Venison Stew (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

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

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 elk backstrap recipe!

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• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredient & Substitutions
• How to Make Instant Pot Venison Stew
• Stove Top Venison Stew Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Pro Tips
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Why You'll Love This Recipe

• 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.

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 it 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.

Step 2: Pat the 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 the 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.

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