Home RecipesMain Dish Pan Fried and Baked Deer Meatballs

Pan Fried and Baked Deer Meatballs

by owetogrub
baked venison meatballs

I thought this venison meatball recipe was the best tasting deer meatballs I’ve had. Throughout the years I’ve tried plenty of meatballs and meatloaves with wild game and thus far I found these meatballs to be the best. The addition of the ground pork does a great job of removing some of the wild meat taste.

I don’t mind the gamey taste of some meat, but when I’m using the meat in a traditional Italian recipe like spaghetti and meatballs, I don’t want the full-on outdoorsy flavor.

A friend who doesn’t care for wild meat that much didn’t know he was eating dear meat until I told him. I took the meatball mixture and turned it into a meatloaf and smoked it on the stick burner for a couple of hours. He made a sandwich with the smoked venison and bbq sauce.

I was waiting for him to say something about the gamey taste, but he never knew any better. For those of you who don’t care for the wild taste can also mix the venison with pork or beef.

These venison meatballs can be made ahead of time and we usually make a few dozen and freeze some for later. It’s really convenient to grab the bag out of the freezer and grab a few meatballs to throw in some spaghetti sauce or into some gravy.

How to make venison meatballs for spaghetti

Making venison meatballs for spaghetti is just like making traditional Italian meatballs but with the addition of deer meat.  If I’m making them exclusively for spaghetti, I do a blend of Italian sausage and fresh ground venison.  The spices like basil and thyme mask the gamey flavor and especially the fennel seed.

What goes with venison meatballs?

They can be served alone as an appetizer and also as the main dish.  They’re awesome in spaghetti sauce.  Venison meatballs in a thick tomato based sauce with oregano, basil, thyme, onion, garlic, and a few other spices make a wonderful dinner with a side salad and garlic bread.  You also can’t go wrong serving them with gravy alongside mashed potatoes.

Can you fry venison meatballs?

Yes, you most certainly can, and the crispy texture on the outside of the meatball is really good.  I like to eat fried deer meatballs on a sandwich with marinara and melted mozzarella.  Press the sandwich like a panini after broiling and it’s really amazing.

baked venison meatballs

Baked Deer Meatballs

owetogrub I thought this venison meatball recipe was the best tasting deer meatballs I’ve had. Throughout… Main Dish deer meatballs European Print This
Serves: 6-8 Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 4.0/5
( 7 voted )

Ingredients

1 lb. venison/deer meat
1 lb. ground pork or beef (80/20)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1.  To a large bowl add all of the ingredients and mix well with your hands.
  2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees
  3. Start forming the meatballs by taking a portion of the venison mixture and roll in your hands to make balls.
  4. Place the venison meatballs on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
  5. For frying, preheat a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom.   Fry the meatballs for 3 minutes on each side and finish cooking in sauce or gravy.

Notes

These meatballs can also be pan fried and put into gravy or spaghetti sauce. The deer meat mixture can also be used to make a meatloaf.

Related Posts