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    You Are Here Home » Soup and Stew Recipes

    Published: Mar 7, 2020 Updated: Aug 13, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Venison Stew (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

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    venison stew pin

    This rich and hearty Venison Stew Recipe is loaded with succulent deer meat, cubed potatoes, and carrots. Red wine is used to give the stew a rich, deep flavor. Serve this flavorful stew with Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough Bread to sop up the rich sauce

    venison stew in a bowl

    The next time your freezer is loaded with venison, whether it's deer meat or elk, break some out to make this yummy venison stew!

    This flavorful venison stew recipe is loaded with chunks of venison, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onions, and bacon! No one will turn down a bowl of this delicious, rich stew!

    If you're lucky enough to have some elk backstrap, be sure to try my easy and tasty marinated venison backstrap recipe!

    Jump to:
    • 🧐 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe
    • 🔖 Recipe Ingredient & Substitutions
    • 🍖 How to Make Instant Pot Venison Stew
    • 🎛 Stove Top Venison stew Instructions
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
    • 🥩 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐 Why This Recipe Works

    • Deer stew is delicious and a wonderful way to use deer meat.
    • The same recipe can be used to prepare elk stew or beef stew.
    • Venison stew can be refrigerated in air-tight containers for up to a week, or frozen to be enjoyed at a later date.

    🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe

    labeled venison stew ingredients

    🔖 Recipe Ingredient & Substitutions

    • Venison — Venison stew meat (either elk or deer) can be used in this venison stew recipe. If you don't have game meat, try it with beef or lamb!
    • Vegetables — I added carrots, potatoes, onions, and garlic. However, a few stalks of celery and frozen peas can also be added.
    • Wine — A deep, dark wine like burgundy, merlot, cab, or any red blend goes great in venison stew.
    • Herbs — Thyme and sage go great in this recipe, but you can also use any of the following: bay leaf, parsley, savory, or oregano.
    • Flour — If you don't have flour, you can substitute with half as much cornstarch.

    🍖 How to Make Instant Pot Venison Stew

    Step 1: Press "start" on the pressure cooker and select "saute/high" then select "start." Sauté the chopped bacon until it renders some of its fat.

    diced bacon in a pot
    fried diced bacon in an Instant pot

    Step 2: Pat meat with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season the stew meat with salt, paprika, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Brown the meat in batches, making sure not to crowd the pressure cooker.

    seasoned stew meat in a pot
    stew meat  n the bottom of an instant pot

    Step 3: Add diced yellow onion and garlic to the last batch of meat and saute until caramelized.

    meat and onions in pressure cooker
    meat and onions in pressure cooker

    Step 4: Return the remaining meat to the pot, along with the broth. Deglaze the pot, scraping up any brown bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add diced tomatoes, thyme, and sage. Stir to combine.

    venison stew recipe (stew in a pot)
    venison stew cooking in a pot

    Step 5: Lock the lid in place, and select "high pressure." Set the vent to "seal" and the time to 15 minutes, then press "start." When the time is up, "natural release" for 5 minutes, followed by "quick release." When the valve drops, remove the lid and stir in the potatoes and carrots.

    venison stew in an instant pot

    Step 6: Lock the lid in place again and select "pressure cook." Set the vent to "seal." Set the time to 5 minutes and press "start." When the time is up, do a "natural release" for 5 minutes, followed by "quick pressure release."

    Step 7: Meanwhile, whisk wine and flour together to form a paste. Stir in ½ cup of the hot broth from the pot until you have a smooth slurry.

    wine slurry in a measuring cup
    a spoonful of stew
    slurry in a measuring cup

    Step 8: Pour the slurry back into the pot, and stir to combine. Select "saute" and "start." Bring the stew to a boil, stirring until the stew is thickened.

    slurry being poured into venison stew
    elk stew being dished out
    ladle full of deer stew recipe

    🎛 Stove Top Venison stew Instructions

    Don't let the fact that you don't have a pressure cooker stop you from making this yummy venison stew. Just follow these easy stove-top directions:

    • Fry bacon in a 6-quart Dutch oven.
    • Pat meat with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season cubed meat with salt, paprika, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
    • Remove bacon from the pot and fry the meat in batches over medium high heat.
    • Add diced onion and garlic to the last batch of meat and saute until caramelized.
    • Return the remaining meat to the pot, along with the beef broth.
    • Deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.
    • Add diced tomatoes, thyme, and sage. Stir to combine.
    • Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cook, covered, for one hour.
    • Add potatoes and carrots, and continue to simmer, covered, for one more hour.
    • Whisk wine and flour together to form a paste. Add ½ cup of hot broth to the paste and stir to make a slurry.
    • Pour the slurry back into the pot, and stir to combine.
    • Bring to a boil, while stirring, until the stew is thickened.
    elk stew in a white bowl with a silver spoon on the side

    🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

    What does elk taste like?

    Elk is delicious and less gamey than deer meat. It's my favorite game meat of all. It has a very mild flavor and can be substituted in recipes that call for beef.

    How should elk be cooked?

    Elk meat is very lean. When cooking with ground elk meat in particular, consider adding some fat to help bind the meat and for added moisture.

    Is elk meat healthier than beef?

    Elk is lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol than beef. One pound of elk has 662 calories and 8.7 grams of fat. Beef, on the other hand, has 1320 calories a pound and 89 grams of fat. Given these numbers, elk is obviously the healthier of the two.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • If you want to make this venison stew recipe but don't have venison, you can buy some here, or use beef or lamb instead. The cooking time can probably be reduced since beef and lamb are not as lean as venison and tend to cook faster.
    • If you are worried about gaminess, soak the cubed deer meat in milk the day before you make the stew.
    • Make sure the meat is cut into the same size cubes so that it cooks evenly.
    • Other great additions to elk stew would be celery, peas, and mushrooms.
    • If you don't want to add wine, just stir the flour in with water or cold broth and add a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce.
    • Experiment with different herbs. Fresh parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, or bay leaf are all great additions to this elk stew recipe!
    • Deer or elk stew is hearty enough on its own, but if you want to be extra naughty, serve it over creamy mashed potatoes, oh my!

    🥩 Related Recipes

    • elk jerky in a wooden bowl
      Elk Jerky Recipe
    • pork neck bones adobo over white rice
      Pressure Cooker Pork Neck Bones Adobo
    • elk steak and salad main image
      Pan-Seared Elk Steak
    • gourmet elk burgers
      Juicy Gourmet Elk Burger Recipe

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    venison stew in a white bowl with bread on the side

    Venison Stew (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

    Hearty Venison Stew loaded with tender cubes of venison, potatoes, and carrots.
    4.96 from 46 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 349kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • pressure cooker

    Ingredients

    • 4 slices chopped thick-cut bacon (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
    • 2 lbs venison/elk meat (cubed)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
    • 1 large onion (chopped)
    • 4 cloves garlic (sliced)
    • 4 cups broth (beef or chicken)
    • 1 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
    • 2 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon sage
    • 3 medium russet potatoes (cubed)
    • 1 cup roughly chopped carrots
    • ¼ cup flour
    • ¼ cup red wine

    Instructions

    • Press "start" on the pressure cooker and select "saute/high" then select "start." Saute the chopped bacon until it renders some of its fat. If using oil instead, heat oil.
    • Pat meat with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season the stew meat with salt, paprika, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Brown the meat in batches, making sure not to crowd the pressure cooker.
    • Add diced yellow onion and garlic to the last batch of meat and saute until caramelized.
    • Return the remaining meat to the pot, along with the broth. Deglaze the pot, scraping up any brown bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add diced tomatoes, thyme, and sage. Stir to combine.
    • Lock the lid in place, and select "high pressure." Set the vent to "seal" and the time to 15 minutes, then press "start." When the time is up, "natural release" for 5 minutes, followed by "quick release." When the valve drops, remove the lid and stir in the potatoes and carrots.
    • Lock the lid in place again and select "pressure cook." Set the vent to "seal." Set the time to 5 minutes and press "start." When the time is up, "natural release" for 5 minutes, followed by "quick pressure release."
    • Meanwhile, whisk wine and flour together to form a paste. Stir in ½ cup of the hot broth from the pot until you have a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry back into the pot, and stir to combine. Select "saute" and "start." Bring the stew to a boil, stirring until the stew is thickened.
    • See post for stovetop instructions

    Notes

    • If you want to make this venison stew recipe but don't have venison, you can buy some here, or use beef or lamb instead. The cooking time can probably be reduced since beef and lamb are not as lean as venison and tend to cook faster.
    • If you are worried about gaminess, soak the cubed deer meat in milk the day before you make the stew.
    • Make sure the meat is cut into the same size cubes so that it cooks evenly.
    • Other great additions to elk stew would be celery, peas, and mushrooms.
    • If you don't want to add wine, just stir the flour in with water or cold broth and add a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce.
    • Experiment with different herbs. Fresh parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, or bay leaf are all great additions to this elk stew recipe!
    • Venison stew is hearty enough on its own, but if you want to be extra naughty, serve it over creamy mashed potatoes, oh my!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 759mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    Comments

    1. Shevaun says

      November 01, 2020 at 7:39 pm

      5 stars
      This was great. I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes and used those instead of a can of diced tomatoes. I added 3 cups of barley and doubled the liquid and omitted the flour. Served with some buns, this fed 8 adults & a pile of kids. Ill make it again for sure.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        November 01, 2020 at 7:41 pm

        Thank you, Shevaun! I love the changes you made. I will have to try your version next time. ❤️

        Reply

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