and rosemary transforms them completely.
The most-saved venison recipes on Pepper are those that make the most of every hunt or specialty butcher purchase.
Quick Tips
- 1
Don't overcook the steaks
Venison is very lean, which means it dries out fast. Cook loin and backstrap steaks to medium-rare (130–135°F) and pull them off the heat immediately. Well-done venison turns tough and gamey.
- 2
Soak in milk to reduce gaminess
For stronger-tasting cuts, soak the meat in milk or buttermilk for a few hours before cooking. It draws out blood and tones down the wild flavor without masking the character of the meat.
- 3
Add fat when cooking lean cuts
Venison has almost no marbling, so add fat during cooking — bacon wrap the backstrap, baste with butter, or cook in a generous amount of olive oil to keep things moist and flavorful.
- 4
Braise tough cuts low and slow
Shoulder and neck cuts are full of connective tissue — don't try to grill them. Braise in liquid for several hours until they're fall-apart tender. This is where venison really shines in stews and chili.
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