Slow Cooker Venison Stew
This rich and hearty slow cooker venison stew is cooked in a crockpot until the deer meat and vegetables are fork-tender. The slightly thickened broth and fresh herbs make this a restaurant-quality deer camp meal.
Ingredients
For the meat
- 2 pounds venison stew meat (cut into 2-inch cubes)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for coating the meat)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (for searing the meat)
For the vegetables
- 2 red onions (large dice)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 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
For the cooking liquid
- 6 cups beef or venison stock (or enough to just cover)
- 1/4 cup red wine
For the herbs and seasonings
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 sprigs rosemary (picked and chopped)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped juniper berries (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
For thickening the stew
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat the slow cooker
- Preheat your slow cooker on the low setting while you sear the venison.
Flour, season and sear the venison
- Add the venison to a large bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Sprinkle in the flour and toss with the venison until completely coated.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, sear the venison in batches until browned. Transfer each batch to the slow cooker.
Sweat the onions and garlic, then deglaze
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the skillet and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until it darkens slightly.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.
Add the vegetables and seasonings
- Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme, and optional juniper to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook
- Pour in enough stock to just cover the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 6 to 8 hours, until the venison is fork-tender.
Thicken the stew and season to taste
- Stir the butter and flour mixture into the hot stew after the meat is just fork-tender. Switch the slow cooker to High and cook for 15 to 30 minutes, until the gravy lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more chopped fresh rosemary or thyme for a brighter tasting stew.
NOTES
- Best cuts: Use venison shoulder, neck, shank, or sirloin tip.
- Brown in batches: Do not crowd the pan. If the pan is crowded, the venison will steam instead of sear. This means less flavor.
- Stock level: Add enough stock to just cover the meat and vegetables. Slow cookers trap moisture. This can make for a watery stew.
- Vegetable size: Cut the potatoes, carrots, and celery into recommended sizes or a bit larger. Smaller cuts veggies will become mushy faster.
- Cook until fork-tender: Low takes about 8 to 10 hours. It takes about 6 to 8 hours on the high setting. Shank meat can take a little longer. In terms of proper vegetable texture, I recommend cooking on the low setting.
- Thickening is optional: You don't need to thicken the stew. If you do want to, use the butter and flour technique that is listed in the recipe. For a gluten free option, thicken with a corn starch slurry.
Nutrition
Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 626mg | Potassium: 1560mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7603IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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