This venison stroganoff is a creamy, homemade family-style dinner. It’s made with thinly sliced deer meat, sautéed mushrooms, fresh herbs, and a delicious pan sauce. This venison stroganoff recipe starts with tender cuts and skips the gooey canned soup.
The key is using steak cuts, not stew meat. You sear it hard and fast. Then build the sauce in the same pan. You fold the meat back in at the end so it stays tender, not chewy.
Quick Look: Venison Stroganoff
- Ready in: About 30 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 957
- Main ingredients: Venison backstrap or round steak, cremini mushrooms, onion, garlic, stock, heavy cream, and sour cream.
- Cook method: Stovetop
- Why this version works: I created this for lean wild game. The venison is seared hot and fast and then finished at the end of the cooking process. This helps prevent the meat from becoming tough and chewy.
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This is one of those dishes that shows how good venison comfort food can be when done right, like my other hearty dishes: venison Swedish meatballs, creamy venison pasta, and venison shepherd’s pie. You get the rich, creamy stroganoff sauce and tender bites of deer meat without having to braise for hours. It’s all in the method provided here, that I’ve been using for years.
Why This Recipe Is Great
Created for lean and tender cuts: This means the dish is ready fast. No need to stand over the stove for hours.
Creamy without canned soup: The sauce gets its body from mushrooms, stock, cream, sour cream, and Dijon, so it tastes like real classic stroganoff instead of a 1980’s TV dinner. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal.
Perfect for deer camp: The leftovers are delicious after a long day in the deer stand. If you run out of pasta, you can serve it over white rice. This means you can put it on the nightly rotation with my venison casserole, venison chili, and venison spaghetti.
Flexible cuts – Works with top round, bottom round, or backstrap. More on using these cuts in the section below.
Best Cuts For Venison Stroganoff
The best cuts of venison for stroganoff are the same cuts you want for a steak dinner. The important part is not just the type of cut. It’s how you slice it before cooking. Cut the venison into thin strips, about 1/4 inch thick, across the grain.
Avoid stew meat, shank, neck, or any tough, sinewy cuts. Check out my top recommendations below.
Backstrap – The easiest choice. Tender, lean, and quick to slice into strips.
Venison Round Steaks – All of these cuts from the deer’s hind quarter are excellent to use.
Tenderloin – Great if you’re looking for the most tender stroganoff possible.
Ground Venison – If you are in a pinch, you can use ground venison. Follow the exact method as you would for the other cuts.
Key Ingredients
Venison – Backstrap, top round, or bottom round all work.
Cremini mushrooms – These give the sauce its backbone. Slice them thick enough that they still have some bite after browning. You can also use button mushrooms.
Onion and garlic – You can use red, white, or yellow onions. Avoid garlic from a jar.
Dry white wine – Lifts the browned bits from the pan (deglazes) and brightens the sauce up.
Stock – Chicken, or venison stock all work.
Heavy cream – Adds body and richness to the sauce.
Sour cream – Full-fat sour cream offers the best flavor and texture.
Dijon mustard – Dijon adds a bit of tanginess and sharpness.
Fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley – Classic herbs that elevate the dish. You can use dried thyme if needed.
Flour – This is the thickening agent for the sauce.
Egg noodles – These noodles are a classic pairing. But any noodle you have on hand will work fine.
How To Make The Dish
- Sear the venison. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot and just starting to smoke lightly, add the venison in a single layer. Season with salt and black pepper. Sear on one side until browned, then pull it from the pan before it cooks through. The strips should still look a little rare in the center.
- Brown the mushrooms. Lower the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms to the same skillet. Let them cook until the moisture cooks off and the edges start to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. If they are pale and wet, keep going. Season lightly once they take on color.
- Cook the onion and garlic. Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, then the onion. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it softens. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the wine reduce until it is nearly gone.
- Start the sauce. Stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking to keep it smooth. Add the stock, thyme, and rosemary. Bring the sauce to a slow simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, just until it thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
- Finish off the heat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream and Dijon mustard until smooth.
- Add the venison back. Fold the venison and parsley into the sauce. Let the meat sit in the hot sauce for about 3 minutes to warm through gently.
- Serve. Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper. Spoon the stroganoff over buttered egg noodles and serve right away.
Chef Tips
Slice against the grain. To give you a better chance of achieving a tender bite, slice the meat across the grain.
Don’t overcook the venison. Pull it after the first sear while it is still underdone. Cooking them too long now will make them even tougher at the end.
Do not crowd the pan. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will overcook before you achieve a good sear.
Get some color on the mushrooms. A light sear on the mushrooms will greatly elevate the flavor of your final sauce.
Keep the sauce at a slow simmer. Cooking the sauce too fast will make it thicken before the flavor has a chance to develop.
Add sour cream off the heat. Boiling after that can split the sauce.
Use heavy cream, not milk. Using milk will give you a thin sauce and won’t be as creamy.
Serving Suggestions
Noodles: I like to use egg noodles because of their tenderness. But any noodle will work.
Potatoes: You can’t go wrong here. Mashed or roasted are both excellent choices.
White rice or wild rice: Using rice will give this dish casserole vibes.
Cauliflower puree: A lighter substitute for mashed potatoes.
Toppings: Crispy fried onions, scallions, and chives.
FAQs
What are common mistakes when making stroganoff?
The biggest mistakes are overcooking the venison, slicing it with the grain, crowding the pan, and boiling the sauce after adding sour cream.
Can I use ground venison instead?
You can. Brown it first and then set it aside. Continue with the sauce. Add it back in at the end to warm through. This will prevent the meat from rendering out all of its fat and moisture.
Can I make venison stroganoff without cream of mushroom soup?
Yes. Making your own mushroom sauce from scratch is incredibly easy and tastier than the canned varieties.
Storage
Refrigerator: Cool leftovers before storing. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat.
Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat. This will let you warm the sauce through without overthickening. If it does overthicken, add a touch of cream to loosen the sauce back up.
More Venison Comfort Food Recipes
Below are some of my other favorite venison recipes to eat when the weather is cool or just hanging out with my family.
Lastly, if you make this venison stroganoff recipe and enjoy it, please leave a review. I love reading about your wild game cooking experiences. If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to send me a message on Instagram @Larry__White.
Venison Stroganoff with Homemade Creamy Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound venison backstrap or round steaks (Sliced into 1/4 inch strips)
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thick
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock, (venison or beef stock work)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup sour cream
To Serve:
- 12 ounces egg noodles
Instructions
Sear the venison:
- Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided skillet over high heat. Once the oil starts to smoke lightly, add the venison. Season with salt and pepper. Sear on one side until nicely browned. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
Start the sauce:
- Lower the heat to medium-high. In the same skillet, add the mushrooms. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Once browned, season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium. Add one tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Pour in the wine and cook until nearly evaporated. Scrape and brown bits with a spoon to incorporate. Add the one tablespoon of flour and stir until incorporated. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk until the flour is smooth. Bring the cream to a simmer and then add the stock.
- Add the thyme and rosemary to the pan and bring the mixture back to a slow simmer. Simmer the sauce until it has slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Finish the sauce:
- Remove from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream and Dijon mustard. Fold in the cooked meat and fresh parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Let the meat rest in the sauce for around three minutes to heat through before serving.
NOTES
- Best cuts for venison stroganoff: Venison round steaks or backstrap work well. Leaner cuts like these stay tender if cooked quickly and not overdone.
- Slice the venison thin. Cut it into about 1/4-inch strips and slice against the grain so it stays tender. Round steaks or backstrap work best here.
- Sear the meat fast. Get the skillet very hot, brown the venison on one side, then pull it out early. It finishes warming in the sauce, and overcooking is the fastest way to make venison stroganoff tough.
- Brown the mushrooms well. Cook the mushrooms until they take on color, then add the onion, butter, and garlic. That step adds depth to the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce gently. After the cream, stock, and herbs go in, keep it at a slow simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, just until it thickens slightly.
- Add sour cream off the heat. Remove the pan from the heat before whisking in the sour cream and Dijon. Boiling after that can split the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
3 thoughts on “Venison Stroganoff with Homemade Creamy Sauce”
Amazing! Meet is very tender and creamy, also not Gamie at all. Definitely reccomend! Instructions are pretty easy to follow. I made one withour flour and it still turned out so good.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent recipe! Easily the best Stroganoff recipe i’ve made. Highly recommend! I used Cremini mushrooms and shitake and loved the flavor combo. The Notes provided were very helpful tips. Will definitely make this one again! Shared the recipe with all of my deerhunting siblings, who like me, have a freezer full of venison 🙂