This venison summer sausage recipe is probably the most popular and delicious homemade snack amongst hunters.
This wild game sausage is a quick-ferment variation that is first ground and mixed, then chilled for 2 days in the refrigerator to cure. It is then ground again through a smaller grinder plate, which makes for a slightly firmer sausage and gives it a much richer color, as the ingredients are blended together a bit more.
If you’re looking for another tasty smoked deer sausage for the 2026 deer season, try my venison salami recipe. Or browse my other venison sausage recipes for new ideas to use up your freezer full of meat.
Quick Look: Venison Summer Sausage
- Cook Time: About 5 hours
- Yields: 5 pounds
- Calories: 783
- Main ingredients: Venison, pork butt, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, dry mustard, bacon.
- Method: Smoked using a traditional or electric smoker.
- Best uses: Served alongside mustard, crackers, and cheeses. Perfect for charcuterie boards and hunting snacks.
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Traditional summer sausage is a more tedious process that requires drying and curing to be “shelf stable” during the summer months. In this recipe, we will cover how to make the variation we are all used to seeing in grocery stores and markets around the holidays, which is indeed “not” dry-cured.
Keep The Ingredients & Equipment Cold
Keeping your meat grinder attachments ice-cold is just as important as keeping the meat and fat cold. It plays a part in achieving superior flavor and texture with this sausage. Grinder attachments can heat up quickly, and as metal warms, fat starts to melt. I also like to place the container the ground venison will fall into in the freezer before starting.
Achieving the Right Texture
Keep a close watch on your smoker’s temperature and the sausage’s internal temperature. Overcooking your sausage or cooking at too high a temperature will produce a grainy sausage.
Tips for Flavor
For the tangy flavoring that we all love, you can look beyond using a summer sausage seasoning packet. You can opt to use the very popular product called Fermento. I opt for a little-known, cheaper-priced secret: buttermilk powder. Using buttermilk powder won’t pack the same punch of tang as Fermento, but it’s delicious and much cheaper.
Chilling Venison Summer Sausage in Cold Water
Some recipes call for soaking the cooked sausage in ice water to end the cooking process quickly. I prefer to hang them at room temperature for a couple of hours to “bloom”. Blooming is where the sausages change from dull brown to a rich mahogany color.
Storage
I have no problem leaving them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks if they are well-wrapped before they start to lose flavor and color. Again, wrapping and storing them properly in an airtight container or with plastic wrap will help extend shelf life and quality.
Absolutely. Like most fatty sausages, if they are stored properly, they freeze well for a long time, up to around three months. I like to wrap them first in plastic food wrap, followed by freezer paper or freezer bags.
Serving Venison Summer Sausage
The best way to enjoy these sausages is either at room temperature or slightly chilled. You can serve them hot; I feel that it changes the flavor profile quite a bit. They are excellent eaten with various kinds of cheese (smoked cheddar, gouda, jack), crackers (rosemary, almond, sea salt), and a spread of mustards (whole grain, beer mustard, dijon, hot mustard).
More Venison Sausage Recipes
Below are some of my favorite venison sausage recipes. And if you’re looking for ideas for your next dinner, check out my complete venison recipes page.
Lastly, if you make this simple Homemade Smoked Venison Sausage Recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out photos of the recipes you’ve made.
Homemade Venison Summer Sausage
Ingredients
- 3 pounds venison, diced (silver-skin, sinew and fat removed)
- 1 1/2 pounds pork butt, diced (pork shoulder)
- 3 tablespoons dextrose
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt (approximately 40 grams per 3 tablespoons of kosher salt)
- 6 grams pink salt (instacure #1) (approximately 1 teaspoon per 6 grams)
- 2 to 4 ounces of cold water
- 1/2 cup Fermento or buttermilk powder
- 8 ounces (1/2 pound) fatty smoked bacon, diced (or pork back fat)
Instructions
Chill, Grind and Refrigerate
- In a chilled bowl, add the pre-chilled venison, pork shoulder (pork butt), salt, dextrose, and pink salt (instacure # 1). Mix well to combine.
- Grind the above mixture through a large die plate into a pre-chilled large bowl or a bowl that is set over ice.
- In a separate smaller bowl mix all of the seasonings and fermento or buttermilk powder. Stir in enough cold water to dissolve and to form a paste. This will usually be between a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water.
- In a stand mixer or meat lug add the ground venison and paste. Mix thoroughly using a paddle attachment or sturdy spoon for about 2 minutes. Add the diced bacon to the venison mixture and fold in until just combined.
- Add the sausage mixture to a food-safe storage container or gallon freezer bag. Press the sausage down, ensuring that there are no air pockets. If using a storage container, add plastic wrap directly to the top of the meat, pressing down firmly.
- Cover the entire top of the container with more plastic wrap. If using a gallon freezer bag, remove all air and fold over any extra space in the bag.
- Refrigerate for 2 days.
Regrind the Sausage & Check Seasoning
- Grind the sausage for a second time, using the small die plate.
- Cook off a small piece over medium-low heat in a pan. Let the sausage cool to room temperature and then taste for seasoning. Adjust the salt if needed.
Stuff & Hang
- Stuff the sausage mixture into your casings to your desired lengths.
- Hang them to let dry for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. This will help get you maximum smoke flavor.
Smoke & Hang to Bloom
- Cold smoke the sausages, or smoke them at the lowest temperature you can for 2 hours.
- Set your smoker to around 180 degrees F. Hot-smoke the sausages until the internal temperature is 150 degrees F.
- Pull the sausages from the smoker and let them hang at room temperature for 2. This allows the colors to bloom and turn a rich mahogany color.
- Refrigerate until needed.
NOTES
- Keep everything ice-cold. Chill the meat, bacon, or back fat, bowls, and grinder parts before you start. Warm fat will smear, giving the sausage a worse texture.
- Chill it for 2 days. This is a quick-cure summer sausage, so the sausage mixture needs to rest in the refrigerator for 48 hours before the second grind and smoking step.
- Grind it twice. Run it once through a coarse plate and again through a small plate. The second grind gives the sausage a firmer texture and better color.
- Cook a test piece. Fry a small piece after the second grind, then adjust the seasoning, especially since this sausage is usually eaten cold or at room temperature and may need a little more salt.
- Dry before smoking. After stuffing, let the sausages dry for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator so the smoke clings better.
- Let them bloom. After smoking, hang the sausages at room temperature for about 2 hours. This helps develop the deep mahogany color and finishes the texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
6 thoughts on “Homemade Venison Summer Sausage”
Definitely makin Again!
This was my first attempt at making deer Summer sausage and it turned out great! I used the buttermilk option. I had a small commercial grinder that I use for grinding meat for breakfast sausage, so that was a good start. I purchased an all steel, manual sausage stuffer for $130, and don’t know how you could get a good stuff any other way. I already had a good smoker too. I wish I could post a picture of my finished sausages. This was a practical recipe that used reasonable ingredients. I do have enough pink salt left for the country to share! Great flavor. Not spicy, but I don’t like spicy and that can be adjusted for if you do.
I’m glad to hear it! The first time making summer sausage can be a bit tricky.
Where might i find the best casings for sausage
Sausagemaker.com has a good selection.
Best summer say weve ever eaten. Better than ol papi’s.