This is the best, simple and from-scratch recipe for ground venison tacos. Simple to make and no packets of seasoning from the store needed!
In our home, the love for Mexican food runs DEEP. About once a week we’re having something with a Mexican flair – these chicken fajita bowls, these elk tacos salads, this venison chili OR I make ground venison tacos.
Taco night is always received well. What’s not to love about making your own little handheld morsel of meat and toppings, right? And, I love it because it’s fast to make, easy to use fresh & healthy ingredients (sometimes I use butter or bib lettuce instead of a tortilla), the baby is obsessed with taco meat, and the flavor of venison actually shines when paired with taco seasoning.
One of the requests I get most often is recipes for ground venison or deer meat. It seems that many families get most of their deer meat made into ground meat after a harvest. And, I can’t say I blame them. As much as I would caution against getting ALL meat made into ground (seriously save the ribs, buy my cookbook and made those short ribs!!), it’s so convenient and cost-effective because you can stop buying red meat from the store.
What’s not to love about having your own stash of sustainably sourced, free-range protein at home?
But, another common complaint I receive from people when they have a ton of ground deer meat to go through…it just doesn’t taste like beef. And they’re right. If you cook venison like you cook beef, you’re going to be disappointed with the results. However…
This is one of the BEST ways to use up ground deer meat
Seriously. The taco seasoning flavors not only enhance the flavor of deer meat, but they transform it into a meaty but bright flavor profile that makes the best dang taco meat that I have ever had. And I don’t say that lightly!
What do you add to ground venison to make taco meat?
To make the best ever ever EVER ground venison tacos, you add a combination of chili powder, cumin, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice and apple cider vinegar to ground deer meat that has been sautéed with onions and garlic.
Chili powder and cumin are some of the greatest seasonings for deer meat
I love making my own taco seasoning blend with chili powder and cumin instead of buying the pre-made packages because it tastes so bold and fresh, I get to control the flavor levels and it is so much more natural!
What really makes these ground venison tacos is the acid from the lime juice, orange juice, and apple cider vinegar.
Adding acid to venison and wild game meats that have a richer flavor is a great way to combat some of that unfamiliar flavor that some people call “gamey”. It is one of my top tricks for making deer meat dishes taste amazing. I used to be someone who didn’t like venison, and now I prefer it to anything you can buy in the store!
You’re going to love this ground venison taco meat! Put in on your to-make list and on your regular meal rotation!
Love venison recipes? Check out these Venison Enchiladas!
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The BEST Ground Venison Tacos
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
This is the best, simple and from-scratch recipe for ground venison tacos. Simple to make and no packets of seasoning from the store needed!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive or avocado oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 lb. ground venison*
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- Begin by heating a large pan over medium heat on the stove. Add the oil to the pan and when the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Then, add the ground venison and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for an 2 additional minutes before deglazing the pan with the orange juice, lime juice and apple cider vinegar.
- Then, add the water and turn the heat to medium-low. Allow the meat to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the desired texture and moisture level are reached.
- Serve in taco shells, lettuce wraps, burritos, quesadillas, nachos – however you like!
Notes
- This recipe will work with elk, beef, antelope, moose, bison, lamb – really any red meat.
- If you’re thawing venison from frozen, try thawing it on a paper towel or drying it with a paper down and discarding old blood before cooking. This helps the meat to taste fresh and not “gamey”.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican American
Keywords: venison, wild game, deer meat, tacos, ground meat, ground venison, mexican
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Fabulous. I think the best tacos I have ever made. I’ve made venison tacos with regular taco seasoning… it does not compare. I will never never be able to use the packaged seasoning again
★★★★★
This makes my day! So glad you like them!
Is this meant to be tablespoons or teaspoons or chilli powder. I used 1 tablespoon (because I thought it was a lot) and I can taste anything apart from hot /chilli
Hi Sue! It’s tablespoon! You need a lot of spices for tacos (usually when I buy a packet from the store of taco seasoning, there’s more than 3Tbsp. inside). Is your chili powder hot/spicy chili powder or mild? Most chili powder does not have heat (cayenne does).
Wow!! I made a “taco bowl, only adding Spanish rice, and a few fun things like black beans, black olives, jalapenos, salsa, avocado, and cilantro to the top, then I drizzled some Green Goddess over it. Amazing! The venison worked so well with all of the flavors so well in fact that my boyfriend(who was the chef and owner of a successful restaurant) was eating out of the pan even after he was stuffed! lol! He declared, “I’m officially a huge venison fan!! Then he went on to say, if a restaurant had this on their menu , not only would I order it every time, but I’d go to that restaurant as much as possible!! 🙂
★★★★★
ROSE! This is the best comment ever. I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, what a wonderful review! Thank you!
Great recipe for ground venison, my new go to for venison tacos bowls or stuffed peppers.
Thank you!
★★★★★
A taco bowl is my favorite! So glad you like them 🙂 Thanks for leaving this review, they mean SO much to us!
OMG!!! Wow!!! I was so impressed and my husband is a crazy picky eater.. and he ate 3 in minutes! Definitely a new staple!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
★★★★★
I am SO glad, Kim. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and review!
I am one of those who said “I won’t ever eat deer meat”. 4-5 years later I decided to harvest my own deer- due to the natural way of the animal living rather than how beef of raised… I was hesitant to try my own harvested deer.. UNTIL I MADE THESE DANG TACOS. Holy moly. I took my first bite and as absolutely speechless. The flavor was amazing!! I was curious about adding the orange juices… but wow!!! I will be making this on the regular!!!!
Aw, Lindsey. This is so cool, I love your story. Thank you so much for trying the recipe, it means so much to my family and I. You are so appreciated here!
I will be making these this evening. I’m super excited to try them. I wish we could attach a photo to show you all of our results!!
Me too, Rachelle! I’m on Instagram and I’d LOVE to see a photo there if you have one 🙂
These were SO good. the orange juice threw me for a loop, but you couldnt even taste it. The meat was flavorful, not gamey, and tasted just like taco meat. I soaked up the extra blood too from the meat before cooking it…not sure if it made a difference but I think it may have helped grab the flavors from everything else. Will DEFINITELY be making these again and have already recommended to friends and family.
★★★★★
Hey Julia! I think soaking did make a difference so that’s fantastic you took the time to do that. Thank you for the review 🙂
This is my first online review. I don’t write reviews because I’ve never felt strongly about any recipe I’ve found online to give my public opinion to. This however is the most pleasant exception. My family is not a fan of venison. I’ve tried for years to make chili, burgers, roasts etc trying hundreds of recipients with various levels of results. This however is hands down the greatest recipe I’ve ever tried for venison. It is so insanely good it will make you question ever using store bought seasoning packets or looking for a different recipe. I made this the other day just as an experiment because my neighbor whom I gave some meat to suggested I try it. My kids didn’t want anything other than these tacos despite having dinner already on the stove. If you’re looking for a recipe that will easily please venison skeptics who aren’t a fan of gamy flavors this is for you
★★★★★
Kevin, I am blown away. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to leave this review. It takes years to nail a recipe like this so your kindness does not go unnoticed. Hope you and your family sincerely enjoy all of the tacos in your future!!
Delicious! No gamey flavor. Tastes very similar to a ground beef taco! Our family loves this recipe.
★★★★★
Aw thank YOU, Chelsea!
This was amazing! I used the meat on some meal prepped taco salads. It was the highlight of my week!! So good.
★★★★★
What did you do to the tortillas? They look grilled/fried but still bendable?
I made this for lunch today. Honestly, the taco filling was the best I have ever eaten! That’s something coming from a Texan. You really should make this recipe. If I could give it more than a five star rating, I would.
★★★★★
I tried many venison taco recipes before finding this one and it’s my absolute favorite! Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★