This slow cooker venison neck roast is cooked low and slow in a rich ancho and chipotle chile base until the meat pulls apart easily. A bone-in or deboned neck works here, and the long braise turns this connective-tissue-heavy cut into fork-tender meat heaven. It’s super easy to make and doesn’t require much hands-on time. To top it off, you can thicken the cooking liquid with masa harina for a rich, Mexican-inspired gravy.
If you want to speed up cooking, a boneless neck roast will cook a bit faster. If you need any guidance on the knife work, check out my guide on how to debone a deer neck.
Quick Look: Slow Cooker Venison Neck Roast
- Ready in: About 8 1/2 to 12 1/2 hours, depending on the slow cooker setting
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 790
- Main ingredients: Venison neck roast, ancho chiles, chipotles in adobo, potatoes, carrots, and onions
- Cooking method: Slow Cooker \ Crockpot
- Why this version works: It’s a versatile dish you can serve like a pot roast or shred for tacos, burritos, and rice bowls.
- Good to know: Test doneness by tenderness more than the clock. The roast is ready when the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Even after all these years, I still think my recipe for venison neck roast is the epitome of what crockpot cooking should be. It combines layers of flavor with minimal technique and easy-to-find ingredients just like my Asian inspired deer roast recipe. Over time, I’ve slowly fine-tuned it to make it more flavorful and added an option to use chile powder instead of whole dried chiles. This saves you time, which is especially important if this is going to be one of your deer camp meals.
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- I created it specifically for venison neck. Compared with the leaner venison rounds from the hind quarter, the neck has much more connective tissue. Cook it too hot and too fast, and the meat will be tough and chewy. Give it a long, moist cook, with controlled heat, and it breaks down that connective tissue, giving you some of the most tender meat from a deer.
- It’s not a standard pot roast. Instead of a traditional brown gravy, this neck roast cooks in a red chile sauce made with ancho chiles, chipotles in adobo, garlic, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and cloves. Somewhat similar to my braised venison shanks. You still get the potatoes, carrots, onions, and tender meat you expect from a slow-cooker roast, but with a Mexican-inspired flavor profile.
- The braising liquid becomes the gravy. Once the neck is fork-tender, thicken the same chile-rich liquid it cooked in with masa harina into a light gravy for the meat and vegetables. There’s no separate sauce to make, as with a traditional deer gravy.
Notes on Ingredients
See the recipe card for full ingredient and quantity information.
- Venison Neck: Use a whole venison neck, bone-in or deboned. You can also cross-cut the neck to fit in your slow cooker.
- Ancho Chiles: Whole dried ancho chiles form the base of the sauce. Toast whole chiles until fragrant, then soak them in hot water before blending for the best flavor. Check out my substitutions section if you can’t get whole chiles.
- Chipotles in Adobo: Add the chipotles straight to the blender with the ancho chiles and seasonings. They bring a smoky chile flavor and a little more heat to the sauce.
- Stock or broth: Venison broth or stock is my preferred choice, but chicken or beef also work well. The exact amount you need depends on the size of the neck and slow cooker. Add enough stock to come about three-quarters of the way up the meat.
- Masa Harina: Masa harina is optional. Mix it with a little broth or water and use it to thicken the braising liquid after the roast is done. It’s not just for making the shells for your venison tacos.
Substitutions and Additions
- Use a different cut of meat: This recipe will also work with other tough cuts. You can use around 6 venison shanks or around 3 pounds of venison shoulder.
- Use chile powder instead of whole chiles: Use 6 tablespoons ancho chile powder. If ancho powder isn’t available, another mild pure chile powder will work. Blend the powder with water instead of the chile-soaking liquid in the recipe.
- Want less heat: Reduce the amount of chipotles in adobo. Keep the ancho chiles since they provide the base of the sauce rather than most of the heat.
- Balance the heat with sugar: Add this at the end of the cooking process. First taste the cooking liquid. If it’s a little too hot or bitter for your taste buds, add in a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar at a time until it tastes just right.
- Add chickpeas: Chickpeas are sometimes used in Mexico in soups, stews, and roasts. So I like to add them here as you would for venison barbacoa. Just add them in with the vegetables if using.
- Add more vegetables: Extra carrots, onions, or potatoes are fine if your slow cooker has room. Don’t pack it so tightly that the neck is pushed completely above the braising liquid.
How To Make a Venison Neck Roast
1. Sear the Neck. Pat the venison neck dry and season it with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the neck and brown it well on all sides, then remove it from the skillet.
2. Toast the Chiles. If you’re using ancho chile powder or another mild pure chile powder, skip this step.
Add the ancho chile pieces to a dry skillet over medium-low heat and toast for about 5 minutes, just until fragrant. Don’t let them scorch. Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover them with hot water, and soak for about 15 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add the meat, vegetables, and chile sauce. Place about half of the onions, carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker. Set the seared neck over the vegetables. Place the remaining vegetables around the neck.
Blend the Chile Sauce. Drain the softened chiles, reserving some of the soaking liquid. Add the chiles, chipotles in adobo, garlic, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and cloves to a blender. Add enough reserved soaking liquid to make a thick sauce, then blend until smooth.
If you’re using chile powder, add it directly to the blender with the chipotles and seasonings. Use water instead of chile-soaking liquid, adding just enough to create a thick, smooth sauce.
Pour the chile sauce over the ingredients in the crockpot.
4. Add enough stock to come about three-quarters of the way up the neck. This can be up to 6 cups depending on the size of your cooker.
5. Slow Cook. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or high for 8 to 10 hours. I prefer the low setting.
About halfway through cooking, turn the neck over and spoon some of the braising liquid over the exposed meat. Start checking the roast near the end of the cooking window. It’s done when a fork slides in easily and the meat pulls apart without much resistance.
Taste the braising liquid and adjust with salt and black pepper. If the chile sauce needs a little balance, add a small amount of sugar to taste.
Thicken using masa harina explained in the recipe card below.
Chef Tips & Troubleshooting
- Don’t overfill the crockpot. Bring the stock about three-quarters of the way up the neck. Too much liquid waters down the chile sauce.
- Monitor tenderness: Deer necks and slow cookers vary. If the meat still feels tight when you pierce it with a fork, keep cooking. If the fork barely goes in, count on at least 2 more hours of cooking. If it goes in with mild resistance but won’t shred yet, check it again after an hour.
- Taste before adding sugar. Use it only if the finished sauce needs a little balance.
- Make it ahead. You can cool the roast in its braising liquid and gently reheat it the next day. I recommend this with most of my venison crockpot recipes.
- Speed up the cooking process: If you want to shave an hour off of the cooking time, try cutting the neck in half horizontally. Or you can remove the bone entirely, which some of you may have already done because of concerns with CWD.
Venison Neck Roast FAQs
Do you have to brown venison before slow cooking?
No. Venison can go straight into a slow cooker. But I sear the neck for this recipe because the browned exterior adds more flavor to the braising liquid. That, in turn, gives the dish a better flavor profile.
In the picture above, I show how easy it is to open the cooked roast to remove the neck bone.
What to serve with a Venison Neck Roast
- Rolls to sop up the gravy: My Parker style rolls are soft and fluffy. Perfect for dipping in the gravy or filling with the neck meat.
- Make this a TexMex meal: Serve it up with a side of baked cornbread or skillet Johnny Cakes and chopped cilantro.
- Serve it over rice: Steamed white rice or Mexican-style rice are perfect here. For a little more texture, try my crispy bottom rice.
More Venison Slow Cooker Recipes
Tried this Recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love to hear from readers! And if you have any cooking questions or want to share your latest food photos, give me a shout on Instagram at @larry__white.
Slow Cooker Venison Neck Roast
Ingredients
For the Chile Base
- 6 ancho chiles (or 6 tablespoons ancho chile powder or another chile powder)
- 2 tablespoons chipotles in adobo
- 6 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
For the Neck Roast
- 1 whole venison neck (bone-in or boneless)
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 3 large carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 8 small Yukon Gold potatoes (left whole)
- 1 cup canned chickpeas (optional)
- 8 cups stock (venison, chicken, or beef stock
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Sugar (optional, to taste)
- Fresh cilantro or parsley (optional, for serving)
- 1/4 cup masa harina (optional, for gravy)
Instructions
Sear the Neck
- Pat the venison neck dry with paper towels and season it with salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the neck on all sides until well browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Toast the and Soak the Chiles
- Toast the ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes, or until softened. If using chile powder, skip this step.
Make the Chile Sauce
- Drain the softened chiles, reserving the soaking liquid.
- Add the chiles, chipotles in adobo, garlic, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and cloves to a blender.
- Add enough reserved soaking liquid to make a thick sauce and blend until smooth. If you don't have enough soaking liquid, add a little water.If using chile powder, add it directly to the blender with the chipotles, seasonings, and enough water to make a thick sauce.
Add to the Slow Cooker
- Place half of the onions, carrots, potatoes, and optional chickpeas in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the seared venison neck on top of the vegetables. Place the remaining vegetables around the meat. Pour the chile sauce over the top.
- Add enough stock to come about three-quarters of the way up the neck.
Cook
- Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or on high for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork. About halfway through cooking, turn the neck over and spoon some of the braising liquid over the exposed meat.
- Taste the cooking liquid and season with salt and black pepper. Add a small amount of sugar only if needed. Garnish with cilantro or parsley, if using.
Optional Masa Gravy
- Whisk 1/4 cup masa harina with enough broth or water to make a smooth, pourable paste.
- Set the slow cooker to high and whisk the masa mixture into the braising liquid.
- Cook uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
NOTES
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
