Recipes For Venison Casserole In Slow Cooker

This thick, hearty and healthy slow cooker venison stew is made in the crockpot with tender hunks of deer meat, vegetables, and a rich & flavorful broth.

In this house, we LOVE venison stew. It’s a classic. I tend to shy away from overdone recipes, but you just can’t beat a cozy bowl of this thick and hearty slow cooker venison stew.

If you prefer to watch recipe videos for inspiration, check out my slow cooker venison stew video below. Like and subscribe for more on YouTube.

Succulent Braised Venison Recipe

This venison stew recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my website. People also love this Instant Pot version! But, some have commented that they love the flavor but wish it was a bit thicker. So, I decided to give you a super easy version of deer meat stew that you can make in the crockpot that’s nice and thick. Just what you all asked for!

Venison stew meat is chunks cut up from tougher cuts of meat where there is a lot of connective tissue. You’re usually getting this from the shoulder, rump, leg, flank, sometimes shank and sometimes neck (however, I like to use my neck roasts in this recipe if I can). Check out this diagram if you want more help.

These cuts usually aren’t great for something like steaks because the connective tissue can be rubbery if not cooked long enough. However, if these tissue heavy cuts are allowed to braise for a long time, the tissue melts into the meat making it fall-apart tender and very juicy.

Slow Cooker Venison And Cabbage Stew Recipe

The reason I like making venison stew in the slow cooker is because the crockpot allows you to cook your deer meat low and slow (or braise gently in liquid) for hours at a time with little to no effort. And you’re not messing up or crowing the oven/stovetop. If you don’t have a slow cooker and would prefer to make it in your dutch oven, check out my recipe for the Best Venison Stew You’ll Ever Eat.

This is the BEST slow cooker venison stew because it combines a rich, flavorful broth (that really works WITH and is designed for your wild game), tender meat, perfectly cooked veggies. And, you’re basically only working on it for about 15 minutes before you let the slow cooker do all of the work for you! How easy is that? (where are my Ina fans at?)

This ingredient list is simple and basically just a few pantry essentials, deer meat you have in your freezer and produce. Here’s what you need:

Wildberry And Chocolate Venison Casserole

Since this recipe takes 8 hours to make, you can always do all of the chopping the night before and sear your venison in a pan, add it to your slow cooker, and store in the refrigerator overnight. When you wake up, add the liquid, set it, and forget it while you go about your day.

Alternatively, you can make it overnight while you sleep and just heat it on low or warm in the slow cooker or a saucepan before you want to eat. Or heat individual portions in the microwave.

NOTE: If you only have beef on hand, you can also use this recipe to make a delicious crockpot beef stew. I haven’t tried it with beef chuck roast, it might not be as tender, but I am sure it’ll still be delicious!

Slow Cooker Venison Sausage Casserole With Borlotti Beans

As I mentioned previously, if you’re working with a tough cut of meat or one with a lot of connective tissue, it’s best to cook it low and slow. AKA, cooking it at a low temperature for a long time to ensure that the meat falls apart. If it isn’t falling apart, turn the heat down and cook it longer.

I recommend slow cooking this stew recipe for 8-9 hrs on low in the crock pot. You can do 4-5 hrs but your meat won’t be as tender and the flavor won’t be as developed. So, you’ve been warned!

The use of red wine (or red wine vinegar), plenty of aromatics, herbs de Provence, and Worchestershire sauce are all tweaked to perfection. They’re designed to enhance the beautifully bold flavor of venison while mitigating that “tinny” flavor some people don’t love.

Jibberjabberuk: Venison And Red Wine Slow Cooker Casserole

There are a lot of differing opinions about what gamey flavor is. Ultimately, when people tell me they think venison is gamey it’s probably because they’re used to beef. Venison is different because it’s a wild animal. However, if your meat is downright offensive, it’s probably due to the nature of the kill, field dressing, and potentially improper processing.

What other meats can you use – this recipe will work well with beef stew meat, elk, antelope, moose, bear – really any red meat. You can also follow this recipe to make a delicious slow cooker beef stew. When I use the term venison here or in my book, you can assume I’m also including elk, antelope, and moose.

To make this slow cooker venison stew gluten-free – This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour, however, I imagine it will work just fine. You can also choose to omit steps 1-2 in the recipe card below and add the starch suggested in step 6.

Venison Stew With Red Wine And Fresh Herbs

If you don’t have Herbs de Provence – I suggest finding Herbs de Provence and not substituting because it’s so lovely. I call for it in a lot of my recipes so you’ll use it up. I get mine at Wal Mart or Thrive Market. If you must sub or want to make it yourself, check out this post.

On selecting/substituting wine – When using a wine you really just want something palatable. This doesn’t call for much so just use something you already have open from the night before or that you’d like to serve with the meal. Don’t feel the need to spend big, I usually stay in the $12-$17 range with something I cook with. Of course, it can be omitted completely if you wish, but be sure to add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar instead.

This is the perfect fish to serve up on a crisp fall day or after playing in the snow with the kid’s. I highly recommend taking the time to whip up the super simple gravy by making the cornstarch slurry, it seriously takes this stew to the next level!

Nigella Venison Casserole

We love serving it up with some crispy bread or dinner rolls, but it is also delicious with some green beans, a simple side salad, or just pop a bag of frozen peas in the microwave and you the the most delicious, hearty meal the whole family with love.

This keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. My husband always says it’s better the next day!

If we have leftovers (because this makes 6-8 servings) I like to freeze them in a freezer-safe dish or a vacuum-sealed bag for busy nights or a cozy lunch. This is the MVP of meal prep – it keeps fantastically for about 6 months.

Simple Venison Stew In The Slow Cooker

This thick, hearty and healthy slow cooker venison stew is made in the crockpot with tender hunks of deer meat, veggies, and a rich & flavorful broth.This hearty Slow Cooker Venison Stew with mushrooms, chestnuts and cranberries is easy to make and totally delicious. You can also make this recipe with beef shin or braising steak if preferred. Serve with mashed potatoes for the ultimate in comfort food!

I made this Slow Cooker Venison Stew way back in December then somehow forgot to post the recipe. Big oops because it is packed with flavor and so easy to make too!

I love cooking venison in a crockpot as the meat turns ever so tender! And I usually make this stew around Christmas as it’s a great way to use any leftover red wine, port and cranberries!

Venison Casserole Recipe

Venison can stand up to strong flavors and goes really well with berries (like in my Venison Steak with Port and Red Berry Sauce recipe.

But if you can’t find any venison or simply aren’t a fan, you can easily swap it for beef shin which has a similar rich taste.

You will need boned leg or shoulder of venison, diced into cubes or ready prepared diced venison for stewing. Remove any sinew or fat as you slice the meat.

Venison Stew With Guinness And Pickled Walnuts Recipe

Browning the meat ensures that your stew will be delicious – you can do this in your slow cooker if it allows for searing or in a separate pan. Avoid crowding the venison cubes when browning – allow them plenty of space so that they get a lovely color.

After prepping the meat you will need to sauté the onions and mushrooms before adding the remaining ingredients and allowing the venison to slowly braised in red wine and beef broth. I love how hands off slow cooker recipes are!

As with all stews, this succulent braised venison tastes even better the day after you make it! It is also beyond delicious as a pie filling, topped with homemade pie crust or even puff pastry (as in my Turkey Pie).

Slow Cooker Venison Steaks Recipe

You can also make this recipe in the oven, prepping on the hob