all-purpose venison marinade

Name: All-Purpose Venison Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil; ¼ cup lemon juice (about ½ large lemon); ¼ cup red wine vinegar; 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon salt

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When it comes to cooking wild game, finding the perfect all-purpose venison marinade can feel like a quest for the holy grail. Many marinades end up too sweet or burn easily at high heat, leaving you with less than satisfactory results. But fear not, because we've got a simple marinade recipe that's sure to please everyone in the family - from the pickiest eater to the proud hunter who brought home the meat. It's the only venison marinade you'll need, and it's guaranteed to take your wild game cooking to the next level. So let's get started!

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why this marinade is awesome!
Ingredients to make an all-purpose venison marinade
Instructions for all-purpose venison marinade
Substitutions
Variations
What temperature to cook a venison steak
Storage
FAQ for cooking venison steaks
How to use this marinade to season a venison roast
What to eat with venison steak!
Recipe
Substitutions
Variations
What temperature to cook a venison steak
Storage
Comments

why this marinade is awesome!

This simple all-purpose venison marinade is my favorite for grilling wild game. I am always super grateful for recipes that are flexible and can marinate for thirty minutes or slowly for up to 8 hours.

I know this probably never happens at your house, but sometimes I forget to get the meat out of the freezer in a timely manner and find myself rushing around. When I'm in a hurry, I can quickly marinate my wild game and get food on the table faster!

This marinade makes juicy and tender venison to add on top of a Seasonal Salad From the Garden, and pairs well with a Fresh Margarita. Try serving it with Easy Oven Fries or a light Apple Slaw.

Ingredients to make an all-purpose venison marinade

There are three crucial components to any good marinade: a fat, acid, and spices or flavorings. The acid tenderizes the tough cuts of meat, the fat adds juiciness to lean cuts (most venison falls into this category), and the simple seasonings make the steak tasty!

A flat lay of ingredients for an all-purpose venison marinade including mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper.

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice (juice of ½ lemon)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
optional: fresh herbs such as oregano, basil, rosemary or thyme

Instructions for all-purpose venison marinade

I like to mix my all-purpose venison marinade in the same bowl that the wild game meat will be soaking in. My go-to container for this is a glass pyrex container with deep sides and a lid.

Ingredients for an all-purpose venison marinade including lemon juice, olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and mustard.

Prepare the meat by removing any connective tissue or silver skin. Slice it to desired pieces or leave whole. If leaving in large pieces, poke several holes in the meat using a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate.

A white bowl filled with the ingredients for all-purpose venison marinade.

Peel and mince the garlic. If using fresh herbs, finely chop. Combine all ingredients but the meat in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Let the meat marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove the meat from the marinade and cook to desired doneness. See the helpful hints section below for specific cooking times and internal temperatures.

A freshly grilled venison steak on a wooden cutting board cooked in an all-purpose marinade.

Hint: The flavor of venison that many people describe as gamey can often be managed by proper processing and cooking methods. While beef can be overcooked and under seasoned and still taste delicious, venison is best served cooked medium (or rare) and seasoned generously.

Substitutions

This is a very basic marinade, but don't be afraid to get creative with it!

soy - Adding a tablespoon of soy sauce to the marinade will give the steak a rich umami taste with rich saltiness and a slight sugary hint. One thing to be aware of is that soy can cause the meat to blacken or burn during cooking, so keep an eye on it!
coconut aminos - Personally, this is my favorite addition to steak marinades. Not only is it the same umami flavor of soy sauce while being gluten-free, but it is even sweeter. Again, it is going to blacken or burn faster, so pay attention if you add 1-2 tablespoons.
orange juice - Pour up to three tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice into the marinade and take your steak's flavor to a whole new level!
balsamic vinegar - Make your roast more savory by swapping the red wine vinegar for balsamic, or adding 2 tablespoons in addition to the red wine.

Variations

I almost didn't include this section, simply because I wanted to keep this basic all-purpose venison marinade as basic as possible. But where's the fun in that?

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or paste to the marinade. A little goes a long way, but it is so worth it!
Garden Herbs - add thinly sliced fresh green onions, parsley, oregano, chives or cilantro
Kid friendly - a dash of ketchup or tomato paste will make this marinade sweeter and more mild for kiddos and picky eaters!

What temperature to cook a venison steak

Rare: 125- to 130 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium Rare: 135 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium: 135-145 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium Well: 145-160 degrees Fahrenheit (anything above 145 degrees is NOT recommended for cooking venison)

Storage

Mix this marinade up and keep it in the refrigerator for up to one month! I like to store it in a glass mason jar. Sometimes I make it in double batches during grilling seasoning so that I don't have to continually mix it up.

FAQ for cooking venison steaks

How long should a venison steak stay on the grill?

Before starting, we like to get the grill preheated, somewhere in the ball park of 300-325 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean the grates and add oil if needed. Place the marinated steak on the grill and let it sit for 4-6 minutes before moving. The goal is to get a nice grill grate sear before rotating or flipping the meat. Generally, a venison steak is cooked to medium rare in about 9-12 minutes, depending on thickness.

How do you know when a venison steak is done?

Most people prefer to eat their venison steak cooked rare or medium rare. Use a meat thermometer like a thermapen to test the meat. It should read around 135-140 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to use this marinade to season a venison roast

This marinade recipe is perfect for making a delicious roast! It will need a little extra liquid and tomato paste, but that's it.

Go ahead and mix up the marinade, and then add 1 ½ cups of liquid. I like to use beef broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth. Water would be fine, too. Then add 2 tablespoons of ketchup or tomato paste. Stir it up!

When cooking a roast, you will get the best flavor if you sear the sides for 4-5 minutes in a skillet over medium heat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then take the browned but uncooked roast and transfer it to a crockpot or dutch oven.

Pour the marinade over the roast, and double check that the bottom of the pan has at least ½ inch of liquid covering it. If not, add a little more. This will keep your roast juicy!

Cooking times will vary, but in general you will cook your roast on high in a crockpot for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. If you are using a dutch oven, bake it at 350F for 2-3 hours until tender.

What to eat with venison steak!

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this all-purpose venison marinade:

Thinly slice the steak and add them to my Sweet Potato Street Tacos. Garnish with cilantro and fresh salsa!
For a fresh and light dinner, serve with one of my Garden Fresh Salads! This post goes into detail about how to make several salad dressings including balsamic and poppyseed, plus different ingredient combos for the perfect salad.
For a refreshing drink, I highly recommend having a Salty Dog while grilling! If grapefruit isn't your jam, stick with a simple Margarita.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead

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