Ultimate Venison Steak Salad (with easy balsamic dressing)

This is the ultimate venison steak salad recipe. It’s packed with tender deer meat, lots of leafy greens, tomatoes, avocado, walnuts, dried cherries, cheese and a super simple homemade balsamic dressing.

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We LOVE salad night in our house. A lot of people find it hard to believe that a meat and potatoes guy like my husband loves salads but when they’re this filling and flavorful, it’s hard not to! In the summer we make this Grilled Chicken And Strawberry Salad on repeat. This Healthy Elk Taco Salad is so good for a fun taco night (you could also use venison). And this Late Summer Salad With Tomatoes, Corn & Peaches is delicious with some Grilled Backstrap or Juicy Steak.

Dressings are something I almost always make myself because it’s so easy, economical and homemade dressing is WAY better for you than store-bought. All you need to do is shake together equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a bit of maple syrup, Dijon mustard, grated fresh garlic, salt & pepper. It’s so easy and perfect for this venison steak salad recipe.

If you want more venison salad ideas, grab my cookbook Venison Every Day! There’s a whole chapter on soups and salads.

Prefer watching recipe tutorial videos? Check out how I make this on YouTube!

FAQ

Are venison steak salads healthy?

While everyone has a different definition of healthy, this salad is packed with great fats, protein, and leafy greens. It’s enough to fuel you to your next meal while providing you with plenty of essential vitamins and minerals! Venison is SUPER rich in protein, iron, linoleic acid, and b vitamins.

What is the best meat to put in salad?

Because venison is both so delicious AND healthy, I think it’s the best meat for a steak salad. It isn’t as fatty as beef so it pairs beautifully with the lettuce. The flavors in venison also go beautifully with greens such a arugula and balsamic dressing, which is what we’ll use here!

INGREDIENTS AND KITCHEN TOOLS

To make a great salad with venison, I like to pair it with foods that compliment the flavor of deer meat. This salad has:

• Venison steaks/chops or enough to feed 4 people
• Sea salt
• Avocado oil
• Black pepper
• Lemon
• Lettuce, I like spinach and arugula or spring mix
• Avocado
• Cherry tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Dried cherries (fresh would be yummy, too!)
• Goat cheese, crumbled (or to taste)

For the dressing:

• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Pure maple syrup
• Dijon mustard
• Garlic clove
• Sea salt (or to taste)
• Black pepper

Kitchen Tools:

• Cast Iron Pan
• Cute Salad Bowls
• Cutting Board and Knife for prepping veggies
• Mason Jar and Lids for dressing

STEP BY STEP

Step 1: First, 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 with a paper towel.

Step 2: Next, heat a cast iron pan over or a grill/pellet to medium-high heat (450F). 

Step 3: While your pan/grill heats, salt the meat generously (about 1/4 tsp. per steak/chop) and pat dry AGAIN with a towel. Then drizzle on the avocado oil on both sides. 

Step 4: When the pan/grill is hot, add the meat. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your steak/chops. But, when you have a nice sear or grill marks on one side (anywhere from 2-5 minutes) flip the meat. Once the internal temperature reaches about 115-125F, remove the meat from the pan and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Step 5: Season the meat with some fresh cracked pepper and a little squeeze of lemon. Set aside while you assemble the salad.

Step 6: To make the dressing add the ingredient to a jar with a lid and shake together until everything is well combined. 

Step 7: To assemble the salads, lay down a bed of greens and layer on the avocado, tomatoes, walnuts, dried cherries, goat cheese and cooked venison. Then drizzle on the dressing. Enjoy!

HOW TO SERVE

To assemble the salads, lay down a bed of greens and layer on the avocado, tomatoes, walnuts, dried cherries, goat cheese and cooked venison. Then drizzle on the dressing. If you want to meal prep these salads, portion the dressing is individual containers, so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy.

STORING AND REHEATING

This salad stores great. I recommend adding the dressing when ready to serve so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy.

OTHER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Venison Bourguignon
• Venison Burrito Bowls
• How to Cook Venison Chops
• Venison Burger Bowls

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