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Best Ever Venison Meatballs

Name: Best Ever Venison Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. olive oil; 1 yellow onion, finely diced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar; 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning; 1 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. pepper; 1 lb. ground venison; 1/2 lb. ground pork; 1 egg; 1/4 cup almond meal

By: Allie Doran | Updated: January 27, 2025

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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. Along with these Marry Me Venison Meatballs and my Smoked Venison Meatballs. What is it about the humble meatball that bring people together, lol!

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. My daughter even eats them, too.

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!

INGREDIENTS & KITCHEN TOOLS | FOR THE BEST-EVER JUICY & FLAVORFUL MEATBALL RECIPE

You might be wondering…what is the best way to get a delicious meatball from venison? Traditionally meatballs use a blend of ground beef, pork, and veal. Here’s what I use when I’m working with wild game:

Olive oil
Yellow onion
Garlic cloves
Red wine vinegar
Italian seasoning
Salt & Black Pepper
Ground venison
Ground pork
Egg
Almond meal (instead of breadcrumbs, trust me on this one, but Panko does work well too!)

I do like to add a bit of ground pork . Not only does this add flavor, but it adds a little bit of fat (which adds incredible moisture to your meatballs). 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. I get ground pork in bulk from my local farm and it always work great.

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. Just follow the meat ratio of the recipe below.

STEP BY STEP | FOR THE MOST JUICY AND TENDER VENISON MEATBALLS

These meatballs come together in no time with the most delicious and fresh ingredients. The best part is you can easily make these in advance by freezing them or placing in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Saute for about 4 minutes and add the garlic, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until lightly caramelized. This step is crucial for building flavor. I never add raw onion and garlic to meatballs or meatloaf.

Step 3: Add the onion and garlic mixture to a large bowl with the venison, pork, egg and almond meal. Mix well (I like to use my hands).

Step 4: Scoop the meatball mixture out into even balls and place on a baking sheet, I like to use a large cookie scoop with about 1 + 1/2 tablespoons in each ball. (optional: you can line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean-up).

Step 5: Place in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through (You can use a thermometer to make sure they reach and internal temperature of 165 degrees F).

Step 6: Remove any fat that has rendered off the meatballs.

Step 7: Add them to your favorite sauce, or freeze them on a flat cookie sheet in the freezer and store in a large bag or container when frozen to use later.

Cooking Tip

Highly recommend doubling or tripling these meatballs. They freeze great and are the perfect quick and easy dinner. Just pop into your favorite sauce and serve with some pasta and, voila!

HOW TO SERVE YOUR COOKED MEATBALLS | SPAGHETTI & MARINARA SAUCE, GRAVY & MASHED POTATOES, OR MEATBALL SOUP

I love using these meatballs for a classic spaghetti and meatball recipe. Just pop your meatballs into my favorite marinara sauce, simmer until the meatballs are warmed through, top it with a little fresh parsley, basil and parmesan cheese, and serve with some crusty bread for a quick and easy dinner the whole family will love. Also try these Swedish meatballs in a rich and creamy sauce from my cookbook, OMG YUM! Soup season is in full swing and these would taste amazing as a hearty & cozy Meatball Soup.

STORING AND REHEATING VENISON MEATBALLS

Freeze: After cooking the meatballs, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. These will keep for up to 3 months.

Refrigerate: Let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

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.

OTHER VENISON RECIPES YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE

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