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Delicious Crockpot Venison Stew Recipe

Crockpot Venison Stew is a delicious low fat soup made from home canned, fresh or frozen venison game meat. Combining potatoes, beans, carrots and tomatoes with a rich broth made from beef, Worcestershire sauce and fresh spices; this is hearty meal that everyone will love.

Venison is an excellent meat to eat because it carries a rich flavor while having a lower fat content than beef and pork. By using venison in soups, you are able to keep the meat tender and flavorful while preserving the nutrients of this quality meat.

We are walking you through everything there is to know about venison and sharing all of our tips for cooking this crockpot venison stew.

Venison Stew
Crockpot venison stew made with fresh venison is an excellent healthy meal the whole family will enjoy.

What cut of Venison is best for stew?

Similarly to other animals, the best cuts of venison for stew come from the front and back legs. They are considered non-prime cuts because they have a a lean, stringy texture as well as gelatinous membranes that add flavor and heartiness to soups and gravys.

By using these cuts in soups and stews you are able to keep them tender and flavorful due to the long cooking time that these meals require. Our crockpot venison stew can be made with any cut of venison you have on hand, but it is a great recipe to use up those tougher cuts.

Crockpot Venison Stew
crockpot venison stew

How do you cook venison so it is tender?

Due to its lean nature, venison can be a tricky meat to cook tender while infusing flavor. This is why soups and stews are a great option, and cooking them slowly in a crockpot is a great method to use. We recommend cooking on how heat for 6-8 hours for the best results.

Pressure cooking is another method you can use because it locks in nutrients and flavor while tenderizing the meat and retaining moisture throughout the cooking process. We are sharing both methods in this post, so choose whichever you prefer. Crockpot venison stew can be personalized as you like with spices and veggies that you prefer with venison.

More Game Meat Recipes

If you have access to either pheasant or moose meat these are both excellent recipes you must try. Both are delicious and very similar in flavor to this crockpot venison stew recipe.

Is venison healthier than beef?

Venison is considered to be a healthier meat than beef and we are sharing some of the main benefits below.

  1. Venison is a very lean meat and you can read all about it in this article SFGate. Venison contains 3 grams of total fat and only 1 of those grams is saturated.
  2. For comparison, beef has more than three times as much cholesterol per serving than venison.
  3. Fat accounts for only 9 calories per gram of venison.
  4. Venison is also slightly higher in Iron than beef.

We think this is one of the best venison stew recipes you will find. It is easy to build flavor and yields tender venison when cooked as directed. Crockpot venison stew is very beginner friendly if you are new to this game meat.

Crockpot venison stew instructions

Utilizing a CrockPot or slow cooker to prepare venison is a great method of cooking. Venison usually requires a substantially longer cook time over beef and pork, it also benefits from long marinades to infuse flavor and lock in moisture. Slow cooker venison stew is a sure way to get a tender cooked venison with loads of delicious flavor from the longer cook time.

Crockpot Venison Stew
CrockPot Venison Stew with canned venison
  1. Prepare the vegetables by cutting into small 1/2 inch chunks.
  2. Slice the venison and season lightly with salt and pepper.
  3. Place all of the ingredients in the Crockpot, stir and cover with the lid.
  4. Set the Crockpot on low and cook for 6-8 hours or high and cook for 4-6 hours.
  5. For serving garnish with a dash of vinegar, sour cream and fresh herbs if desired.

Instant Pot venison stew method

The InstantPot is another great method for cooking venison stew. This will cut down on cook time and lock in the flavor and nutrients of this delicious meat while tenderizing and deepening the flavor.

Ingredients For Venison Stew Sitting On A Counter With The Instant Pot
Venison stew ingredients come together in your pressure cooker or slow cooker. Not pictured is the worcestershire sauce. Don’t forget it! Here is a rundown of the stew ingredients instructions.
  1. Cut all the vegetables into 1/2 inch chunks
  2. Add all the ingredients into the Instant Pot
  3. Stir everything to distribute the seasonings
  4. Cover and set the Instant Pot to slow cooker high heat for 4 hours to or on low setting for 8 hours
  5. If you prefer you can use the meat stew function and natural release the valve
  6. If using fresh venison sear the meat on the saute function before continuing with the recipe
  7. At serving, taste and add vinegar if desired
  8. Garnish with sour cream, more fresh oregano or sage leaves
Venison Stew Recipe
Crockpot venison stew with fresh tender venison is ready to eat.

If cooking crockpot venison stew with raw venison

If you are using fresh venison in your stews we recommend searing the meat first. This helps lock in moisture and flavor. Be mindful not to over sear the meat, venison is lean and has a tendency to cook fast which will yield a tough texture.

The beauty of crockpot venison stew is that the meat is less likely to become tough and dry. The meat will slowly cook in the juices which breaks down the protein and builds flavor.

Slow Cooker Function

Set the pressure on high on the slow cooker function and set the time to at least 4 to 6 hours.

The Instant Pot slow cooker function is different from a conventional slow cooker. If you find the meat still needs tenderizing when the slow cooker function is done. Set the pot to manual high heat for 10 minutes to finish the stew. Quick release and serve.

Meat/Stew Function

  • For a faster meal use the meat/stew function. This takes only 20 minutes once the pressure is built.
  • You can make this stew on manual high pressure for 20 minutes with a natural release.
  • The warm function will automatically begin when the function you choose ends. You can be gone as long as you need and your stew will be ready when you are.

What goes good with venison?

Because venison is considered a red meat it is simple to season the same way you would prepare beef. Salt and pepper, fresh herbs and spices, hearty aromatics like garlic and onion all enhance the flavor of venison beautifully.

Both organic apple cider vinegar and sour cream add a little extra flavor zip as a garnish. This stew is great alone but if you have either of these condiments handy try this.

Printable Recipe Card

Venison Stew
Yield: 8 servings

CROCKPOT VENISON STEW

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

CrockPot Venison Stew is a delicious high fiber, low fat, gluten free soup made from home canned, fresh or frozen game meat. This tasty stew is chock full of good for you venison and veggies in a seasoned broth sure to delight your family.

Ingredients

  • 1 pint canned venison (or 1 lb. fresh venison meat-cubes)
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 4 medium russet potatoes
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic-minced
  • 1-15 oz. can garbanzo beans-undrained
  • 1-15 oz, can red kidney beans (OR black beans)-undrained
  • 1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 4 Cups water ( i fill the cans halfway with water and pour it into the soup for more flavor)
  • 2 Tablespoons beef flavoring
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, to taste
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon dried sage

Tablespoon dried oregano

  • 1 Tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasonings
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Cut all the vegetables into 1/2 inch pieces
  2. Add all the ingredients into the crockpot. Break up the meat into small chunks as you stir the pot to distribute the seasonings.
  3. Cover and set the crockpot on high for four hours or low setting for 8 hours.
  4. At serving, taste and add vinegar to taste (start with 2 Tablespoons)
  5. garnish with sour cream, more fresh oregano or sage leaves and vinegar

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Add avocado oil to your instant pot and turn on the sautè function.
  2. Set your venison stew meat in the instant pot and season it with Montreal steak seasoning.
  3. Brown the venison stew meat cubes in the instant pot on saute setting turning occasionally to brown all sides of the meat. Add oil as necessary to prevent burning.
  4. Deglaze (add water and stir it until the stuck on bits are mixed in with the meat) the pan with a small amount of liquid. This adds more flavor to the soup.
  5. Add in all the of canned goods, remaining seasonings and bay leaf, water and chopped vegetables.
  6. Cook on meat/stew function for 20 minutes. Natural release to make sure the meat has a chance to tenderize and rest. OR use the slow cooker function on HIGH heat for 4 to 6 hours.

Notes

You may set your crockpot on low setting for 8 hours if you need extra time. This recipe assumes you have canned meat.

If your venison is raw:

brown it beforehand on medium heat with oil (avocado oil works well for this). Watch while it browns and turn the meat often. Venison has little fat so burns easily. Set your crockpot on high heat for raw meat.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1 Cup

Amount Per Serving Calories 302Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 45mgSodium 464mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 8gSugar 5gProtein 26g

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Crockpot Venison Stew Recipe-Pin Image
CrockPot Venison Stew is a delicious low fat soup made from home canned, fresh or frozen venison game meat.
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Susie Q

Monday 26th of October 2020

I made this tonight using a pork roast (that I found in my freezer) and it's far better tasting than I remembered. The flavor is so amazing. I used my pressure cooker. Thanks again!

Diane

Monday 26th of October 2020

Hi Susie, Hey that's great! Thanks for sharing how you made this stew work for you. Have a wonderful day. :)

Pamela J Neumann

Sunday 19th of April 2020

I just made this. It is very good. I will make it again. I have 6 pints of canned venison in my pantry and have trouble finding recipes we like for it.. I would suggest you add one note, it was really good with homemade wholewheat bread or beer bread would be great if you don't have time for yeast breads.

Diane

Sunday 19th of April 2020

Hi Pamela, What a great suggestions to serve it with a yummy loaf of warm homemade bread. This is one of our favorite stews. I'm so happy it worked out for you.

This recipe is pretty versatile so let us know if you try it different ways. It's alway fun to know how others use our recipes.

Shannon

Saturday 5th of October 2019

Hi! I want to make this tonight but I am confused. The picture shows tomato sauce and Montreal steak seasoning and black beans. Which all look great but they are not on the recipe. Did you use these items? The recipe sounds amazing I am just curious if I should add them.

Diane

Saturday 5th of October 2019

Hi Shannon, We did use those ingredients when we made this recipe for the instant pot. They are really great additions and I will add them into the recipe. Thanks for pointing out the inconsistency. We recently added the instant pot instructions with the video. I missed those details.please let us know how this recipe turns out for you and have a great day. :)

Lorraine

Tuesday 12th of June 2018

I’m making this for dinner tonight! My friend’s hubby is a hunting and fishing guy and we are blessed to reap some of the benefits from that! Our deep freezer gets filled with venison steaks, ground venison and homemade sausage they make from the deer and hogs he brings home. I am using raw venison steaks for this meal and I’m so excited about it! Thanks for sharing!

Diane

Tuesday 12th of June 2018

Hi lorraine, Thank you! Please let us know how your dinner turns out. I would suggest you sear the steak meat before using to perfect the texture and flavor of the meat. I was using canned venison so that step was unnecessary for me. Raw meat needs browning for the best result in my opinion. Have a great day!

Susie

Monday 11th of December 2017

This is SO ironic - I have 12 chicken thighs and popped onto your site for a good recipe. And was excited to see this one from the search menu. LOL!

I'm using the recipe for my chicken and am excited to try it with your seasonsings.

I love your site, sis! ? ? ?

Diane

Monday 11th of December 2017

Lol. Thanks Susie. Enjoy!

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