These Venison Meatballs are the best ever. They’re tender and meaty, but not gamey at all. You can make a big batch of them to use up that ground deer meat.

venison meatballs in a black bowl with red sauce

I have to confess that ground venison was not always my favorite thing to use when making recipes with ground meat. I grew up eating beef and turkey, like a lot of people. But, these venison meatballs are to DIE for and they are a staple in our house.

We had friends over for dinner the other week, and I had spent the day testing and photographing recipes. It’s always a gamble serving wild game when we have company, but these are ALWAYS a hit. These smoked venison meatballs are, too.

When I make this recipe, I usually make a double batch so I could freeze half to reheat on a busy day. The tough part is saving them for the freezer because as soon as they come out of the oven, my husband starts snacking on them! I swear, he eats them like candy.

You can serve these over pasta, in a meatball sub, over veggies – however you want! If you need a good sauce recipe, just omit the meat in my weeknight bolognese recipe for an easy sauce!

sautéed onions and garlic with herbs in a pan

How to make venison meatballs juicy & flavorful

You might be wondering…what is the best way to get a really delicious meatball from venison? Traditioanlly meatballs use a blend of beef, pork and veal.

pork and venison meat mixed with aromatics in a white bowl

Adding pork for fat & flavor

I like to add a bit of ground pork . Not only does this add flavor, but it adds a little bit of fat. Venison is a very lean meat which is wonderful, but when you want a dish to be really succulent (who doesn’t want a succulent meatball?) adding a bit of extra fat is always a good idea.

Of course, if you don’t want to use extra ground pork, you don’t have to. Especially if deer meat is a regular part of your diet, you may opt to use only venison. The meatballs will be a bit drier, but they will still be SO tasty.

Acid is your best friend

One of my not so closely guarded secrets for working with venison is using acid in my cooking. You know – acid, fat, salt & heat! These 4 principles of great cooking apply absolutely when working with venison. I add it when I’m done sauteing the onions and garlic to add to the meat before baking them.

The acid helps to bring out the wonderful flavor notes of deer meat and tone down the richness.

Another tip for great meatballs – always always ALWAYS saute your onions and garlic before adding them to things like meatballs and meatloaf. That raw flavor won’t bake out if you ask me.

Once you have your aromatics sauteed and all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix together the meatballs, scoop & roll! SO simple!

Don’t worry if the fat renders out. Just scoop the meatballs out around it, and let them cool and freeze them for later, or add them right into your favorite sauce before serving.

If you’re looking for more easy & flavorful recipes for venison, go check out my bestselling cookbook, Venison Every Day!