The 10 Venison Slow Cooker Recipes Made for Setting and Forgetting (2024)

Whether you're a hunter or just a venison enthusiast, there's one thing you can't deny - version is good for you. It's high in protein, low in fat, and filled with lots of iron and other beneficial vitamins. Yes, venison might be better for you than beef but it's also harder to cook, too. It's so lean it tends to dry out very quickly and easily. That's why I love venison slow cooker recipes!'

How To Use Your Slow Cooker

While you can 'technically' make these recipes on the stove top under a watchful eye, we highly recommend adding a slow cooker into your kitchen arsenal. Not only are they great for slow cooking meat and protein, they are also a game-changer when it comes to potlucks and parties, espically if you are in charge of bringing the dip.

Crock Pot 8 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

The 10 Venison Slow Cooker Recipes Made for Setting and Forgetting (2)

These slow cooker recipes make it super convenient to cook up a delicious venison roast or venison stew in your Crock-Pot. So get to pair your favorite slow cooker venison recipes with red wine and enjoy!

1. Venison Chili

Ground venison is perfect for making an amazingly flavorful venison chili. It's so lean, which means you don't have to worry about draining off the fat after cooking it. And that wild game flavor really pairs well with fire-roasted diced tomatoes and kidney beans. If you're into making a bowl of Texas chili, feel free to omit the beans and double up on more meat. This chili will be ready to eat in four hours of cooking time on high or eight hours on low.

This recipe can also be made in the Instant Pot as well! The cook time is less than if you prepare on the stove and the prep time isn't so bad either!

Get the recipe here from Culinary Hill .

2. Crock-Pot Venison Stew

This is a great way to cook down a savory venison roast so it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. All you need is a can of mushroom soup and a few spices and seasonings. Or, if you're feeling ambitious, you can make your own one-pot cream of mushroom soup before you whip up this venison stew. Either way, you can choose whether you want to cook this stew on low for nine to 11 hours or speed it up on high heat for four to five hours.

Get the recipe for slow cooker venison stew here from The Spruce .

3. Crock-Pot Barbecued Venison Sandwiches

One look at this delicious pulled venison sandwich and I may give up pulled pork for life! You can use any cut of venison you like for this recipe, so long as it's not ground venison. So pull out a few venison steaks or a venison roast and toss them into the slow cooker. They will be shreddable and tender in the total time of 10 hours on the low setting. Then pull out your favorite soft buns, barbecue sauce, and maybe some pickles and jalapenos. Talk about comfort food!

Get the recipe here from Food.com.

4. Beer Braised Venison Roast

I like chopping my venison roasts and steaks up into bite-sized pieces, but I also appreciate the presence of a bit old hunk of meat on the table. This beer braised Crock-Pot venison roast does just that. The beer helps tenderize the meat while accentuating that perfectly gamey flavor with malty backbones. You can choose to use a boneless venison roast for ease, or toss in a bone-in steak. Cook this roast on low for six hours and it'll be perfect for slicing and topping with fresh thyme.

Get the recipe for this slow cooker venison pot roast here from Curious Cuisiniere.

5. Crock-Pot Venison Stroganoff

Are you ready for this amazing pasta recipe? It seriously couldn't be easier than some cubed venison steak in the slow cooker with a package of dry onion soup mix. Add in some cream of mushroom soup and finish it off with sour cream and you'll swear this recipe could be served in a restaurant. Cook up your pasta noodles and get ready to plate it up. This slow cooker favorite is ready on low in only six to eight hours.

Get the recipe here from Legendary Whitetails.

6. Slow Cooked Venison with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

If you closed your eyes and took a bite of this sweet-and-savory venison slow cooker recipe, you might think this was made with a beef roast. That makes this the perfect recipe to serve to those who think they don't like game meat. The apples give everything a perfect level of sweetness and the sweet potatoes really soak up all the flavors from the beef broth. Four hours later on low and you'll have a perfectly tender roast. Sounds pretty nice to me!

Get the recipe here from Scratch Made Wife.

7. Crock-Pot Venison Loin Recipe

If you're wondering what to do with that venison loin or tenderloin, you should definitely make this Crock-Pot venison recipe. Dredging it in flour before cooking it on high for six hours will make a super thick sauce, which makes the perfect gravy for a side of mashed potatoes. And who doesn't love a slice of roast drowning in gravy?

Get this venison roast recipe here from Genius Kitchen.

8. Easy Crock-Pot Venison Korean BBQ

I don't know about you, but I love Korean barbecue. It has such sweet and salty flavors, with just a touch of spice. You don't even to make anything that fancy using this recipe - just a package of Campbell's Korean BBQ Slow Cooker Sauce and five to seven hours on low. Including the spinach and rice noodles for serving, this recipe only uses five pantry-staple ingredients.

Get the recipe here from Julie Golob.

9. Slow Cooker Teriyaki Venison

If you're not into Korean flavors but you like Asian-style venison, our very own slow cooker teriyaki venison recipe is for you. By combining soy sauce with brown sugar, ginger, and apple cider vinegar, the sauce gets the perfect sweet-and-spicy flavors. Serve this up with some of your favorite stir-fried veggies and some rice for a quick and easy weeknight meal. It only takes an hour on high followed by three hours on low for this dish to come together.

Get the recipe here.

10. Classic Slow-Cooked Venison

This recipe is perfect for venison shanks or venison shoulder. Both of these cuts are notorious for being super tough, but slow cooking them allows them to braise up low-and-slow. They should take about eight to 10 hours on the low setting, so this recipe is a great one to set up before you go to work. Cook up some savory red potatoes to serve alongside this fork-tender deer meat dish.

Get the recipe here from Epicurious.

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This post was originally published on January 31, 2018.

The 10 Venison Slow Cooker Recipes Made for Setting and Forgetting (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook venison so it's tender? ›

The best way that I've found to make sure a venison roast (bone-in or out) tender is to cook it in the crockpot or slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours, or until it is falling apart. If you cook it on low you won't dry it out. Please note that I don't recommend cooking this on high for 4-6 hours.

What is the secret to slow cooking meat? ›

Avoid overcrowding: For the best results, fill a slow cooker between one-half and two-thirds full. Go ahead and cook big roasts and whole chickens; just make sure you use a large crock and that the lid fits snugly on top. Trim fat: For silky sauces and gravies, take a minute or two and cut the excess fat from the meat.

How is venison best cooked? ›

General tips:
  1. Don't overcook or cook at temperatures above 375 F. The short fibers in wild game meat will get tough.
  2. Serve game meat very hot or very cold. Lukewarm game fat has a very greasy taste.
  3. Baste very lean cuts with additional fat to improve flavor. Covering roast with bacon strips will provide self-basting.

Can you leave ingredients in slow cooker the night before? ›

Make-ahead when possible: If your slow cooker has a removable insert, assemble the ingredients the night before and refrigerate the entire insert overnight. It's important to note that starting with cool ingredients may lengthen cooking time (but be sure to keep them out of the temperature danger zone).

What is the best seasoning for venison? ›

Ideal flavours for venison
  • Fruits: quince, cherries, prunes, blackberries, apples.
  • Herbs: thyme, rosemary, bay, sage.
  • Spices: star anise, allspice, black pepper, cloves, juniper.
  • Alcohol: red wine (e.g. Grenache, Zinfandel), cider, ale. Other: chestnuts, celeriac, red cabbage, chocolate, mushroom.
Mar 7, 2016

What liquid should I tenderize deer meat? ›

Marinades are one of my favorite ways to tenderize venison. For an excellent marinade, you will need an acid (wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or lime), an oil (I prefer olive oil), and herbs and spices of your choice.

How do you keep meat moist in a slow cooker? ›

How to Avoid Dry or Tough Meat
  1. Choose the Right Cuts. The best cuts of meat for a slow cooker are well-marbled and fatty. ...
  2. Add Just Enough Liquid. ...
  3. Be Patient. ...
  4. Cook Low and Slow.
Apr 16, 2020

Do potatoes go on top or bottom of meat in a crockpot? ›

Slow cooker recipes have (obviously) long cook times, and it's the meat—not the carrots—that benefit from it. By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

Does meat get more tender the longer it cooks in a slow cooker? ›

Collagen makes meat tough when cooked quickly, but when slow-cooked, it breaks down into gelatin, giving you that juicy, tender mouthfeel. Fattier — and cheaper — cuts of beef can also be good for slow cooking, because the fat helps to ensure the beef won't dry out while adding extra flavour.

What takes the gamey taste out of venison? ›

Soaking deer meat in milk or a marinade with acidic components like vinegar, wine, or citrus juice helps eliminate the gamey taste. Alternatively, brining the meat in a solution of water, salt, and sugar can also improve its flavor and tenderness.

Is it better to cook venison fast or slow? ›

Tender cuts of venison should be prepared using quick cooking methods to a rare or medium-rare level of doneness (internal temperature of 120° to 135° F). If it is prepared past medium-rare too much moisture will be cooked out causing the meat to become dry and tough.

Is venison healthier than beef? ›

Given that deer are leaner than cows, venison is generally healthier to eat than beef. An average cut of venison, in fact, has around half the calories and a sixth the saturated fats of a similarly sized cut of beef. It also has more proteins, vitamins and minerals than beef.

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Does meat need to be submerged in a slow cooker? ›

Do you add water when cooking meat in a slow cooker? If your slow cooker is 3/4 full, no extra liquid is required. However, if you're cooking a smaller amount of food, add 1-2cm of liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker bowl to ensure there's enough liquid for cooking.

Do you put water in the bottom of a slow cooker? ›

Never ever put liquid into the base of a slow cooker. It was not designed for that and clearly states not to immerse the base in water. The heating element and components are not in a waterproof environment. You will quickly ruin the heating element and risk injury from electrical leakage into the metal base.

What do you soak deer meat in before cooking? ›

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

How do you make deer meat less tough? ›

Hanging your meat, skin on, for about two weeks is the best option. Aging the meat allows the animal's natural enzymes to break down the connective tissues and mellows the flavor. Cihelka said this is the reason his venison is so tender. Hunters don't always do this.

Will soaking deer meat in milk make it tender? ›

Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours, and no more than 12, before proceeding to cook it as you normally would. The calcium in milk contains enzymes that will tenderize the meat, and the main protein in milk will neutralize the gamey flavor.

Do you rinse deer meat before cooking? ›

Never wash raw meat before cooking.

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