An updated, classic venison meatloaf recipe that is loaded with flavor and so easy to make. Perfect for using up ground deer meat.
Meatloaf is such a staple recipe in so many American households. It’s savory, comforting AND filling. It’s such a good idea to use up the ground deer meat you have on hand and make venison meatloaf. Trust me, this recipe is a real winner.
I published this smoked venison meatloaf recipe a few years ago and it has been very popular! But, I felt like we needed a classic meatloaf recipe that feels refreshed and works perfectly with venison. So, that’s exactly what this recipe is here.
INGREDIENTS & KITCHEN TOOLS
When making a classic meatloaf recipe, you’ll want simple ingredients that pair well together and really let the venison have its moment. You’ll want a minimal amount of breadcrumbs to hold the meatloaf together without making it dry and let’s not forget the best part, the savory & sweet topping that will take this meatloaf to the next level. Here is what you are going to need:
Venison: This is the main ingredient for the meatloaf and provides a rich flavor.
Onion & garlic: Finely diced onion and minced garlic adds flavor and moisture to the meatloaf.
Acid: We are adding some balsamic vinegar to the mix to help enhance the flavor of the ground venison.
Bread crumbs: These help to bind the meatloaf together and add texture.
Eggs: Eggs act as a binder and help to hold the meatloaf together.
Worcestershire sauce: This adds a tangy flavor and enhances the overall taste of the meatloaf.
Seasonings: Seasoning the meatloaf with salt and black pepper helps to enhance the flavors of all the ingredients. I also love adding Italian seasoning for an extra pop of flavor.
Topping: For the topping you’ll want a blend of spices plus some ketchup, brown sugar, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder. This tangy glaze is the perfect balance of sweet and savory on top of the meatloaf that brings this whole dish together.
Kitchen Tools
Mixing bowl: A large mixing bowl is essential for combining all the ingredients together and mixing your meat mixture.
Baking dish: A baking dish is used to shape and bake the meatloaf.
Chef’s knife: A sharp knife is necessary for chopping and mincing the onion, garlic, and fresh herbs.
Cutting board: To provide a clean and stable surface for chopping and preparing ingredients.
Measuring spoons: These are useful for accurately measuring out ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Whisk or fork: Used for beating the eggs and combining ingredients.
Meat thermometer: This helps to ensure that the meatloaf reaches the desired internal temperature for safe consumption.
Oven: Required for baking the meatloaf.
STEP BY STEP | FOR A JUICY & FLAVORFUL VENISON MEATLOAF
Step 1: Begin by preheating the oven to 375F and heating a skillet to medium heat.
Step 2: Once the pan is hot, add the oil and onion. Saute until the onion turns translucent and then add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 additional minutes before removing from the heat.
Step 3: Add the sauteed onion and garlic to a large bowl with the venison, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, balsamic, Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together well.
Step 4: Lightly oil and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Add the meatloaf mixture into the pan, pressing it evenly into all of the corners.
Step 5: Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Step 6: While the meatloaf bakes, in a small bowl mix together the topping ingredients. After the 45 minutes is up, brush the topping all over the meatloaf and slide it back into the oven. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the meatloaf is totally done and has reached an internal temperature of 160F.
Step 7: Rest for a few minutes for slicing and serving. If you wish, after slicing the meatloaf, heat a medium pan over medium heat and melt in a bit of butter. Brown meatloaf slices on each side for extra texture.
TIPS & TRICKS
How do you make meatloaf taste good with venison?
It can be hard to make something that uses all deer meat taste the way you’re used to eating something with ground beef would. I think that’s why so many people are disappointed or even turned off when they take their family’s favorite meatloaf recipe that calls for beef and they sub venison. You can’t cook it like you cook beef.
Deer meat will never taste exactly like ground beef, but if you use recipes that are formulated appropriately for venison, you may wind up like me! I can barely stand the taste of commercially bought ground beef anymore, I 100% prefer wild game.
This venison meatloaf recipe uses acidic ingredients like balsamic vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, and milk to balance out the rich flavor that is deer meat. It also calls for caramelized onion and garlic which lends a slightly sweet yet perfectly aromatic flavor to the dish.
I also love using Italian seasoning in my wild game recipes. That spice blend is ALWAYS on hand because it plays so well with big game flavors.
This venison meatloaf recipe is EASY
There’s nothing complicated about this recipe. It comes together as any classic meatloaf should.
You start by sauteeing the onion and garlic which is a must. If you use raw onion and garlic in recipes like meatloaf and meatballs, you’ll never really get rid of that raw taste that can be so overpowering.
Once that’s sauteed everything goes into a large bowl and gets mixed up well. Using your hands is the best way to do it.
Press the mixture into a loaf pan, bake, mix up the glaze, brush it on and bake a bit more before serving!
What makes the best glaze?
I love the traditional meatloaf glaze with the brown sugar and ketchup mixture BUT I like to add some pizzaz with Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder. The glaze is an absolute must.
HOW TO SERVE
Before slicing and serving make sure to rest the meatloaf for a few minutes for best results. If you like a slice with texture, sear it in a pan with some butter before serving. I like a traditional setup with mashed potatoes and a green veggie, like green beans. You will NOT be disappointed!
STORING & REHEATNG
You can easily meal prep this meatloaf or save any leftovers you have for the next day. Make sure you let your meatloaf competently cool before refrigerating.
Reheating from frozen:
To make reheating easier and quicker, cut the leftover meatloaf into desired portion sizes. Ensure that each portion is tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in airtight containers to preserve its moisture and avoid freezer burn. Don’t forget to label and date each wrapped portion or container when storing. This will help you keep track of how long they’ve been stored (I recommend up to 3 months). When you’re ready to reheat, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). If your meatloaf is frozen, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight for even thawing and safe reheating. Once thawed, place the meatloaf on an oven-safe dish or baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. To prevent drying out during reheating, cover the dish with aluminum foil. Place the dish in the preheated oven and let it reheat for about 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C). Keep an eye on it as oven times may vary.
Reheating from the fridge:
Simply place the slice on a microwave-safe dish, cover it with a damp paper towel, and heat it on medium power for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through. Enjoy!
OTHER GROUND VENISON RECIPES
If you have some extra ground venison that you need to use up before you stock the freezer with your new meat here are some of my other favorite ground venison recipes. Award-Winning Venison Chili is hearty and guaranteed to be a hit for the whole family. These crazy good Ground Venison Tacos are my favorite to serve up for taco Tuesday. They are loaded with flavor and easy to make! My Best Ever Venison Meatballs are perfect for the holiday season or for a quick weeknight meal. These can also be made ahead of time and frozen. Check out more of my protein packed, ground venison recipes HERE!
PrintVenison Meatloaf | Classic & Easy
An updated, classic venison meatloaf recipe that is loaded with flavor and so easy to make. Perfect for using up ground deer meat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the meatloaf:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ cup diced onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 lb ground venison (or 1lb ground venison 1lb ground beef)
- 1 cup dried breadcrumbs (plain or Italian are fine, sub almond meal for GF)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 and ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
For the topping:
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. brown or coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
-
Begin by preheating the oven to 375F and heating a medium pan over medium heat.
-
Once the pan is hot, add the oil and onion. Saute until the onion turns translucent and then add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 additional minutes before removing from the heat.
-
Add the sauteed onion and garlic to a large bowl with the venison, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, balsamic, Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together well.
-
Lightly oil and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Add the meatloaf mixture into the pan, pressing it evenly into all of the corners.
-
Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
-
While the meatloaf bakes, mix together the topping ingredients. After the 45 minutes is up, brush the topping all over the meatloaf and slide it back into the oven. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the meatloaf is totally done and has reached an internal temperature of 160F.
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Rest for a few minutes for slicing and serving. If you wish, after slicing the meatloaf, heat a medium pan over medium heat and melt in a bit of butter. Brown meatloaf slices on each side for extra texture.
Food photography by Amber Rice | Instagram
This recipe was created in September 2021 and was updated in February 2024
Theresa says
This is such a great recipe! I used ground elk and almond flour and it was still incredible. My picky 4-yr-old asked if we can have meatloaf every night.
Miss AK says
Aw! I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Theresa!
Laura says
This is delicious! I rarely make meatloaf because it doesn’t turn out great, but this is so tasty! It stays together (unlike some ground venison recipes) and my husband loved it. I’m so glad he convinced me to double the recipe!
Miss AK says
Ah I’m SO glad, Laura. Thank you so much for the comment!
Shreya @ The Creatives Hour says
This meatloaf looks so good. Gonna try it out this season. Thank you for the recipe;)
Victoria Vega says
We are a dairy free household due to allergies. What is the best sub for milk here?
Miss AK says
your preferred, unflavored non-dairy milk of choice.
Betty says
I use almond , coconut or applecider
Sue says
Easy and delicious! A hit with my hunters! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sue says
This has been on repeat since I first made it a few months ago. Easily one of my family’s favorite and most requested recipe!!
Sally Rice says
This is a deliciously juicy meatloaf and it went well on a marble rye bread sandwich.
Dawn says
Loved the recipe. It was very moist, however too much Italian seasoning for our family. It over powered the meatloaf. Will definitely make this again with less Italian seasoning.
Kelsey says
I was honestly just trying to use up some of my deer burger meat and picked this recipe because I had all this on hand. I had no idea it was going to be so DELICIOUS! I honestly felt proud after this one and my husband was looking at me like I was Paula Deen all night. Only thing I changed was using honey instead of sugar in the glaze (due to me somehow being out of sugar). It is honestly the best meatloaf I’ve ever had in my life.
Miss AK says
AHH this is amazing! I am so glad you’re gave this recipe a try and it turned out great for you, Kelsey! Thanks so much for your comment, I appreciate it!
Lori Hoenig says
This was absolutely delicious. I used the almond flour and it was moist and savory. I didn’t have Dijon for the top so I just used regular mustard and the whole family loved this one.
Miss AK says
Ahh this seriously makes me so happy, Lori! I am SO glad you and the family loved this recipe and it turned out great 🙂
Dan Allshouse says
So many freaking ads on your site that it made me screw up ingredients. Every time I would look to my phone for instructions it would skip the page around. Ironically the comments section is the only place it doesn’t skip.
Miss AK says
So sorry to hear this was happening, Dan. I will talk to my development team, is this happing on mobile?
Amanda Z says
The ads have messed me up a few times, too. Very difficult to navigate by phone, which is all I’ve got. Love having your cookbook, print when I’m able, but use my phone more often.
Catherine Costa says
Really good. My husband loved it. I used a venison mixed with brisket and it was the perfect blend.
Miss AK says
YUM! This is so great, Catherine. Glad this recipe turned out great for you and you both loved it!
Brittany says
The best meatloaf I’ve ever had. I made this with ground venison my husband hunted. Even my picky children loved it! Bookmarked for the future. Thank you!
Lauren says
I’ve used half extra lean ground beef and half venison for this for my toddler and she loved it! I leave out the mustard for the sauce and stick to brown sugar and ketchup but use a bit more of both for the sauce to cover the meatloaf well. After cooling the meatloaf works well being frozen with either parchment wrapped or foil into individually sized portions. Reheat in microwave 2min on defrost and voila!
Shari Colyer says
We love all MAK venison recipes. This Classic Meatloaf was exceptionally delicious! I used a pound of ground beef to my pound of white tail venison.
Next time I will double the topping, saving half of it for the table.
Nicole Hooper says
This is better than my all-beef meatloaf! I didn’t have Dijon mustard for the topping but I found 1/2 tsp of ground mustard substituted nicely. I mixed the venison with ground beef (1 lb of each). Absolutely delicious!!!
Abby says
It was so delicious my kids had seconds and I have picky eaters will make it again
Megan Garheart says
Second time making this and it is amazing.
My only regret is not making more of the ketchup sauce to serve on the side!
Catherine Jones says
This was a fantastic recipe! I reduced the recipe by half (except for the glaze) because I only had 1 lb of venison. I substituted bacon grease for the olive oil and used red onion. I used espresso-chocolate balsamic vinegar. A Tuscan seasoning mix gave it a little kick.