Venison Wellington
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Venison Wellington is easily one of the most elegant recipes I’ve ever made. It’s rich and delicious, and the presentation is absolutely unforgettable.

My husband actually came up with the idea for a venison Wellington. I’ve made beef Wellington in the past, but with an abundance of wild game in the freezer, he thought it was time to give it a try.
I know I say, “It was the best recipe I ever had,” quite a bit, but I don’t think I’ve ever meant it more than with this one. I used a venison backstrap for this recipe, but a venison tenderloin works, too; it is just a tad smaller.
The best part is that it’s actually easy to make! The trickiest part is getting the cooking time just right. You want the pastry to bake through and the meat to cook perfectly without one being overdone while the other isn’t finished. But once you’ve mastered itโoh myโis it delicious!
It actually reminds me a lot of my stuffed backstrap recipe but more refined and aesthetically pleasing!
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Elegant: This is one of those dishes you want to save for special occasions or holidays like Christmas. While it’s a simple dish with simple ingredients, much like my Dutch Oven Meatloaf or Venison Sliders recipes, it elevates it into something special.
Delicious: With its buttery, flaky crust and tender, flavorful venison center, this recipe is a guaranteed hit.
Make it Your Own: Customize this dish with your favorite seasonings, herbs, or even a side of your choice to suit your style and taste. See my favorite accompaniments below.
Ingredients
- Venison backstrap: Venison tenderloin or backstrap will work just fine. I like a backstrap for its size, but the main thing is to make sure it’s pretty uniform in size.
- Salt and pepper
- Avocado oil: I like to use avocado oil for its high smoke point. You can also use any vegetable oil you like.
- Parma ham or prosciutto: Typically, this is made with prosciutto, but today, I made it with parma ham, and it was delicious.
- Pastry puff: Both frozen or refrigerated pastry puff will be fine.
- Dijon mustard: Plain yellow mustard also works great.
- Egg yolks
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms or whatever mushrooms you have on hand!
- Yellow onion
- Garlic: Definitely use fresh garlic if you can.
- Butter: Kerrygold salted butter is my go-to here.
- Dried thyme: Or use finely chopped fresh thyme.
- White wine: I like a dry white wine for this.
Ingredient Variations
- A lot of people like using Dijon mustard over regular mustard. The choice is yours.
- For a milder flavor, consider using a large shallot instead of an onion.
- Feel free to add fresh thyme and parsley to the duxelles.
Step 1: Generously season the backstrap with salt and pepper. Heat the avocado oil in a cast iron skillet and sear the backstrap for one minute on each side, letting a nice crust form before flipping. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the duxelles by pulsing mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the pulsed mixture along with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture becomes paste-like. Stir in the white wine and cook until fully evaporated.
Step 3: Lay the ham on a large piece of plastic wrap, slightly overlapping the slices to create a sheet large enough to wrap around the tenderloin.
Step 4: Evenly spread the duxelles over the layer of ham. Brush the duxelles with mustard.
Step 5: Place the tenderloin in the center of the ham and duxelles. Using the plastic wrap, tightly roll the ham around the tenderloin, sealing the ends securely. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
Step 6: On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the pastry puff. Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloin and place the meat in the center of the pastry. Trim any excess pastry if needed, then lightly brush the edges with egg wash. Tightly wrap the pastry around the tenderloin, folding the edges to seal it completely. Use the egg wash as a glue to secure the pastry.
Step 7: Brush the surface of the pastry with egg wash for a golden finish. Bake at 425ยฐF for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
Step 8: Allow the Wellington to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips
- Wrap the pastry tightly without tearing it. This will help keep it from falling apart when you cut it.
- Brush a little egg wash on the inside edges of the pastry before folding it. This, too, will help seal it tight.
- Before spreading the mushroom paste onto the pastry, make sure all the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms. Otherwise, the pastry will become soggy while it rests after baking.
- I used a frozen pastry puff for this recipe. Plan ahead to allow it to thaw for 40 minutes on the counter or until it’s pliable. You can also use refrigerated pastry.
- Rest the dish for 15 minutes before slicing to keep the juices intact.
Recipe FAQs
You will only need to wrap it if your tenderloin or backstrap is uneven. In most cases, it will be a pretty uniform cylinder shape and won’t need to be wrapped.
Undercooking the duxelles will, without a doubt, result in the pastry becoming soggy. You want to cook the mushrooms until they are pretty dry.
Typically, you will want to use the backstrap for the Wellington. You can use a tenderloin, but they can be pretty small.
If you tried this Venison Wellington 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 Wellington
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Wellington
- 1 lb venison backstrap
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 9 slices parma ham or prosciutto
- 1 frozen pastry puff thawed
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- 2 egg yolks beaten
For the Duxelles
- 1 pound mushrooms
- 1 small yellow onion or a large shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ยฝ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp white wine I use a dry white wine. Brandy is also a great choice!
Instructions
- Generously season the backstrap with salt and pepper. Heat the avocado oil in a cast iron skillet and sear the backstrap for one minute on each side, letting a nice crust form before flipping. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the duxelles by pulsing mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the pulsed mixture along with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture becomes paste-like. Stir in the white wine and cook until fully evaporated.
- Lay out the parma ham or prosciutto on a large piece of plastic wrap, slightly overlapping the slices to create a sheet large enough to wrap around the tenderloin.
- Evenly spread the duxelles over the layer of ham. Brush the duxelles with mustard.
- Place the tenderloin in the center of the ham and duxelles. Using the plastic wrap, tightly roll the ham around the tenderloin, sealing the ends securely. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- On a lightly floured surface or a piece of parchment paper, roll out the pastry puff. Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloin and discard it. Place the tenderloin in the center of the pastry.
- Trim any excess pastry if needed, then lightly brush the edges with egg wash. Tightly wrap the pastry around the tenderloin, folding the edges to seal it completely. Use the egg wash as a glue to secure the pastry.
- Brush the entire surface of the pastry with egg wash for a golden finish. Bake at 425ยฐF for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
- Allow the Wellington to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- I have included detailed step-by-step images of the process above, as well as a video of me making this recipe for reference!ย
- Wrap the pastry tightly without tearing it. This will help keep it from falling apart when you cut it.
- Brush a little egg wash on the inside edges of the pastry before folding it. This, too, will help seal it tight.
- Before spreading the mushroom paste onto the pastry, make sure all the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms. Otherwise, the pastry will become soggy while it rests after baking.
- I use a frozen pastry puff for this recipe. Plan ahead to allow it to thaw for 40 minutes on the counter or until itโs pliable. You can also use refrigerated pastry.
Oh my gosh, I canโt wait to try this! It looks so delicious!
Thanks!