Venison Meatloaf Recipe
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This simple yet flavorful venison meatloaf is a perfect blend of tender venison, savory sausage, and aromatic spices, topped with a sweet and tangy barbecue glaze.
This time of year, we usually have deer meat for dinner several nights a week until it runs out!
We love all the cuts, from my stuffed venison backstrap and venison burgers to our favorite venison casserole!
But we really love this meatloaf! That could be in part to the special ingredient, but I think I’ll let you be the judge.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Venison is so delicious and makes the best meatloaf!
- Very easy to make with little hands-on time.
- The barbecue glaze on top is finger-licking good. (For a tangier variation, try the glaze I use on my dutch oven meatloaf!)
What goes into this recipe
- Ground Venison: This lean and flavorful meat is really what makes this recipe!
- Ground Pork Sausage: We add some ground pork sausage for extra juiciness and a boost of flavor. If you are not a fan of venison, this is a great addition!
- Eggs and Breadcrumbs: These are the glue that holds our meatloaf together, ensuring it holds its shape and cooks evenly.
- Salsa: We’re adding a burst of flavor with some fresh salsa! Don’t ask why, just use it and you’ll see.
- Celery and Onions: These are completely optional, but I love both of these in my venison meatloaf.
- Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Garlic Powder, and Thyme: A simple blend of spices that elevates the flavor of the meatloaf.
Venison meatloaf recipe
Step 1. Add venison and sausage into a large glass mixing bowl. Work the two portions of meat together. They don’t need to be perfectly mixed because we’ll still mix it up more in a minute.
Step 2. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, salsa, celery, onions, and seasonings in the bowl with the meat. Now, mix everything up nicely. It should be pretty hefty and hold a shape when done.
Step 3. In a well-seasoned 12″ cast iron skillet, roughly shape the meatloaf and set it in the center of the skillet. Fine-tune the shape if needed, then place it on the center rack in the oven and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.
Step 4. Carefully remove the loaf and top with ketchup, barbeque sauce, or the homemade glaze recipe below and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until done.
Expert Tips
- Depending on the size of the loaf, it should take around 50-60 minutes for a two-and-a-half-pound meatloaf.
- You can substitute salsa for milk if you prefer. I prefer the salsa for this style of meatloaf, but milk will make a great substitute.
- Don’t worry about sautéing the celery and onions beforehand. The oven will gently soften them as the meatloaf bakes. If you prefer a bit of texture, chop the vegetables a bit thicker.
- The perfect meatloaf is flavorful, moist, and holds together well. Just like our elk meatloaf recipe.
Barbecue Glaze Recipe
- ½ cup of hickory barbeque sauce
- ¼ cup of ketchup
- 1 tbsp of brown sugar
- 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and brush onto the venison meatloaf for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Recipe FAQs
I love ground venison recipes because they can be used in a variety of dishes, including venison stew, venison chili, venison stroganoff, and more.
Some fantastic sides to serve with venison meatloaf include side salads, garlic parmesan Brussel sprouts, cheesy bacon and squash, or stuffed garlic bread.
Using high-fat meat is the best way to make a moist, tender meatloaf! That is why we add in pork sausage!
Related Recipes
- Venison steaks
- Cast iron burgers
- Venison backstrap
- Venison tenderloin medallions
- Fried pork liver
- Dutch oven venison roast
- Pan-fried pork steaks
If you tried this Venison Meatloaf 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!
Venison Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground venison
- ½ lb ground pork sausage
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup salsa
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 celery ribs chopped thin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder and thyme
- ½ tsp pepper and cumin
For the glaze
- ½ cup hickory bbq sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Combine venison and pork in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with your hands.
- Roughly shape it into a loaf, then set it in the center of a 12" cast iron skillet.
- Fine-tune the shape of the loaf if needed before transferring it to the center rack and baking for 45 minutes.
- While the meatloaf is baking, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl or ramekin.
- Spread the glaze over the top of the loaf for the last 15 minutes in the oven or until done.
Notes
- Depending on the size of the loaf, it should take around 50-60 minutes for a two-and-a-half-pound meatloaf.
- You can substitute salsa for milk if you prefer. I prefer the salsa for this style of meatloaf, but milk will make a great substitute.
- Don’t worry about sautéing the celery and onions beforehand. The oven will gently soften them as the meatloaf bakes. If you prefer a bit of texture, chop the vegetables a bit thicker.
Made this the other day but substituted more venison for the pork sausage. I also used sweet baby rays barbecue sauce. It was delicious!