In this guide, you’ll learn how to clean, prep, and cook deer hearts a number of delicious ways. From grilled heart steaks to tartare. Whether it’s your first deer or your fiftieth, this is a skill every hunter should master.
If you’re used to tossing the deer heart in the gut pile, you’re not alone. But you’re also missing out on one of the most tender, rich cuts of meat a wild game animal has to offer. With a firm texture and surprisingly mild, beef-like flavor, venison heart is the kind of offal that can win over even the hesitant eaters.
Step 1: Cleaning and Preparing the Deer Heart
Before cooking, you need to properly clean and trim the venison heart. This isn’t just any old organ meat; it’s heart meat. Full of chambers, connective tissue, and visible fat that need attention.
Tools You’ll Need:
- A very sharp knife with a thin profile.
- Cutting Board
- Paper towels
- A bowl of cold water
Steps:
1: Rinse the heart thoroughly in cold water until it is clear. This removes the remaining blood and blood clots. Pat dry with paper towels. This will make the heart easier and safer to handle.
2: Locate the seam on the heart. Slice open the chambers of the heart to expose the inside.
3: Remove any connective tissue and internal valves.
4: After removing the stringy bits, flip over. Trim the hard fat cap and any visible fat from the outside of the heart.
5: Here are venison hearts prepped into steaks. For skewers, cut into 1″ wide strips.
This prep is crucial whether you’re going for a quick sear, stuffing, or slow braising.
Step 2: Cooking Methods for DEER Hearts
1. Grilled Deer Hearts
Grilling is one of the easiest and most flavorful ways to cook deer heart. Especially when it’s fresh from a successful hunt. Marinate the sliced heart in a simple marinade consisting of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and spices. Then cook it on a piping hot grill over medium-high heat for a quick sear.
Pro Tip: Cut the heart into evenly-sized thick pieces, thread them onto wooden skewers, and grill them like kebabs. The skewer method makes flipping easy and adds a rustic, open-fire element to the dish.
Try my venison heart anticuchos recipe for a bold, Peruvian-inspired take on heart skewers. It’s a delicious way to explore the flavor of venison heart, especially if it’s your first time cooking it.
2. Stuffed and Braised Deer Heart
Stuffing a deer heart is a classic technique that turns an often-overlooked organ into a hearty, flavorful main course. You can butterfly 3/4 of the way while leaving the bottom intact. Then clean out any connective tissue and visible fat. Now the heart acts like a meat pocket ready to be filled.
Many folks use a simple stuffing with breadcrumbs, garlic, and herbs, but there’s room to take it much further.
One of my favorite recipes uses challah bread, fresh shiitake mushrooms, onions, herbs, and stock for a stuffing that’s rich, earthy, and comforting. The heart is tied with butcher’s twine and braised low and slow until the filling is hot and the meat becomes tender.
Get the full recipe for my Shiitake Mushroom & Challah Stuffed Venison Hearts.
3. Raw: Deer Heart Tartare & Poke Bowls
Raw or lightly cured preparations can be a great way to showcase the clean, iron-rich flavor of heart, if it’s fresh and properly handled.
- Only use ultra-fresh hearts that haven’t been damaged from your hunt.
- Mince finely on a cutting board with capers, shallots, mustard, and egg yolk for tartare.
- Serve chilled. This is great for a first-time heart eater.
Or try a twist with Hawaiian flair: the venison heart poke bowl. In this recipe, the heart is lightly braised, sliced thin, and served over sushi rice with spicy mayo, scallions, and crisp vegetables.
Try my venison heart poke bowl recipe.
4. Simple Pan Fried Deer Heart
- Cut into wide steaks, season with salt and pepper.
- For added texture, dust in a little all-purpose flour before cooking.
- Pan-fry in butter or olive oil until golden brown on both sides.
- Pairs well with homestyle sides like roasted potatoes, gravy, and sautéed onions.
5. Smoked Venison Heart
Smoking a deer heart transforms it into something truly special. It’s rich, savory, and deeply infused with the flavor of wood-fired cooking. While you can simply season and smoke thick slices like any venison steak, there’s a better way to take things up a notch.
Try making a brined and smoked venison heart. It’s a little different than your typical smoked meat, and that’s one of the reasons it’s so special. I brine heart, with spices, sugar and maple syrup. Then smoke it low and slow until it develops a deep mahogany crust and a ham-like texture. The result is a tender sliceable, smoky heart that’s perfect for charcuterie boards, sandwiches, or straight off the cutting board.
Get the full smoked venison heart recipe.
6. Ground and Mixed into Sausage or Burgers
If you’re not ready to serve deer heart as steaks or tartare, it can also be ground and mixed with venison trim for sausages, burgers, or meatballs. Grinding helps mellow the flavor and makes it an easy way to use up usable meat that might otherwise be discarded.
Use heart at a 10–20% ratio with deer fat or pork fatback to add moisture and richness.
Add it to your favorite ground venison recipes for a subtle iron-rich boost that blends right in.
Step 3: Cooking Tips for Best Results
- Bring to room temperature and dry with paper towels before cooking.
- Don’t overcook, lean meat like heart gets rubbery fast.
- Use a digital thermometer when practical: pull at 130–135°F for medium-rare.
- Let rest before slicing to preserve rich flavors.
Storage & Freezing
- Wrap cleaned hearts in freezer paper or vacuum-seal.
- Freeze for up to 12 months.
- A double layer of plastic wrap and butcher paper will extent freeze times.
- Label it. Don’t accidentally feed your dog what should be your next favorite cut.
FAQs
Is deer heart gamey?
No, it’s surprisingly mild. Slightly iron-like taste is natural in organ meat.
Can I find it at a store?
No, you won’t find this at your local grocery store. But you can find them at a specialty store like Broken Arrow Ranch.
Is it similar to beef heart?
Yes. Most methods for beef hearts work well with venison heart too.
What should I do with leftover pieces?
Use leftovers in stir-fries, tacos, or dice into hash with eggs.
Final Thoughts
Cooking deer heart is a great way to utilize more of the animal and expand your wild game cooking skills. Whether you’re making grilled heart steaks, a rustic stuffed roast, or trying your hand at venison heart ham, this humble cut of meat has serious potential.
Don’t let it go to waste. The next time you’re breaking down your friend’s first deer or your tenth, remember that the internal organs are just as valuable as the backstrap, maybe even more.
Follow Along for More Wild Game Recipes
If you found How to Prepare and Cook Deer Hearts helpful, follow me on Instagram @larry__white for more wild game cooking tips, behind-the-scenes hunts, and recipes straight from the field to the fire.
Ready to Cook More?
If you’re looking for more ways to use the whole animal, check out my full library of venison heart recipes. And if you want to move on to more offal, give my liver and onions recipe a try!
