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Venison stew in a white bowl.
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Venison Stew

Cozy up to a bowl of Venison Stew, made with lean protein, red wine, and lots of winter vegetables. If you’re lucky enough to have venison on hand, add this recipe to your menu immediately.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 8 servings (1 1/2 cups each)
Calories 193kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pat venison pieces dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half the meat and cook in a single layer without moving until browned on one side, about 5 minutes.
  • Flip each piece of venison and continue cooking until browned on the other side. Transfer to a bowl. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil and repeat with remaining venison. Transfer to the bowl.
  • Heat the last tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. To the pot, add tomato paste, red wine, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, and browned venison with accumulated juices, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour.
  • Stir in potatoes and carrots. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook 1 hour longer, until venison is tender. Remove bay leaves and any thyme stems. Off the heat, stir in peas and cover for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Video

Notes

  1. Venison: This meat from deer is smoother and firmer than beef with an earthy flavor, often with hints of the acorns, savory plants, and herbs that the deer enjoyed during its life (if it was wild). If you are concerned about the gamey taste of venison, you can mellow that flavor by soaking venison in milk, in your refrigerator, for 2 days. This tenderizes the meat, too. No venison? Substitute beef stew meat and nothing in the recipe has to change.
  2. Red wine: My favorite wines for stews, Pot Roast, and Beef Bourguignon are Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir. Or, you can substitute more chicken broth.
  3. Thyme: Fresh rosemary (instead of or in addition to) would be great in this stew, too. The bay leaf is essential.
  4. Yield: This Venison Stew recipe makes about 12 cups of stew, enough for 8 hearty servings, 1 1/2 cups each.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: Venison stew tastes even better the second day, so consider making it a day or 2 in advance.
  7. Freezer: Freezing potatoes makes them soft and grainy, so if you want to freeze the stew, consider omitting the potatoes. Add them when reheating the stew, or consider serving the stew over mashed potatoes instead. To freeze the stew, cool it completely, then pack in freezer-safe containers. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5304IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg