This venison marinade is my go-to for deer steaks cut from backstrap, tenderloin, loin, and rounds. It has plenty of flavor without masking the taste of the meat. Apple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, coriander, and olive oil give it a savory-sweet flavor that pairs especially well with venison with a nice char. It takes about 10 minutes to mix and makes enough marinade for roughly 2 to 3 pounds of venison.
Quick Look: Venison Marinade
- Ready in: About 10 Minutes
- Yield: About 2 1/2 cups
- Calories: 289
- Main ingredients:
- Best cuts to marinate: Venison tenderloin, backstrap (loin), round steaks, and small roasts.
- Why this version stands out: Apple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and coriander lend it a touch of sweetness and plenty of savory flavor.
- Good to know: Marinating time depends on the cut and thickness of the venison. See the chat within the post.
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I use this marinade mostly on the same cuts I cover in my how to prepare venison steaks guide, particularly backstrap, tenderloin, and round steaks. If you’re working with deer hind quarter cuts and aren’t sure which steaks you have, I show you all the venison round steaks for a close up look.
Why This Recipe Works
- Apple juice gives this marinade a mild sweetness that works really well with the salty soy sauce. Ginger, garlic, coriander, and black pepper balance that sweetness and give the venison plenty of flavor without burying the taste of the meat.
- It’s versatile and works on any cut you plan to cook hot and fast. One batch makes about 2 1/2 cups, which is plenty for roughly 2 to 3 pounds of venison.
- The marinating time is where the cut really matters. Small venison medallions only need a few hours, while a large piece of backstrap meat or small roast can stay in much longer. Treating every cut the same and leaving it overnight isn’t the way I use this marinade.
Notes on Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Apple juice: This is the base of the marinade. It gives the venison a mild fruity sweetness without turning the marinade into a sugary glaze. You can also use apple cider (not vinegar).
Soy sauce: This supplies most of the salt content and a good amount of umami flavor. I don’t add extra salt to the marinade because of this. And be sure to use naturally brewed soy sauce. Most generic brands are filled with additives that taste pretty bad.
Coriander: I normally use 1/2 teaspoon. If the venison has a stronger flavor, you can increase it to 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Toasting whole coriander seeds and then grinding them will produce the best flavor.
Ginger and garlic: These give the marinade most of its punch and work especially well with the apple and soy. I use jarred minced ginger to make things easy.
Cilantro: Totally optional. Leave it out if you don’t care for cilantro. You can substitute parsley to still maintain some herbal notes.
How To Make Venison Marinade
1. Mix the marinade. Add the apple juice, soy sauce, olive oil, coriander, black pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, and optional cilantro to a bowl. Stir everything together.
2. Prep the venison. Trim away tough silverskin and any thick connective tissue. Portion the meat before marinating if needed so the pieces are fairly even in thickness.
3. Add the venison. Put the meat in a food-safe container or gallon-size zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Keep the meat in a single layer and make sure it stays coated. Refrigerate. Marinate the venison in the refrigerator using the times in the chart below.
Venison Marinating Times
The size and thickness of the cut matter more than simply leaving everything in the marinade overnight. Smaller pieces pick up the marinade faster. Save the longer times for thicker steaks and roasts.
| Venison Cut | Marinating Time |
| Thicker backstrap steaks and round steaks | 8 to 12 Hours |
| Backstrap medallions | 2 to 3 Hours |
| Tenderloin | 3 to 4 Hours |
| Small roasts and thicker hindquarter cuts | 12 to 24 Hours |
Chef Tips & Troubleshooting
- Trim before marinating. Remove tough silverskin and thick connective tissue first. The marinade will be in direct contact with the meat you’re actually going to eat. Also, it’s much safer to trim silverskin from venison that isn’t wet.
- Pat the meat dry before cooking. A common issue with marinades is moisture and sugar. This marinade contains apple juice, so leaving a thick layer on the surface can make it harder to get a good sear and cause the sugars to burn.
Let the excess drip off, then pat the venison dry with paper towels before cooking. I like to place the meat on a wire rack and air-dry it in the refrigerator for up to overnight before cooking. This helps ensure that you get a good sear. I follow this practice with every venison steak recipe. - Don’t automatically marinate overnight. This can work for some thicker cuts, but it is too long for medallions and tenderloin. Follow the provided chart instead.
- Match the heat to the cut. Backstrap and tenderloin are both great over high heat. My grilled venison backstrap and grilled venison tenderloin recipes are good places to go next
Venison Marinade FAQs
What is best to soak deer meat in before cooking?
You don’t have to soak deer meat before cooking it. If I want to add flavor to deer meat, I’ll use a marinade like this one. Brining is a different method and makes more sense for certain cuts and preparations. My venison brine recipe explains this process in more detail.
Does venison marinade tenderize meat?
A marinade can change the surface texture and add plenty of flavor, but it won’t turn a tough venison cut into a tender steak. If the cut has a lot of connective tissue, it still needs the right cooking method. Theoretically, adding an acid to the marinade can help with tenderization, but it can also ruin the texture of the meat.
Recipes with Venison Steaks
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The Ultimate Venison Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple juice
- 1/2 cup Naturally brewed soy sauce (or tamari)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- Venison (such as backstrap, round steaks, small roast, or tenderloin)
Instructions
- Combine the apple juice, soy sauce, olive oil, coriander, black pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, and optional cilantro in a mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Place the venison in a food-safe container or gallon-size zip-top bag.
- Pour the marinade over the meat. Keep the venison in a single layer and make sure it stays coated. If the marinade does not completely cover the meat, flip it halfway through the marinating time.
- Cover and refrigerate. Marinate thicker backstrap steaks and round steaks for 8 to 12 hours, backstrap medallions for 2 to 3 hours, tenderloin for 3 to 4 hours, and small roasts or thicker hindquarter cuts for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove the venison from the marinade and let the excess drip away. Pat the meat dry with paper towels before cooking.
NOTES
- This recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of marinade, enough for approximately 2 to 3 pounds of venison.
- For stronger-flavored venison, increase the ground coriander from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- Trim tough silverskin and thick connective tissue before marinating. Don’t over-marinate smaller cuts. Medallions and tenderloin need much less time than thicker steaks and roasts.
- Pat the venison dry before searing or grilling. This helps the surface brown and keeps the sugars in the marinade from burning.
- If the marinade has come into contact with raw venison, do not use it to marinate any more meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
2 thoughts on “The Ultimate Venison Marinade”
By far our Favorite marinade!
Made this for my dad and he loved the steaks!