Venison Steak Recipe
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This juicy venison steak is perfectly marinaded in our own homemade marinade and seared to crispy perfection in a cast iron skillet! Mmm, you are going to love this one!
I have had the opportunity to polish my venison steak cooking skills over the years, using every method from sou vis to the barbeque pit.
And while I have made everything from deer roasts to venison backstraps, there is nothing quite like a pan-seared venison steak.
You cook it right, and it can be every bit as tender as your typical beef steak.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Venison Steaks: I like my steaks cut about 3/4″ thick; feel free to cut them to your desired thickness.
- Soy Sauce: I love adding soy sauce to most of my marinades!
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Ground Pepper: Enhances the savory flavor of the steak.
- Rubbed Sage: Adds a warm, earthy flavor that pairs well with venison.
- Oil: This helps create a nice, crispy crust on the steak. Butter is also a great alternative.
- Onion: I personally love sauteed onions with my steak, but if you’re not a fan, simply skip that step.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Surprisingly, we are actually going to be cooking the red wine vinegar with our onions. I have been doing it this way lately and loving it.
- Salt, Pepper, Paprika, and Garlic Powder: You know, all the usual seasonings.
Venison steak recipe
Step 1: Place the steaks in a big Ziploc bag with soy sauce, Worcestershire, pepper, and sage. Seal it up, give it a good shake, and set it in the fridge for up to 8 hours.
Step 2: Remove the steaks 30 minutes before you intend to cook them. Pat them dry and sear them in a hot skillet with cooking oil. Flip every minute until they reach your desired doneness. Remove the steaks to rest.
Step 3: Add more oil to the skillet and sauté the onions. Then, stir in red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Continue to sauté until the onions are soft.
Step 4: Top steaks with onions and enjoy!
Note: If you’re a fan of balsamic vinegar, check out my venison steak marinade recipe for a tangy twist.
Expert Tips
- For the best flavor, marinate your steaks for 8 hours. If you’re short on time, 2 hours will do the trick. If you can remember, flip the bag halfway through to ensure it marinates evenly.
- Take your steaks off the heat a few degrees before they reach your desired doneness. They’ll continue to cook a bit after you remove them from the heat. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to ensure it’s perfectly cooked.
- You can marinate your steaks in either a zip-top bag or a plastic container. Both methods work great!
- This is a lean meat, and if it’s overcooked, it’s going to end up resembling my elk jerky recipe more than a steak.
- Resting is mandatory. We all know resting your steak is ‘good.’ But why? An experiment by serious eats revealed that just 10 minutes of rest time gave the liquid in the steak time to redistribute evenly throughout the meat, resulting in little to no juices spilling out when cutting into the steak. As a result, a more flavorful steak.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Simply follow my dutch oven round steak recipe, and substitute the beef for venison!
Soaking the meat in a marinade will help absorb some of the gamey flavors. Look for acidic marinades, such as ones with vinegar, lemon juice, or lime, for best results. You can also use the marinades I use for my fajitas texanas or my marinated moose steaks; both would be great alternatives.
You can either cook it low and slow or with high heat on the stovetop. If you are cooking it with high heat, you must not overcook it to remain tender.
Of course, I have a delicious chicken fried venison steak recipe that is absolutely fantastic!
Related recipes
- Venison Stew
- Tenderloin Medallions
- Fried Pork Liver
- The best Meatloaf Recipe
- BBQ Bacon Elk Burgers
- Elk Tenderloin
If you tried this Venison Steak 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!
How to Cook Venison Steak
Ingredients
Steak
- 4 venison steaks 6-8 oz each
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- ¼ tsp rubbed sage
- 2 tbsp oil
Topping
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ yellow onion sliced
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp chopped green onions about 6 ribs
Instructions
- Place the steaks in a gallon-size zippered bag with soy sauce, Worcestershire, pepper, and sage. Seal it up, give it a good shake, and set it in the fridge for up to 8 hours.
- Remove the steaks 30 minutes before you intend to cook them. Pat them dry and sear them in a hot skillet with cooking oil. Flip every minute until they reach your desired doneness. Remove the steaks to rest.
- Add more oil to the skillet and sauté the onions. Then, stir in red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Continue to sauté until the onions are soft.
- Top steaks with onions and enjoy!
Notes
- According to the UMN, venison steaks should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (medium-rare)
- For the best flavor, marinate your steaks for 8 hours. If you’re short on time, 2 hours will do the trick. If you can remember, flip the bag halfway through to ensure even marinating.
- Take your steaks off the heat a few degrees before they reach your desired doneness. They’ll continue to cook a bit after you remove them from the heat. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to ensure it’s cooked to perfection.
- For the best results, allow the meat to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
So simple and absolutely delicious! Thanks!
I am so glad to hear that you loved it!
This venison steak recipe sounds amazing! I love the idea of using a cast iron skillet for that perfect sear. Can’t wait to give this a try—thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!
The steak was very good. Should maybe have taken out of the pan at 130 ? Was more like medium when ready to eat(?). The veggies were spectacular! I drizzled a little Balsamic Vinegar Glaze over them just before removing from stove!
I’m so glad to hear you liked it! And balsamic vinegar? Thats a great idea. I’m going to have to try that.
This recipe is my go to. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise in the kitchen!
So glad to hear!