Venison Meatballs with Sweet Chili Sauce
These venison meatballs are easy to make and perfect for parties. The meatball sauce is sweet with just a hint of heat.
Ingredients
For the Meatball Mixture
- 1 pound ground venison, lean
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 scallions, (white and green parts thinly sliced)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (cilantro or fresh parsley)
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
For Cooking the Meatballs
- olive oil, (as needed)
- chicken stock (enough to cover the meatballs half way)
Easy Sauce for Venison Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup light soy sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
Form the Meatballs
- To a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meatball mixture (except for the olive oil and stock). With your hands or a large spoon, stir the mixture vigorously until it is mixed thoroughly and is tacky to the touch.
- Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form the They will naturally flatten a little due to their size and lack of breadcrumbs, which is fine.
- Place the meatballs one at a time on a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper.
Cook the Meatballs
- Heat a deep large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil (roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons) to the pan. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the meatballs to the pan. Cook the meatballs until they are nice and golden brown on all sides.
- Add the stock to the pan. Cover with a lid, leaving it a little cracked for steam to escape.
- Bring to a slow simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Flip the meatballs over and cook for another 15 minutes or until the meatballs have just cooked through.
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and place them in a large mixing bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid in another container. It can be used to thin out the the sauce if needed.
Make the Sauce
- Heat a small pot or saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic and the chili pepper. Cook while stirring for 1 minute, making sure not to burn the garlic.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a slow simmer. Cook the mixture until the liquid has reduced by around 1/3 of its volume. It should have a consistency similar to maple syrup, or slightly thicker. Check for seasoning. If it's too spicy, add in a little extra honey. If it's too thick, thin it out with some reserved cooking liquid.
Sauce the Meatballs
- Slowly pour in enough of the sauce to glaze the meat. Any remaining sauce can be used to pour over your final plated dish.
NOTES
- Use venison with added pork or fat for the best texture. Straight lean venison is more likely to dry out.
- Mix the meatball mixture until it feels tacky and holds together well before shaping.
- Larger meatballs work well here and are less likely to dry out than small ones. A cookie scoop helps keep them even.
- Brown the meatballs first, then add enough chicken stock to come halfway up the sides and simmer gently until just cooked through.
- Reduce the sauce until it is about as thick as maple syrup. Thin it with a little reserved cooking liquid if needed.
- For the oven method, sear first, then finish covered in a 325 F oven until the meatballs reach 150 F internal.
- To freeze, let the meatballs cool completely, freeze them on a sheet pan first, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Sear the meatballs in a pan or under your oven's broiler until nicely browned.
- Transfer to a slow cooker and pour in enough chicken stock to cover the meatballs halfway.
- Cover with the lid and cook on the high setting for 1 hour. Remove the meatballs, drain, and reserve the cooking liquid in a separate container.
- Turn the slow cooker setting to low. Place the meatballs back into the slow cooker and add the prepared sauce. Thin out if you like with the reserved cooking liquid. Serve directly from the crockpot.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Follow steps 1 and 2 in the recipe card above. Place the covered pan in the oven and cook for approximately 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 150 degrees F.
Nutrition
Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 2053mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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