This hearty venison stew is my go-to cold-weather comfort food when I want to keep things light and simple. The deer meat goes in first for a slow simmer, then carrots and potatoes. I reduce the broth until it glosses a spoon and balance it with soy, wine, and a little cider vinegar. My family likes it extra hearty, so we add in a handful of cooked noodles at the end to kick things up a notch.
Browse the rest of my Venison Stew Recipes or check out my other comfort food options like Venison Pie and Venison Bourguignon.
This stovetop venison stew is almost as easy to make as my slow cooker venison stew. You brown the deer meat (neck, shoulder, or shanks) to build the first layer of flavor. Cover with stock, and simmer slowly so the collagen turns to gelatin. The vegetables are cooked in the reserved broth so they keep their shape. A small splash of white wine or sherry, soy for umami, and cider vinegar for brightness balance the sauce.
Tips for Making the Best Stew
Use the Right Cuts
Necks, shoulders, or shanks from the deer are ideal. They have a fair amount of connective tissue that melts, giving the broth body. Using leaner cuts from venison rounds for stew meat will work, but won’t be as unctuous.
Build Layers of Flavor
Use a wide pot to get good color on the meat before adding liquid. The brown bits (fond) on the bottom of the pot is your first layer of flavor. Scrape it up with a wooden spoon when you add stock. This technique is known as deglazing.
Cook the Meat and Vegetables Seperately
Venison takes a long time to become tender. Cooking the venison separately from the vegetables provides a layer of protection, preventing overcooking. So you’re essentially cooking the meat until it’s fork-tender, removing it, and then cooking the vegetables in that same broth. Then everything gets incorporated at the end. There’s nothing worse than a stew with overcooked vegetables, so this step is important in my opinion.
Step-By-Step Process
- Brown the meat
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide pot over medium high. Season venison with salt and black pepper. Brown in batches until well colored. Remove to a plate. - Build the base
Lower heat to medium. Add the remaining oil if needed. Cook onion until translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape up any fond. - Simmer the venison
Return meat to the pot. Add enough venison stock or beef broth to just cover. Add bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover slightly, and cook until fork tender, about 3 to 4 hours. Skim as needed. - Pull and reserve
Lift out the meat. Reserve about 4 cups of the cooking liquid. Shred the venison into bite size pieces. - Cook the vegetables
In a pot, add the reserved broth, soy sauce, white wine or sherry, cider vinegar, carrots, and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 12 minutes. - Combine
Add the shredded venison and sugar. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors of the soup meld together. Adjust salt and black pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan on 3 to 4 hours at a gentle simmer for neck or shoulder until fork tender. Smaller stew meat cuts can finish in 1.5 to 2 hours. This is the bulk of the time it takes to prepare a stew.
Neck, shoulder, and shank. They’re collagen-rich, so time turns them tender and gives the broth substance. Skip backstrap and tenderloin.
Yes. A hard sear builds fond the simmer pulls into the broth for deeper flavor. Work in batches, don’t crowd the pot, and deglaze to capture every brown bit on the bottom.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead: The venison can be cook 2 to 3 days before you plan to finish preparing the stew. Cook until tender, cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid and then place in the refrigerator.
- Storage: 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm gently over low heat with a splash of stock or water.
More Venison Recipes
Below are some of my family’s favorite venison recipes. All of these recipes freeze well, keeping you running smoothly during your 2026 deer season.
Lastly, if you make this venison stew recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you’ve made.
Hearty Venison Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless venison, cut into 2 inch pieces
- Venison stock or beef broth (as needed to cover the meat)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, small dice
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced small
- 2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon real apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine or sherry
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup green onions, (optional for garnish)
Instructions
Cook the Venison First
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the venison with salt and black pepper. When the oil shimmers, add the venison. Sear on all sides until nicely browned.
- Pour in enough venison stock or beef broth to just cover the meat. Cover and simmer until tender, about 3 to 4 hours. Check the liquid periodically and add more stock as needed to keep the meat covered.
- When the meat is fork tender, remove it from the pot. Reserve 4 cups of the cooking liquid for Step 5. Shred the venison and set aside.
Cook the Vegetables and Aromatics
- Heat a clean pot over medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
- Add the reserved cooking liquid, soy sauce, white wine or sherry, cider vinegar, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, carrots, and potatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are just fork-tender, about 12 minutes.
Add the Cooked Venison
- Add the shredded venison and sugar. Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors blend together.
Season and Garnish
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with sliced green onions.
NOTES
Shoulders, necks, and shanks make the best stew meat. They usually take 3 to 4 hours to become tender with a gentle simmer. Smaller stew meat cubes from the hind quarter can finish in as little as 2 hours. Substitutions
- Stock: venison or beef both work.
- Worcestershire for the soy sauce is a good option.
- Vegetables: Turnips can replace the potatoes.
- Garnish: Finish with sliced green onions and fresh parsley.
- Bread: Serve with warm fried cornbread.
- Pasta: For an extra kick of comfort, my family likes to add in a little cooked pasta on those extra cold days during deer season.
2 thoughts on “Venison Stew”
Good stuff ol boy
Best stew ive eaten in a bit man.