This venison steak recipe is incredibly simple, easy and most of all, tasty! It's flavorful and juicy, good enough for a fancier dinner, and easy enough for a weeknight meal.
We barely eat beef anymore because my husband is an avid hunter, so after hunting season, there's always deer in the freezer. It's our go-to red meat!
Some of my favorite deer meat recipes are venison stew, venison sausage and these super simple, yet SUPER delicious deer steaks. I'll also use ground venison in place of ground beef in recipes like beef stroganoff, beef and quinoa skillet and tostadas, without noticing a difference!
This venison steak recipe is originally from my mother-in-law. It's very simple and SO good, I just decided to add garlic powder because let's face it, I pretty much add fresh garlic or garlic powder to everything I cook. It never hurts!
This deer steak recipe is great when you marinate the steaks ahead of time, but it's also great when you season them last minute.
What is Venison Steak?
Venison is the meat of deer, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and moose, among others. In this recipe, I used mule deer.
Steak can come from many different parts of a deer. The most tender cuts are from the tenderloin, striploin and rump. You can use most meat from a deer as steaks, but the tougher meat will require slower cooking.
Sometimes when I realize I have a lot of roasts in the freezer, I'll thaw a venison roast and cut it into steaks, just to use it in a different way. You can only eat roasts so often!
Is Venison Steak Healthy?
Deer meat is wild and naturally grass-fed! It’s higher in protein and iron than beef is and has a lower fat content. It’s also high in zinc and many B vitamins.
What Does Venison Steak Taste Like?
Venison is very similar to beef, though many say it has a wild or gamey flavor. The taste and tenderness of the game meat also depend on many factors: the diet of the animal, how long the deer is alive after being shot, how soon after death the organs are removed, etc.
If you ask me, there really isn't a big difference between wild game meats and beef, but maybe that's just because I'm used to it!
This steak is heavily seasoned with garlic and oregano, so I'd say it's a good venison recipe to start with if you aren't yet used to the taste!
Why Sit the Steaks at Room Temperature before cooking?
I recommend getting your steaks out of the fridge (they should be fully defrosted if they were frozen before) and let them sit on the counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking, whether you marinated them before or not.
This ensures the meat will cook evenly because the centre won't still be cold while the outside is cooking on the pan.
What Temperature Should Venison Steak Be COoked to?
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steaks. Venison steaks should be cooked to 145°F, then left to rest for 5 minutes before serving. This will create a barely cooked-through steak that's still moist and juicy! The perfect venison steak.
Feel free to cook the steak to 130-135°F, if you prefer a medium-rare or medium steak. However, you must be aware that there could be parasites and bacteria that remain if you don't fully cook the meat. It's up to you and your comfort level!
Why Allow the Steaks to Sit After Cooking?
The steaks will look so tantalizing after they are finished cooking, but don't be tempted to cut into them just yet! Tent them with aluminum foil to keep them warm, and let them rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices have a chance to redistribute in the meat.
This is a good rule of thumb for cooking with most meats. Otherwise, all of the juices will run out of the meat and you'll be left with dry steak.
What to Serve Venison Steak With?
You can serve the same types of things as you would with beef steaks! I usually do a potato dish, like garlic olive oil mashed potatoes or crispy oven fries, then a vegetable or two, like pan-fried asparagus, green beans, roasted cauliflower or peas. Some warm homemade garlic bread never hurts either. This creates a delicious and well-balanced complete meal.
You could also top the steak with a little horseradish sauce or pesto, for extra flavor.
Cast iron skillet or large frying pan
How to Make Venison Steak
Ingredients:
- 2 large venison steaks, about ¾ inch thick (any cut works great with this recipe!)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions:
The night before or morning of: Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and rub 1 tablespoon olive oil all over each steak.
Mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano in a small bowl. Coat the steaks on every side with the seasoning mix and use all of it! Return to the fridge and keep the meat there until 30 minutes before cooking. It is optional to season the steaks ahead of time, so if you need to cook the steaks right away, just season and cook and they'll still be great!
Remove your steaks from the fridge and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will allow for more even cooking.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the cast iron pan over medium heat. You want it to be hot before placing the steaks down.
Once the pan is hot, place steaks in and cook for 4 minutes, uncovered. Flip the steaks and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. This should result in the meat being barely well done. Still juicy and tender, yet fully cooked.
Remove steaks from the pan and tent with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for AT LEAST 5 minutes (10 minutes is more ideal). This will help the meat retain its juices, so you don't end up with dry steaks!
Serve and enjoy! If you can handle dairy, put a little cube of butter on your steak after it's done cooking. It will melt as the meat rests and add an extra layer of deliciousness when you finally dig in! Topping with fresh parsley is also nice.
How to Store Venison Steaks
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Leftover venison steak is delicious the next day, simply warm up in the skillet again!
Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!
Side Dish Ideas
- THE BEST CRISPY OVEN FRIES
- SAUTÉED KALE AND SPINACH
- WARM QUINOA WITH LEMON AND HERBS
- ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR
- OVEN ROASTED CARROTS AND ASPARAGUS
More Venison Recipes
- GARLIC VENISON AND PORK SAUSAGE
- VENISON STEW
- VENISON ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PORK
- BRAISED VENISON ROAST
- BRAISED VENISON SHANKS WITH GARLIC
📖 Recipe
Venison Steak with Oregano
Yield: 2
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
This venison steak recipe is incredibly simple, easy and most of all, tasty! It's flavorful and juicy, good enough for a fancier dinner, and easy enough for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 large venison steaks, about ¾ inch thick (any cut works great with this recipe!)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- The night before or morning of: Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and rub 1 tablespoon olive oil all over each steak. Mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano in a small bowl. Coat the steaks on every side with the seasoning mix and use all of it! Return to the fridge and keep the meat there until 30 minutes before cooking. It is optional to season the steaks ahead of time, so if you need to cook the steaks right away, just season and cook and they'll still be great!
- Remove your steaks from the fridge and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will allow for more even cooking.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the cast iron pan over medium heat. You want it to be hot before placing the steaks down.
- Once the pan is hot, place steaks in and cook for 4 minutes, uncovered. Flip the steaks and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. This should result in the meat being barely well done. Still juicy and tender, yet fully cooked.
- Remove steaks from the pan and tent with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes (10 minutes is more ideal). This will help the meat retain its juices, so you don't end up with dry steaks!
- Serve and enjoy! If you can handle dairy, put a little cube of butter on your steak after it's done cooking. It will melt as the meat rests and add an extra layer of deliciousness when you finally dig in! Topping with fresh parsley is also nice.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Leftover venison steak is delicious the next day, simply warm up in the skillet again!
Cooking to an internal temperature of 130°F will produce a medium-rare to medium steak, whereas cooking to 140°F will produce a barely well-done steak.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 324Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1204mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 27g
This nutrient calculation is done by an automated calculator and may not be accurate.
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