How to Cook Venison Chops | No Marinade Needed

Venison chops or backstrap medallions are simple to cook. You need a hot pan or grill, salt, pepper, lemon and good technique. It’s easy!

Have a bunch of venison chops on hand?! Lucky you. This recipe will help you blow fall in love with them and use ’em up!

Prefer watching a video to learn? Check out the YouTube video I made for you!

What are chops on a deer?

Chops are cuts of meat from the backstrap or loin of the deer that run along its back from the shoulder to the hindquarter. You’ll see this cut done whole (often called the backstrap) or cut into chops with either part of the backbone or rib (this is what you’ll notice with a “tomahawk steak”) or boneless.

In short, chops are delicious cuts sourced from the loin meat running next to the spine.

Some people butterfly their chops to create a larger surface area of the meat but I prefer to leave them whole with this recipe so they don’t overcook (they’ll look like a fillet mignon from the tenderloin of beef).

A common misconception – chops are from the loin, not from the tenderloin.

How do you get venison chops tender?

Venison chops are some of the most sought-after cuts out of a deer because they’re naturally so tender. They’re tender because they’re non-loadbearing and free of connective tissue. The more a muscle bears weight the more muscle fibres it contains making it tough. For example, shoulder meat is best left on the bone and braised low and slow because the meat is so tough. And connective tissue can be rubbery when it isn’t cooked low and slow giving it a chance to melt.

So, for venison chops, the real key to keeping them tender is to not overcook them. You’re looking for medium-rare or even rare plus – I pull my steaks from a heat source between 115F-125F.

Do you have to marinate deer chops or the backstrap?

No! Now, you certainly can if you’re looking for something different, a brighter flavor, you don’t like the taste of deer meat, or you’re cooking for people who don’t eat venison often. But it certainly isn’t necessary. In this recipe, we won’t use any marinade and I’ll show you how to make the best venison chops in the world that rival any meat you’d get in a steakhouse.

You might want to consider using my All-Purpose Venison Marinade or Soaking In Buttermilk if any of these are true for you:

• You have a less palatable animal due to the age, gender, location, diet, time of year harvested, hormones present during the time of kill, improper field dressing, improper processing (and the meat is still safe to eat)
• You don’t really love the taste of venison but you don’t want to waste it (and you shouldn’t!)
• You’re cooking for people skeptical of wild game
• You have a TON of meat in the freezer and you just need a change!

How to cook venison chops

Cooking perfect venison chops couldn’t be more simple.

First, you’re going to remove the chops out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking so they can start to come to room temp and cook more evenly. Then, PAT THEM DRY. You always want to pat proteins dry before searing because it creates a better, harder seat and crust on the meat.

Next, heat a cast iron pan or grill over medium-high heat. I prefer the cast iron method so I’ll talk about that here. But know you can also use your grill and you can preheat that to medium-high, too.

While your pan heats, salt the meat generously and pat it dry AGAIN with a towel. When the pan is hot, add some sort of high heat tolerant cooking fat (duck fat, avocado oil, etc) and add the meat to the pan.

Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chops. But, when you have a nice sear on one side (anywhere from 2-5 minutes) flip the meat. Then, add about 1-2 tablespoons of butter, smashed garlic cloves, and fresh thyme to the pan. Tilt the pan to the side and baste the meat by spooning the butter and aromatics over the chops.

Once the internal temperature reaches about 115-125F, remove the meat from the pan. If you’re grilling just flip and grill on each side for 2-5 mins. You do NOT want to cook venison over medium-rare. I like rare plus. Trust me and get used to cooking it this way.

Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Season with some fresh cracked pepper, flakey salt (or regular salt – just a pinch), and a little squeeze of lemon. You’re done! That’s all there is to it.

Ingredients you’ll need

All you’ll need for these simple deer chops are:

• venison chops
• salt (good quality if you can. I like to use Celtic sea salt before cooking and Maldon sea salt to finish)
• high heat tolerant oil (duck fat, avocado oil, tallow, clarified butter, etc)
• garlic cloves
• fresh thyme
• fresh cracked pepper
• lemon

Prep and storage

This is a very fast and easy main dish but it doesn’t make for the best leftovers so it’s best to make venison chops just before you want to eat them.

To prep, all you need to do is defrost your meat and make sure you have all of the ingredients (however I bet you have all of them right now). You can defrost the chops on a paper towel-lined plate to aid in the drying process.

Reheating venison steaks or chops isn’t ideal because it causes them to be overcooked. Because of the low fat content and rich “wild flavor, I don’t recommend this. However, if you have leftovers we love eating venison chops cold over a steak salad. The Blue Cheese Seak Salad from my cookbook, Venison Every Day, is divine.

Other recipes you might like:

• Venison Burgers
• Venison Tacos
• Smoked Venison Tenderloin
• Venison Egg Roll In A Bowl

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