Rich and creamy venison stroganoff is the ultimate comfort food! This family favorite is super simple to prepare, and you can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes.
If you’re looking for that special meal to warm your bones on a cold fall night, then you’ll love this hearty venison stroganoff. Wild game meat has a rich and earthy flavor that is delicious in a stroganoff - you’ll find yourself going back for seconds and thirds!
I’ve made this wild game recipe a venison and mushroom stroganoff because mushrooms share a similar earthy flavor to the venison, so they go together perfectly.
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I also use ground venison, rather than large chunks, because when cooking wild game meat, it’s vital that you cook the meat all the way through, of course, but you don’t want to cook it for so long that it loses texture or flavor. Making a ground venison stroganoff means that the meat cooks more evenly and soaks up the tasty flavors of the sauce.
Venison is protein-rich meat and, when cooked correctly, is quite tender and flavorful. Luckily, we have hunters in the family! As a result, we always seem to have various cuts of venison in our freezer at certain times of the year, but ground deer meat is in our freezer year-round.
You can use ground venison for all kinds of recipes that call for ground beef. I’ve used it in chili, spaghetti, and vegetable soup. Try using venison in my Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup!
Ingredient notes
The exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
Olive oil - olive oil has a great flavor, but you can use canola oil if that’s all you have.
Ground venison - make sure you’re using ground venison to get the right texture and flavor.
Diced fresh onion - red or white onion is fine; just be sure to dice it up nice and small.
Sliced fresh mushrooms - I like chestnut mushrooms, but any kind will work well. Try baby portobello mushrooms, too.
All-purpose flour - this is used to thicken the sauce.
Beef broth - you can buy beef broth from the grocery store, or you can make your own (take a look at Paula Deens old time beef stew to see how!)
Heavy whipping cream - this is used to make your sauce nice and thick and creamy.
Sour cream - adds a slight tang to your sauce.
Worcestershire sauce - this stuff is so tasty. It adds depth to the flavor of your venison stroganoff. Plus, you can add it to cheese on toast, and it’s dang tasty!
Salt and ground black pepper - just a sprinkling of each is needed. Always taste test the recipe before serving to adjust seasonings, if needed.
Cooked wide egg noodles - you could use linguine if that's what you already have on hand.
How to Make Ground Venison Stroganoff
Place a deep pan (or cast-iron skillet) on the stove. Over medium to medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the ground venison and break it down into small pieces with a spatula. Add garlic and onions. Stir and sauté until the onions are translucent and the venison is no longer pink. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir until fully mixed in. Be sure to break up any lumps that may form.
Add the beef broth, whipping cream, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, add in the sour cream, and stir well to combine. Taste for flavor and add more seasoning if desired. Place some hot, cooked egg noodles on your plate and top with the best venison stroganoff!
Recipe Yield
This recipe makes four servings.
Serving suggestions
Venison stroganoff is delicious served over egg noodles, but it also works well over rice or potatoes.
If you want to make your meal even more special, you could try it with this instant pot mushroom rice or with homemade oatmeal bread. A chunk of warm bread is perfect for mopping up the sauce!
Recipe variations
The great thing about making your own meals is that you can prepare them exactly how you like them!
Not everyone’s tastes are the same, so feel free to play with this ground venison stroganoff recipe to make it your own.
Some variations you could try are:
- Venison - it’s not always easy to get hold of venison, and if you can’t, you can substitute ground beef. Or you could make this recipe using half venison and half beef to create a venison beef stroganoff.
- Mushrooms – if you’re like my daughter, you loathe mushrooms. What?!? Seriously, that’s OK. Try using zucchini or eggplant, or even potatoes, instead. If you use potatoes, you will need to par-boil them before adding them to your venison stroganoff.
- Heavy whipping cream - heavy whipping cream is great for creating a creamy sauce, but it’s not the healthiest of options! If you’d like to switch out the heavy whipping cream, you can use a combination of milk, butter and flour or milk and cornstarch to create a roux instead.
Make ahead and storage tips
Make ahead
Venison stroganoff is perfect for making ahead of time, and it tastes even better the next day! I love to make a big batch and then keep some for one of those days when you don’t want to cook dinner.
Storage/shelf life
When storing venison stroganoff, you must store it in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated. It will be fine in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze your venison stroganoff! I like to separate it into individual portion sizes; that way, it’s easy for whoever wants it to take just what they need.
Venison stroganoff will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Always make sure that you defrost it fully before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is deer meat sold at grocery stores?
No, you probably won’t find deer meat at any grocery store because it’s wild game meat. However, you may find some at your local farmer’s market since it would be farm-raised. You can also find it online from specialty meat companies.
How do you grind the venison?
In wild game cooking, it’s a good idea to grind the tougher cuts of meat to make them more tender. However, you will need to add some fat to the ground meat since venison is very lean.
You can buy a grinder to grind your own venison, or you can grind it yourself using a cleaver. It’s also possible to grind meat in a blender, but it’s best to do it a little bit at a time.
Better yet, take your wild game meat to your local wild game processor and let them do this for you! They will grind the meat and add just the right amount of fat to the mix.
Other comfort food recipes
You can use venison instead of ground beef in any of these recipes:
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Recipe
Venison Stroganoff
Equipment
- Deep pan or cast iron skillet
- measuring cup(s)
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground venison
- ½ medium onion diced
- 1 pound sliced mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 12 oz package of wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
Instructions
- Place a deep pan (or cast-iron skillet) on the stove. Over medium to medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the ground venison and break it down into small pieces with a spatula. Add garlic and onions. Stir and sauté until the onions are translucent and the venison is no longer pink. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir until fully mixed in. Be sure to break up any lumps that may form.
- Add the beef broth, whipping cream, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, add in the sour cream, and stir well to combine. Taste for flavor and add more seasoning if desired. Place some hot, cooked egg noodles on your plate and top with the best venison stroganoff!
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