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Braising your venison ribs makes them fall-off-the-bone tender and supremely flavorful! Try these braised venison ribs for an entrée that’s easy to make and satisfies every time.
Everyone loves classic dutch oven spare ribs, beef short ribs, or even country-style ribs. But have you ever tried venison ribs?
A lot of wild game enthusiasts just turn the ribs into ground venison for venison hamburgers or venison pasta sauce. In fact, when I was new to cooking with venison, I had a hard time finding a good ribs recipe!
Over the years, I’ve perfected my own, and I’m so excited to share it with you.
This venison ribs recipe uses seasonings, BBQ sauce, and a good braise to craft super tender, moist, and flavorful meat.
If you have venison ribs on the larger side, don’t put them in the grinder just yet. You are going to love this venison recipe — you’ll be so glad you saved those ribs!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this recipe
- Easy recipe: These venison ribs require very little hands-on time. Just sear them, add the other ingredients, and pop them in the oven. You’ll be done with your part in 15 minutes, and the oven will do the rest.
- Fun venison recipe: I like looking for new and interesting ways to enjoy my venison. Ribs are a sure winner with my family! We look forward to these every year.
- Tender: Venison is a lean meat and can turn out a little tough and dry when it’s not cooked properly. You don’t have to worry about that with this recipe! The meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender and juicy every single time.
Ingredients
- Venison ribs: Be sure to cut them into 4-6 inch pieces so they fit in the dutch oven easily.
- Olive oil: You’ll need just a little oil for searing the ribs.
- Spices: A combination of salt and pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder offers a robust and savory flavor.
- Beef broth: Venison ribs are their most tender and delicious when cooked using a ‘moist heat’ method, such as braising, so we will need plenty of liquid. Beef broth offers the best flavor! Feel free to use a carton or homemade broth; even homemade bone broth will work.
- BBQ sauce: You can use any of your favorite sauces, or even make your own!
- Brown sugar, dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar: These ingredients come together for a balanced flavor and a smoky, savory, and sweet sauce.
How to Make Braised Venison Ribs
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Step 2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides until browned, about 2–3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Step 3. In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add beef broth and stir in the BBQ sauce, mustard, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Mix well and bring to a simmer.
Step 4. Return the ribs to the pot, carefully, bone-side down. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 ½ hours, or until tender but not quite falling off the bone.
Tips + Notes
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce — smoky, sweet, or spicy. I’ve been really getting into the Smash Kitchen BBQ sauce!
- My husband likes to add a splash of hot sauce to the liquid, so if you like a little extra kick, it’s really good!
- You can use this same recipe for elk or moose; you may just need to extend the cook time to about 3 hours.
Best Sides for Venison Ribs
Some of my all-time favorite side dishes are those that pair with BBQ meat. So you can imagine how much I love a meal with braised venison ribs! The best sides for ribs are your classic BBQ side dishes, bread, and savory vegetables.
Veggies: My favorite vegetable side for venison ribs is definitely homemade vinegar coleslaw! Other excellent choices are cheesy bacon butternut squash, or boiled okra.
Classic sides: If you’ve ever been to a barbecue joint, you know what I’m talking about. Corn on the cob, homemade baked beans, mac and cheese, and cast iron cornbread are a few trusty classics.
Bread: Homemade bread is always a winning side to a simple meat entrée. Whole grain rolls, brioche bread with fresh milled flour, or garlic cream cheese bread would be so good.
Recipes FAQs
If the ribs are on the larger side, you should make these braised venison ribs! If cooked properly, venison ribs can be every bit as delicious as pork or beef ribs. If the venison ribs are smaller and don’t have much meat on them, you may be better off adding them to the grinder for ground venison. Don’t worry — I have plenty of delicious ground venison recipes to share!
You’ll definitely want to cover them to keep the moisture in and prevent the ribs from drying out. I strongly recommend a low and slow/moist heat method, such as braising, for tender and juicy meat.
This is a matter of personal preference, and I always say go with your favorite BBQ sauce! If you need a good place to start, I would try a sweet and smoky sauce such as Sweet Baby Ray’s or Stubb’s Original, or my current favorite, Smash Kitchen BBQ.
Leftover ribs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or covered with foil in the oven.
Related Recipes
- Venison Nuggets
- Venison Steak Recipe
- Pulled Venison Shoulder Roast
- Garlic Butter Venison Sirloin
- Slow Cooker Venison Roast
If you tried this Braised Venison Ribs Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Braised Venison Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds venison ribs cut into 4–6 inch sections (or to fit)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup BBQ sauce plus more for serving
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Pat ribs dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides until browned, about 2–3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add beef broth and stir in the BBQ sauce, mustard, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Mix well and bring to a simmer.
- Return the ribs to the pot, carefully, bone-side down. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 ½ hours, or until tender but not quite falling off the bone.
Video
Notes
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce — smoky, sweet, or spicy. I’ve been really getting into the Smash Kitchen BBQ sauce!
- My husband likes to add a splash of hot sauce to the liquid, so if you like a little extra kick, it’s really good!
- You can use this same recipe for elk or moose; you may just need to extend the cook time to about 3 hours.
These ribs are now my favorite game night snack! I love them dipped in bbq sauce and even hot sauce!
These ribs turned out great! I was surprised by how much meat was on there.
Agreed!