Venison Bourguignon (Deer Meat Recipe)
This Venison Bourguignon Recipe is a rustic and flavorful dish that combines tender pieces of venison with classic French elements, inspired by the French beef bourguignon. The result is a hearty and savory deer stew that with deep earthy flavors!
Why You’ll Love This Venison Bourguignon Recipe
If you have never had bourguignon before, you are in for a real treat! Bourguignon is a French dish that braises red meat in a red wine sauce over a long period of time in order to get juicy, tender pieces of meat! It is usually made with beef, but if you, like me, have had a neighbor or friend share venison meat with you, then make it with venison!
After being gifted with this precious piece of protein, I wanted to make something lavish yet rustic. Something that would allow the venison flavor to shine, but offer plenty of contrast. Venison Bourguignon was the answer.
Venison is considered one of the healthiest red meats because it is high in protein, iron, and vitamin B, but extremely low in fat.
Since it is low in fat though, it is essential to cook it the right way. By braising it with flavorful vegetables and aromatics and a deeply flavored red wine sauce, the venison will turn out extremely tender and absolutely decadent!
This rich French Deer Stew Recipe of red meat, red wine, herbs, and butter was the perfect way to “honor” the deer meat and delight those partaking. The venison bourguignon broth is more of a luxurious gravy bathing tender veggies and melt-in-your-mouth morsels of deer meat. I served the deer stew over a bed of roasted baby potatoes.
Ingredients You Need
This venison stew recipe has a long list of ingredients, but don’t get scared! It is actually very simple to make. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bacon
- Deer Meat – cuts of venison like tenderloin, venison backstraps, venison steaks, or a venison roast – substitute with beef for “boeuf bourguignon”
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
- Mushrooms – cremini or button mushrooms
- Brandy
- Dry Red Wine – stay away from anything sweet
- Venison or Beef Stock
- Tomato Paste
- Thyme, Rosemary & Bay Leaf
- Butter & Flour
- Salt & Pepper
- Mini Potatoes – for serving
How to Make Venison Bourguignon
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauce pot or dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pat the venison chunks dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper to taste. Brown the deer meat on all sides. Then remove with a slotted spoon. You can do this in batches if needed so each chunk has enough room to get a good sear!
Add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the pot. Cook and stir for several minutes until the onions have softened, then add the mushrooms and cook another 5-10 minutes.
Add all the deer meat back to the pot, followed by brandy, wine, stock, and tomato paste. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and stir well. Then add the bouquet garnis (bundle of thyme, rosemary and bay leaf) and cover with a lid.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and slow cook for approximately 3 hours until the venison is very tender.
In the last hour of simmering, preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the mini potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until tender, tossing once in the middle.
Once the venison is tender, mix half a stick of butter with 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Use a fork to press into a paste.
Slowly stir the butter mixture into the stew until the desired thickness is reached- I like to add it all!
Add salt and black pepper to taste if needed. Serve hot with a side of roasted potatoes!
Serving Suggestions
With all the lovely gravy that is made in the process of making bourguignon, it is best to serve this with something that will soak it all up! I like to serve it over a bed of roasted mini potatoes, but you can also opt for fluffy mashed potatoes or even rice!
Some garlic bread or your favorite crusty bread would also go amazingly on the side!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have ever seen the movie Julie & Julia, you know that Julia Child is famous for her beef bourguignon. But bourguignon and stew look very similar. The main difference between French bourguignon and stew is the presence of red wine. If you leave out the wine and replace it with beef or venison broth, you will have a stew instead!
If you find that the venison chunks in your stew are tough, it might be that you didn’t cook it long enough! You have to simmer this venison bourguignon for at least 3 hours, if not even longer, depending on the size of your chunks of meat!
Venison Stew Tips & Tricks
- Something this special takes time. Venison Bourguignon is not a quick throw-together mid-week meal–save this for the weekend and savor it with good wine and great friends!
- Before I started the Venison Bourguignon, I brined the meat for one hour in salt water and a “Wild Game Blend” with juniper berries from Asheville’s Spice & Tea Exchange. This tenderized the deer meat, helping it to break down better. I recommend brining it in at least some salt water beforehand, and then pat dry with paper towels!
- When choosing a red wine to use for cooking, go with something that is not too expensive but not terribly cheap either. You want to use a wine that you enjoy drinking. Since the wine cooks down, the flavor will really concentrate and shine through!
Looking for More Decadent Dishes to Try? Be Sure to Check Out:
- Beef Lentil Stew
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Coq au Vin (Chicken in a Wine Sauce)
- Steak Au Poivre
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerky
- Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew Recipe
Venison Bourguignon Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 8 ounces chopped bacon
- 3 pounds deer roast meat chopped into large 2-inch chunks
- 2 pounds carrots chopped into large chunks
- 2 onions roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 pound crimini mushrooms halved
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 750 mL dry red wine
- 2 cups venison stock or beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bouquet garni a small fresh herb bouquet with thyme, rosemary and a bay leaf – tied together
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/4 cup flour
- Salt and pepper
- 3 pounds baby golden potatoes
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepot. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Next pat the venison chunks dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper to taste. Brown the deer meat on all sides. Then remove with a slotted spoon.
- Add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the pot. Cook and stir for several minutes until the onions have softened, then add the mushrooms and cook another 5-10 minutes.
- Add all meat back to the pot, followed by: brandy, wine, stock, and tomato paste. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and stir well. Then add the bouquet garni and cover.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for approximately 3 hours until the venison is very tender.
- In the last hour of simmering, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place the mini potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast for 35-45 minutes until tender, tossing once in the middle.
- Once the venison is tender, mix half a stick of softened butter with 1/4 cup of flour. Use a fork to press into a paste.
- Slowly stir the butter mixture into the stew until the desired thickness in reached—I like to add it all!
- Salt and pepper to taste if needed.
can I make this in a crockpot?
Hi Nathan!
Yes, you can. However, you should still brown the meat and sauté the veggies on the stovetop before adding them to the crockpot. This locks in the flavor of the meat and sweetens the veggies. Cooking time could vary greatly on the low and high settings… I would probably start with low for 6-8, then check it. You can also roast the potatoes as directed OR add them to the crock – which will extend the cooking time. Let me know if you give it a try!