Slow cooker venison stew is what I get going the morning of an all-day cold sit in the treestand. Brown the meat, scrape the pan, load the crock, and let low heat do the work while you’re out looking for more meat to stock the freezer.
By dinner, those tough cuts turn fork-tender, and all you’re left to worry about is how thick you want your gravy. I use shoulder, shank, or neck here, seared until golden brown. Add a touch of tomato paste, then deglaze with red wine or stock for body and let the crockpot build a deep, flavorful broth.
For more wild game mains, see my page for all Venison Recipes. Or to stick with comfort food options, check out my venison slow cooker recipes collection.
Why the slow cooker works for venison
Slow cooker venison stew works because collagen-rich cuts like shoulder, shank, and neck turn tender at low heat over time. A hard sear on the meat builds flavor, then a modest amount of stock helps concentrate those meaty flavors. Tomato paste adds depth, sweetness, and a touch of color. Paprika, rosemary, thyme, bay, and a little crushed juniper round out the flavor and bring in the Fall notes.
Key Cooking Tips
Best Cuts
Use shoulder, shank, or neck for this venison stew recipe. These cuts have connective tissue that melts, giving the gravy body. You can also use stew meat from the hind quarter, but it will be less unctuous because of the lack of connective tissue.
Cut Size
Aim for 1.5 to 2 inch cubes. Smaller chunks tend to dry out. Larger pieces take longer to tenderize but retain more moisture.
Sear and Deglaze
Pat the meat very dry, toss in flour, and brown in batches until deeply colored. After sautéing onions and garlic, cook the tomato paste until it darkens slighty. Deglaze the pan with the 1/4 cup of water and scrape up every bit before it goes into the crock.
Liquid Level
Pour in stock to just cover the meat and vegetables. Too much liquid makes a thin stew. You can always thin later with a splash of stock at the end.
Potatoes and Veg
Yukon Golds hold their shape. Carrots and celery can go in at the start. For a firmer potato, cut in half instead of quartering.
Seasoning and Aromatics
Use both smoked and sweet paprika for depth. For added smokiness, replace the sweet paprika with smoked paprika. Rosemary, thyme, and bay are classic stew ingredients. Juniper is optional but adds a clean, woodsy note that pairs perfectly with venison.
Thickening
Your beurre manié is the house move: 2 tbsp soft butter mashed with 3 tbsp flour, stirred in at the end, and simmered on High 15 to 30 minutes. Cornstarch slurry also works as a gluten-free option.
Time and Doneness
Low 8 to 10 hours or High 6 to 8. Shanks usually need the high end of the range. Doneness is when the meat is fork-tender. A lot of times, with wild meat, you can’t rely on a specific cook time.
Seasoning at the End
Season lightly up front. Taste and finish with salt and pepper at the very end of the cooking process. You can also add more fresh, finely chopped rosemary to kick things up flavor-wise.
Method Walkthrough
- Season and dredge: Pat venison dry. Season with salt and black pepper. Toss with flour until evenly coated.
- Sear: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Brown the venison in batches until well colored. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Aromatics and paste: Lower heat to medium. Add diced red onions with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic for 2 minutes, then tomato paste for 1 minute until it darkens.
- Deglaze: Add the 1/4 cup water. Scrape up the browned bits and pour everything into the slow cooker.
- Load the crockpot: Add celery, carrots, Yukon gold potatoes, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, chopped rosemary, bay leaf, dried thyme, and optional crushed juniper.
- Add liquid: Pour in stock to just cover the meat and vegetables. Do not overfill.
- Cook: Cover and cook on Low 8 to 10 hours or on High 6 to 8 hours, until the venison is fork-tender. Shanks usually need the high end of the range.
- Thicken and finish: Stir in the beurre manié (see notes) if using. Switch to High and simmer 15 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Low 8 to 10 hours or High 6 to 8. Judge doneness by fork tenderness. Shanks usually need the high end.
Shoulder, shank, and neck. They have collagen that turns to gelatin and gives the sauce body. Skip backstrap and tenderloin.
Yes. A hard sear builds browning that the slow cooker can’t create. Deglaze the pan and add those juices to the crock.
Venison or beef stock is the best base. For brightness, add up to 1 cup dry red wine.
Use a beurre manié as written, or a cornstarch slurry near the end. Let it simmer until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Too much slurry will make it gloopy.
More Venison Stew and Soup Recipes
Slow Cooker Venison Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds venison stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 red onions, large dice
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup water, or dry red wine
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups beef or venison stock
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 sprigs rosemary, picked and chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons juniper berries, crushed or finely chopped (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your slow cooker on the Low setting.
- Add the venison chunks to a large bowl. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Toss the meat with the flour until evenly coated.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil just begins to lightly smoke, sear the venison in batches until nicely browned. Transfer each batch to the slow cooker.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the onions to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the 1/4 cup water to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, rosemary, bay leaf, dried thyme, and optional juniper to the slow cooker.
- Pour in enough stock to just cover the mixture. Cover and cook on the Low setting for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 6 to 8 hours, until the venison is tender.
NOTES
- Thickening: Stir in beurre manié (2 tbsp soft butter + 3 tbsp flour) and simmer on High 15 to 30 minutes, or use 1 tbsp cornstarch per cup of liquid and simmer until it lightly coats a spoon.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock or water. Avoid a hard boil to keep the meat tender.
- Serving: Finish with chopped parsley or rosemary. Serve with buttered egg noodles or my fried cornbread.
- Venison cuts timing: Shoulder and neck typically tenderize by 8 to 9 hours on Low; shanks can need the full 10. Doneness is fork-tender.
- Substitutions: Venison or beef stock both work. Optional up to 1 cup dry red wine for brightness. Rosemary, thyme, and bay are classic; juniper adds a clean, woodsy note. For gluten free thickening, use a cornstarch slurry instead of the butter-flour paste.
