The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (2024)

By: Jessica · Posted: · Updated: · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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4.52 from 62 votes

You’ll never want to cook deer meat any other way when you find out how to make this venison backstrap recipe!

Frying deer meat is our family’s favorite way to enjoy venison, however, if a fried version isn’t what you prefer, you will enjoy this deer steak on the stovetop, grilled venison steak and marinade or even a pan-fried deer steak!

The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (1)

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you’re not a fan of a gamey taste, you’ll ESPECIALLY love this recipe because of the way this venison is cooked. However, even if you don’t mind the deer meat flavor, frying it is still one of the most popular recipes because of how delicious it really is!

Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • 🔪 How to Slice Deer Tenderloin
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Venison Backstrap with Light Breading
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Venison Backstrap with Heavier Breading:
  • 🌟 How to Fry the Deer Meat
  • 💡 Tips and Expert Tips
  • 💡 FAQs
  • ❄️ How to Store Leftover Venison
  • 🥔 Side Dishes for Venison
  • 🥩 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

🔪 How to Slice Deer Tenderloin

My dad (the king of frying deer meat), swears that the key to creating the BEST fried deer meat, depends on how it’s sliced. He was nice enough to let me grab a quick video while he was cutting it, so you can see just how he does it! (So make sure to watch the video here in this post!)

Tip for tender deer meat: He said cutting it against the grain, can make it much more tender. Plus, for a really tough deer, you can even take your knife and gently tap each piece after you cut it, to tenderize it.

🧾 Ingredients

For this recipe, it doesn’t take a lot and they’re all simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand!

** See below which breading type you prefer, and how to make each type.

The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (2)

For very light breading:

  • 1-2poundsdeer meattenderloin and/or backstrap, sliced in to 1/4 inch slices
  • 2Tablespoonssalt, for soaking
  • 2Tablespoonssalt, for flour breading+ additional to taste after fried
  • 2cupswater
  • 3cupsflour
  • 2cupsvegetable oil
  • Greek seasoning,optional

For heavier breading:

All the above, plus 3-4 eggs.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Venison Backstrap with Light Breading

(Darker deer meat, with only flour.)

The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (3)
  1. In a bowl, mix together water and 2 tablespoon salt. Soak sliced deer meat in salt water overnight if you’re able, or at least an hour.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in askillet over medium heat to 325 degrees. (My favorite to use is myLodge Cast Iron Skillet)
  3. Remove deer meat from refrigerator, and discard salt water (It may be best to leave it sit out for 15 minutes or so, so you won’t be frying very cold meat in hot oil.)
  4. Pat the deer meat dry, with paper towels (UPDATE: We left the deer meat wet the other night, and dipped it in flour, and woah… that wasn’t too shabby. So it’s up to you!)
  5. Mix flour and 2 tablespoon salt, in a ziptop bag or a separate bowl/plate for coating
  6. Coat deer meat in flour/salt mixture
  7. Place the coated deer meat pieces into the heated vegetable oil. (To test the oil’s temperature, sprinkle a bit of flour in the oil to see if it bubbles. If it bubbles, it’s ready. However, be careful not to get the oil too hot, so it doesn’t splatter and burn you when adding the deer meat.)
  8. Flip deer meat after a few minutes when the underside is golden-brown. (Approx. 3 minutes)
  9. Cook on thealternate side until cooked through and there is no sign of undercooked meat. (We’ve been playing around with this recipe, and if you like a crunchy breading on your deer meat, cook it a bit longer until it reaches the desired “crunch,” you prefer.)
  10. Inside of fully cooked meat will be gray/brown, with no sign of red.
  11. Remove deer meat from pan, on to plate/dish covered with paper towels to drain oil.
  12. OPTIONAL: We LOVE sprinkling Greek Seasoning on the fried deer meatafter it is fried for optimal flavor!

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Venison Backstrap with Heavier Breading:

  1. In a bowl, mix together water and 2 tablespoon salt. Soak sliced deer meat in salt water overnight if you’re able, or at least an hour.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in askillet over medium heat to 325 degrees. (My favorite to use is myLodge Cast Iron Skillet)
  3. Remove deer meat from refrigerator, and discard salt water (It may be best to leave it sit out for 15 minutes or so, so you won’t be frying very cold meat in hot oil.)
  4. Pat the deer meat dry, with paper towels (UPDATE: We left the deer meat wet the other night, and dipped it in flour, and woah… that wasn’t too shabby. So it’s up to you!)
  5. Mix flour and 2 tablespoon salt, in a ziptop bag or a separate bowl/plate for coating.

For Semi-Thick Breading: For deer meat with the type of breading in the middle of the photo below, whisk the 3-4 eggs in a small bowl. Dip each piece of deer meat in to the eggs and then in flour. (Result in image below.)

The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (4)

For Thicker breading: For deer meat with the thicker breading, whisk the 3-4 eggs in a bowl. Then, dip the deer meat in flour, then in the eggs, and then the flour again. (Result in image below.)

🌟 How to Fry the Deer Meat

(No matter how you choose to bread it.)

  1. Place the coated deer meat pieces into the heated vegetable oil. (To test the oil’s temperature, sprinkle a bit of flour in the oil to see if it bubbles. If it bubbles, it’s ready. However, be careful not to get the oil too hot, so it doesn’t splatter and burn you when adding the deer meat.)
  2. Flip deer meat after a few minutes when the underside is golden-brown. (Approx. 3 minutes)
  3. Cook on thealternate side until cooked through and there is no sign of undercooked meat. (We’ve been playing around with this recipe, and if you like a crunchy breading on your deer meat, cook it a bit longer until it reaches the desired “crunch,” you prefer.)
  4. Inside of fully cooked meat will be gray/brown, with no sign of red.
  5. Remove deer meat from pan, on to plate/dish covered with paper towels to drain oil.
  6. OPTIONAL: We LOVE sprinkling Greek Seasoning on the fried deer meatafter it is fried for optimal flavor!

💡 Tips and Expert Tips

  • My husband and I also love to sprinkleCavender’s Greek Seasoning, over the top after frying so it adds an extra kick of flavor. Then, if we are feeling frisky, we top it with a bit of Frank’s Hot Sauce.
  • My sister prefers dipping the deer meat in to milk, then in to flour before frying, and she swears by it!
The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (6)

💡 FAQs

Do you need to soak venison backstrap?

Although I recommend soaking the deer meat in saltwater, it’s not something you have to do. It can help draw blood out and remove a gamey taste that it may have. Some also soak in milk instead of water and believe that it helps keep it tender and juicy.

Do you have to marinate venison tenderloin?

We don’t recommend marinating venison in dressings, oils, or any flavorings when frying with this recipe. So besides soaking in salt water or milk, if desired to help remove a gamey taste, marinating ingredients are not necessary.

Can you freeze venison tenderloin?

Absolutely. If freezing a deer tenderloin or backstrap, it’s recommended that you slice it in to small pieces (as shown in the video above), before freezing. So when you’re ready to cook it, you can thaw it out much faster and it will already be cut for frying. Freeze in food-saving bags or your favorite freezer packaging.

❄️ How to Store Leftover Venison

If you have leftover fried deer meat, store cooled deer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

🥔 Side Dishes for Venison

What goes good with venison backstrap? Some of our favorites to serve with is are white gravy, or for fun, chorizo gravy, mashed potatoes, and biscuits. However, this romaine side salad and this roasted broccoli are other favorite vegetables to serve with it!

If you have more venison, you’ll also love this air fryer deer meat that only takes 5-7 minutes to make! If you have ground venison, you’ll want to also try this venison chili recipe!

Or, if fried steaks are your favorite, you’ll love this old-fashioned country fried steak recipe. Or, these country-fried pork chops are a family favorite in our house!

Make sure to see the 80+easy dinner recipesto add to your meal planner!

📖 Recipe

The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (7)

Fried Venison Recipe

Jessica Burgess

Venison Backstrap Recipe – Fried deer tenderloin that may just change the way you cook deer meat forever! Tender, juicy, and delicious!

4.52 from 62 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Resting Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 6 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 40 pieces

Calories 188 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1-2 pounds deer meat tenderloin and/or backstrap, sliced in to 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 Tablespoons salt for soaking
  • 2 Tablespoons salt for flour breading + additional to taste after fried
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups vegetable oil Or enough to create 1/2 inch to 1 inch of oil in the skillet.
  • Greek seasoning optional

Optional for Thicker Breading

  • 4 eggs

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix together water and 2 tablespoon salt. Soak sliced deer meat in salt water overnight if you’re able, or at least an hour.

  • Heat vegetable oil in askillet over medium heat to 325 degrees.

  • Remove deer meat from refrigerator, and discard salt water

  • Pat the deer meat dry, with paper towels (UPDATE: We left the deer meat wet the other night, and dipped it in flour, and woah… that wasn’t too shabby. So it’s up to you!)

  • Mix flour and 2 tablespoon salt, in a ziptop bag or a separate bowl/plate for coating

For Thin Breading

  • Coat deer meat in flour/salt mixture

For Medium Breading

  • Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Dip the pieces of deer meat, one at a time, in to the egg mixture, then in to flour (coating all of the deer).

For Thickest Breading

  • Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Dip the pieces of deer meat, one at a time, in to the salted flour, then in to the egg mixture, and then in to flour again (coating all of the deer).

Frying the Deer Meat

  • Place the coated deer meat pieces into the heated vegetable oil. (To test oil’s temperature, sprinkle a bit of flour in the oil to see if it bubbles. If it bubbles, it’s ready. However, be careful not to get the oil too hot, so it doesn’t splatter and burn you when adding the deer meat.)

  • Flip deer meat after a few minutes when the underside is golden-brown. (Approx. 3 minutes)

  • Cook on thealternate side until cooked through and there is no sign of undercooked meat. (We’ve been playing around with this recipe, and if you like a crunchy breading on your deer meat, cook it a bit longer until it reaches the desired “crunch,” you prefer.)

  • Inside of fully cooked meat will be gray/brown, with no sign of red.

  • Remove deer meat from pan, on to plate/dish covered with paper towels to drain oil.

  • We LOVE sprinkling Greek Seasoning on the fried deer meatafter it is fried for optimal flavor!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 10pieces | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 355mg | Potassium: 46mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

The BEST Venison Backstrap Recipe | Fantabulosity (2024)

FAQs

What do you soak a deer backstrap in? ›

Directions: Soak the venison backstrap in 40 percent fat content buttermilk and fresh rosemary for 48 hours in the refrigerator. After the meat is done marinating, rinse off all buttermilk and rosemary and leave the meat out at room temperature for about 45 minutes. (Never cook any red meat that's cold.

Why do you soak deer backstrap in milk? ›

Here's how soaking deer meat in buttermilk works

The protein found in dairy, casein, also binds to the meat potentially helping to rid the animal of a powerfully “gamey” or wild/iron-like flavor.

How to tenderize venison backstrap? ›

Soaking the meat in milk or buttermilk for a couple of hours before cooking helps. Store bought tenderizers can work too, just be careful of the flavors it can add. One thing that specifically helps is not to over cook your venison.

Why is my deer backstrap tough? ›

If those muscles are cut from the bone before the rigor mortis releases, they won't stretch back out, resulting in tight, or tough, cuts of meat. In hot weather, or a backcountry situation where starting the cooling process is critical, always err on the side of caution.

How do you get the gamey taste out of deer backstrap? ›

The cooking technique you use can help mask gamey flavors. You can couple any of these techniques with marinating. — Cook long, slow and moist (such as a pot roast or in a crockpot) to “cook out” unwanted flavors. — Stew and braise (cook long and slow in liquid) to embed better flavors into the meat.

Should I salt venison before cooking? ›

Salt the meat an hour before or more (using the Dry Salt Brine Method), or directly before searing, and not in between. For best results, use a cast-iron or other thick, heavy pan that holds heat well and doesn't crowd the meat. Ensure that the meat has uninterrupted contact with the pan.

What do you season deer meat with? ›

Ideal flavours for venison
  • Fruits: quince, cherries, prunes, blackberries, apples.
  • Herbs: thyme, rosemary, bay, sage.
  • Spices: star anise, allspice, black pepper, cloves, juniper.
  • Alcohol: red wine (e.g. Grenache, Zinfandel), cider, ale. Other: chestnuts, celeriac, red cabbage, chocolate, mushroom.
Mar 7, 2016

Should you brine backstrap? ›

By brining the meat before smoking, not only does it retain more moisture in the meat, but it's also safer to leave out on the table for a few hours during dinner parties due to the fact that the brine contains pink salt (which is optional).

Do you rinse meat after soaking in milk? ›

Be sure to prep enough marinade to submerge the entire steak. #2 – Place the steak and seasoned milk in a resealable plastic bag or covered container, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours. #3 – Rinse the meat in cool running water, pat it dry, and discard the milk.

Why soak venison in vinegar? ›

Marinades and spices: A number of marinades and spices can be used to cover up “gamey” flavors, but they can also be used to tenderize and enhance the flavor of venison. The University of Minnesota Extension suggests using a high-acid liquid — lemon juice, tomato juice, vinegar or wine — to soften muscle fibers.

How to make venison taste less gamey? ›

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water. Use enough solution to cover the game completely.

What is the best way to cook the backstrap of a deer? ›

The best Venison Backstrap Recipe is cast iron seared and coated in a flavorful dry rub and then cooked until medium rare in a skillet. This is a recipe is for everyone, whether you are a seasoned venison lover or new to cooking with deer meat.

What is best to soak deer meat in before cooking? ›

This gracious gift came with precise instructions: soak the steaks in buttermilk before grilling. I'm sure most venison enthusiasts have heard this advice before.

Can you marinate venison too long? ›

Information. Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

What does deer backstrap taste like? ›

When people describe venison taste and texture, they often use words like rich or earthy; this is a festive-tasting meat, often imbued with hints of the acorns, sage and herbs that the deer enjoyed during its life. It's also considered to be less juicy and succulent than beef, but also smoother and firmer.

Does deer backstrap have to be cooked all the way? ›

Cook deer backstrap to a medium-rare internal temperature of 120-125 degrees F. If you cook it past medium-rare, the meat starts to lose its natural moisture and will dry out quickly. Are deer tenderloin and backstrap the same? Tenderloin and backstrap are not the same cuts of meat.

How do you cook venison so it's tender? ›

The best way that I've found to make sure a venison roast (bone-in or out) tender is to cook it in the crockpot or slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours, or until it is falling apart. If you cook it on low you won't dry it out. Please note that I don't recommend cooking this on high for 4-6 hours.

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