Sweet Love and Ginger

Wild Game

Venison Meatballs

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This is a recipe for basic Venison Meatballs to be served with tomato sauce.

Venison Meatballs

In our house venison is pretty much a staple, and because of this I haven’t bought beef in quite some time, something you long time followers may have noticed. It’s not because we don’t eat red meat, believe me we do, it’s simple because we don’t need to buy it. I like to think that we are helping in the fight against factory farming by not buying it as well.

Anyway over the years I have learned how to work with venison as a substitution for when beef is required in a recipe; most of the time it works quite well. I know that many people worry about the gaminess of the meat and if that will come through in the finished dish, but this has never really been a problem for me. Much of the gaminess comes from excess blood in the meat poor butchering or dressing and can easily be corrected by soaking it in buttermilk or salt water.

This recipe is pretty straight forward and sure to please. While it’s based on the basic Italian style meatballs that would be served with tomato sauce this recipe is basic enough to be used with a number of sauces for serving.

Venison Meatballs

Venison Meatballs
Author: JC
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 lbs ground venison (95% Lean)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
  1. Combine the bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes.
  2. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and pour the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Using your hands gently mix the ingredients together. Once combined use your hands to form golf ball sized balls.
  3. Bake at 400 degrees on a greased baking sheet for roughly 20 minutes or drop into a large pot of tomato sauce and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

Related Recipes:

Venison Swedish Meatballs

Venison Swedish Meatballs

Venison Meatloaf

Venison Meatloaf

Venison Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Venison Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Venison Stroganoff

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Simple Venison Stroganoff

Stroganoff is a pretty traditional recipe with a wide breath for interpretation. I have already posted a few of my favorite versions, one is vegetarian, one a hiking version and one includes pasta and is all prepared in one pot because sometimes you just have to cheat. The number of other versions of this well loved recipe is staggering, I’ve seen them use tomato puree, lemon, dill, and numerous types of meat….

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Chuck’s Venison Chili

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Chuck's Venison Chili

September ushers in a whole new season of food in our house; a season that I always get excited about. Warm beverages, comfy layers, fall colors, are always awesome, but for me, in fall it’s the food; squash, soups, tomato sauces, roasts, stews, corn and peppers abound. I get excited thinking about the smell of simmering sauces and the anticipation of a slow cooked meal coming to fruition without passing out from heat stroke like one does in the summer months.

Even Chuck gets excited about some of his favorite dishes this time of year, Squash Soup with Smoked Cheddar, Lamb & Leek Shepard’s Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, and Spaghetti and Meatballs. Now, there is one dish that I don’t even attempt to make any more this time of year, because Chuck and his father have perfected it, and that is chili. There’s no need for me to get involved with this time-honored tradition of father-son culinary expertise. They have it down.

Chucks Venison Chili

Chili is one of those often contested American dishes, If this were Texas they would denounce this recipe for its beans, but in the Northeast, this is how we do it, and how we like it; filling and hearty with meat, beans, and lots of thick flavorful sauce. We top it with sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives, olives, parsley or whatever else our hearts desire, but usually with a side of cornbread. I’ve also been known to eat leftovers cold and straight from the pan with crackers, because hey why not?

Now Chuck will make it with any number of meat types, but the favorite in our house uses venison. If you prefer it does work with just about any other type of ground meat, however. If you are looking for more info on how we prepare our venison grinds, check out this post.

Chucks Venison Chili

Chuck’s Venison Chili

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb ground venison
  • ½ a medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper (diced)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can black or pinto beans
  • 1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  1. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large thick bottomed sauce pan or Dutch oven. Add venison, and onion, and cook until the venison is browned, breaking it up into crumbles.
  2. Add garlic, jalapeno, and spices stirring well to combine. Cook for an additional minute.
  3. Stir in the beans, corn, and tomatoes until well blended.
  4. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and serve.

Get this recipe and more in my Venison eCookbook

Similar Recipes:

Venison with Morel Sauce

Venison with Morel Sauce

Sauted Ramps

Sauteed Ramps

Venison Burgers

Venison Burgers

Venison Burgers

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A simple recipe for basic venison burgers as well as a discussion on perfecting a homemade burger.

Venison Burgers

The all American burger is something I’m fairly certain everyone is familiar with, even if you’ve never set foot in the U.S. By now McDonalds has infiltrated nearly the entire globe so people are at the very least familiar with the concept.

While I’ve had my share of take out burgers I honestly believe that nothing can compare to a homemade burger if it’s done right. Now there innumerable camps that have staked their claim to the best way to prepare burgers, contesting meat to fat ratios, spice content, meat type and all that jazz. For me honestly I think simplicity works best.

I think a solid 80 to 20 meat to fat ratio is ideal. Fat is what makes the burger juicy and tender. However, when grinding large portions of venison meat at once (usually the case for us) Chuck and I opt for a 90/10 ratio since it works best for other recipes. Sometimes I add more fat when I want to cook burgers sometimes I don’t. They are really good either way. If you are using a lower fat ratio then I suggest mixing in a little liquid to the meat before cooking to help them stay juicy. We typically add in a couple cups of water during the grinding process before vacuum sealing and storage for this reason. For venison burgers I like to use pork fat, usually in the form of bacon, because it’s the most easily accessible.

I’m also a firm believer in handling the meat as little as possible. Working it too much can make the burgers dense and crumbly, no one wants that. To combat this I just combine my spices separately and gently work them into the meat before forming the burgers, only handling the meat for a few minutes to do all of this.

I am a member of the flip once camp. I know that the number of times you flip doesn’t actually make a difference in anything but the outside crust. I like a little crust on the outside of my burger, and since I like mine mostly rare it’s not hard to just flip once and get a perfect burger.

If your meat is already ground up (fat included) then go ahead and heat that grill up. If you are starting from scratch this post from Hank Shaw gives a great overview on grinding meat. If you are looking to use a different type of fat in your meat this post talks about some of my favorites.

Venison Burgers

Venison Burgers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground venison (fat included)
  • Salt & pepper
  • Burger buns & toppings for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat the grill.
  2. Using your hands form 4 roughly equal patties.
  3. Season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
  4. Grill the burgers to your desired doneness (5-6 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the second for side for medium-rare).
  5. Remove the burgers from the grill and let stand for 4 minutes before serving on buns with desired garnish.

Similar Recipes:

Venison Breakfast Sausage

Venison Breakfast Sausage

Perfect Venison Loin

Perfect Venison Loin

Whole Roasted Brown Trout

Whole Roasted Brown Trout

Venison Breakfast Sausage

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Hunting is a huge part of our lives here in the ginger home. Not only did I grow up in a hunting family, but Chuck did as well, and because of this venison makes up a large part of our diet, over the years we have developed a large number of recipes this is one of my favorites.

Venison Breakfast Sausage

…

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