Are you looking for a traditional venison roast – the kind that tastes like the ones from childhood? Maybe even like the roast your grandma used to make? Then you’re in the right place. This classic venison roast is hearty, comforting, and packed with rich flavors – exactly what a traditional wild game dish should be.
A Family Recipe, Reinvented
This venison roast recipe is a blend of family traditions. My mom and my aunt both have their own way of cooking venison, and over the years, I picked the best parts of each and made the recipe my own.
It’s a slow-braised venison dish with root vegetables, red wine, wild spices, and a few special touches that round everything out perfectly. Think homestyle venison roast with red wine sauce, finished with a hint of dark chocolate and lingonberry – not fancy, but full of depth and heart.
How is venison best cooked?
In my opinion: slow and low, with a rich braising liquid and plenty of time. That’s when venison becomes fall-apart tender and develops that deep, nostalgic flavor that makes this dish so special.
Whether you’re making this for a holiday, a family gathering, or just because you feel like something hearty – this braised venison roast might become one of your favorite traditions too.
And here comes the recipe:
Classic Venison Roast – Slow-Braised with Red Wine & Spices
Just a heads up: I use grams and Celsius degrees in all my recipes, as I’m based in Germany.
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless venison roast
- 300 ml red wine
- 800 ml broth if you can, use a game broth
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- 3 TBSP oil neutral
- 2 medium sized carrots
- 80 g celeriac
- 1/2 whole leek
- 1 whole onion
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 3 pieces bay leaves
- 5 pieces juniper berries
- 3 pieces clove
- salt and pepper
- 3 TBSP lingonberry jam cranberry also works well
- 1 piece dark chocolate 75%
Instructions
- Prepare the meat: Pat the venison dry with paper towels. Generously season it with salt and pepper.1 kg boneless venison roast
- Prep the vegetables Roughly chop carrots, celeriac, leek, and onion. You want large pieces – they’ll cook down and help flavor the sauce.2 medium sized carrots, 80 g celeriac, 1/2 whole leek, 1 whole onion
- Sear the meat: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Sear the venison on all sides until it has a deep brown crust. Then remove the roast from the pot and set aside.3 TBSP oil
- Roast the vegetables: In the same pot, add the chopped vegetables and sauté until they get some color
- Build the sauce base: Push the veggies to the side and sprinkle powdered sugar into the center. Let it caramelize gently, then stir in the tomato paste and roast it briefly.300 ml red wine, 1 tsp powdered sugar, 2 TBSP tomato paste
- Deglaze & simmer: Deglaze with about a third of the red wine and let it reduce. Add the rest of the wine and the stock (or game broth). Bring to a simmer.800 ml broth
- Add the spices: Drop in a cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, a few juniper berries, and a couple of cloves.1 whole cinnamon stick, 3 pieces bay leaves, 5 pieces juniper berries, 3 pieces clove
- Return the meat to the pot: Nestle the venison roast back into the pot so it’s nearly covered by the liquid.
- Slow braise: Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer gently over low heat for about 3 hours. Turn the meat occasionally.
Finish the sauce:
- Finish the sauce: Once the meat is done, remove it from the pot and wrap it in foil to keep it warm (this also keeps it juicy!).
- Strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove the vegetables and spices. Stir in a spoonful of lingonberry jam and grate in some dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa). Don’t worry – the sauce won’t taste like chocolate. It just deepens the flavor beautifully.3 TBSP lingonberry jam, 1 piece dark chocolate
- Final seasoning: Stir everything well and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.salt and pepper
- Slice the meat and serve with your favorite sides and this beautiful sauce!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional values are automatically calculated – I use them as a rough guide myself when I want to keep track.
Disclaimer
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If you like to have a step by step recipe, then let’s get into it!
A slow-braised roast, rich in flavor
First, the venison is prepped by patting it dry and seasoning it generously with salt and pepper. While the meat rests, I roughly chop the vegetables: carrots, celery root, leek, and onion. No need to be precise here – they’ll simmer for hours and release all their flavor into the sauce.
In a large Dutch oven, I heat some oil and sear the meat on all sides until it forms a nice brown crust. This step adds depth and locks in the flavor. Once that’s done, I remove the roast and set it aside.
Then I roast the chopped vegetables in the same pot until they start to brown slightly – this caramelization is key. I push them to the side and add powdered sugar right in the middle of the pot. Let it melt and caramelize gently before stirring in the tomato paste. That gets roasted for a minute or so, just until it smells rich and sweet.
Red wine, spices & slow magic
Now comes the wine. I deglaze the pot with about a third of it, let it reduce a little, then pour in the rest along with some good beef stock or wild game broth. This will be the flavorful base that the meat simmers in for the next few hours.
Then I add the aromatics: a cinnamon stick, bay leaves, juniper berries, and a few cloves – they give the dish that unmistakable game roast character.
I return the seared venison to the pot, nestling it into the sauce so it’s almost completely covered. The lid goes on, and the roast braises over low heat for about 3 hours. Yes, it takes time. So if you’re asking, how long does it take to roast venison? – this is the answer. Long, slow, gentle heat is what makes venison truly tender and aromatic.
Lingonberry & dark chocolate: the finishing touch
Once the meat is done, I take it out and wrap it in foil to keep it warm – this also keeps it from drying out.
Then I strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove the vegetables and spices. At this point, the sauce already smells incredible, but we’re not done yet. I stir in a spoonful of lingonberry jam and grate in a bit of high-quality dark chocolate (at least 75%). Not too much – just enough to round out the flavor. And no, the sauce won’t taste like chocolate. It simply gives it depth, warmth, and a tiny bit of bitterness that balances the richness.
Season everything again with salt and pepper, and that’s it.
What to serve with venison roast?
If you’re wondering, what are great sides for venison? – here are a few of my favorites:
- Classic german spätzle
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Red cabbage
- crispy oven red beets
- potato gratin
- And of course: crusty bread to soak up that sauce!
And don’t forget a glass of the red wine you cooked with – it ties the whole thing together beautifully.
Love, Sabrina 💛
