Our venison meat loaf recipe gives a wild game twist to a classic comfort meal. It is tender and flavorful and comes together in a snap.
If you have a meat grinder at home and a freezer full of venison, or if you’ve gotten some already ground from a hunter friend or the farmers market, you’re going to love this take on meat loaf.
Venison Meat Loaf Ingredients
- Ground venison: This recipe features 100% ground venison. You can use a ground venison made from only deer meat, or you can opt for a ground venison that’s mixed with pork or beef fat.
- Bread crumbs: Bread crumbs absorb juices in the meat loaf. This helps to make it tender and moist.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the meat loaf together and prevent it from crumbling when slicing.
- Mustard topping: The combination of brown sugar, spicy brown mustard and white vinegar gives the meat loaf a sweet-tangy flavor. It also helps to prevent the meat loaf from drying out while cooking.
Directions
Step 1: Make the loaf
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the tomato sauce, onion, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add the venison, and mix until incorporated. Press the mixture into an ungreased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Editor’s Tip: Take care to not overmix. Doing so can lead to a tough loaf.
Step 2: Make the mustard topping
In s small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, mustard and vinegar. Pour the topping over the loaf.
Step 3: Bake the loaf
Bake the meat loaf, uncovered, for 70 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 160°.
Venison Meat Loaf Variations
- Swap the bread crumbs: For additional flavor, swap plain bread crumbs with Italian bread crumbs or crumbled cheese and butter crackers.
- Add some veggies: Add your favorite sauteed vegetables to the mix—think red or green bell peppers, chopped mushrooms or grated carrots.
- Get saucy: For an even easier topping, use your favorite barbecue sauce in place of the brown sugar-mustard mixture.
How do you store venison meat loaf?
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Can you freeze venison meat loaf?
Yes, venison meat loaf can be frozen. After cooking, allow the meat loaf to rest for 20 minutes, then cool it completely in the refrigerator. Once cooled, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Place it in a freezer bag, and seal. Freeze for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then reheat in a 350° oven until the center of the loaf reaches 165°. The time may vary depending on your appliance.
Venison Meat Loaf Tips
Where can you get ground venison?
If you harvest your own deer, you can have your butcher process some of the meat into ground venison. You can also grind your own venison. Because venison is incredibly lean, most people opt to add beef or pork fat to the mix, at a ratio of 80% lean meat and 20% fat. Both types of fat can be purchased from your local butcher. You can grind meat using a meat grinder or by using a grinder attachment with your stand mixer. Use the medium grind plate, alternating additions of venison and fat to evenly distribute the fat in the meat. Grind everything through a second time for an all-purpose ground meat that’s perfect for meat loaf and burgers. You can also use your food processor to grind meat without a grinder!
If you do not harvest your own deer or have any friends who are hunters—it is illegal to sell wild game meat in much of the United States—you can purchase farmed venison online or from some specialty grocery stores or butchers. Such ground venison is often made from farmed deer imported from New Zealand.
How can you make sure venison meat loaf is juicy?
The key to a juicy venison meat loaf is not to overcook it, and that is where the meat thermometer comes in. Start checking the temperature about one hour in, and check every 10 minutes thereafter.
What do you serve with venison meat loaf?
Like any other meat loaf, you can serve venison meat loaf with classics like potatoes and green veggies. One of our favorite to pair with this recipe is red roasted potatoes and sauteed or air-fryer green beans. For a more kid-friendly side, you can serve it with a tater tot casserole (who are we kidding—the adults will love this too!). Plate the venison and tater tot casserole with a side portion of apple salad with maple-mustard vinaigrette.
