Venison Bourguignon (Deer Meat Recipe)
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jun 25, 2025 
This Venison Bourguignon Recipe is a rustic and flavorful dish that combines tender pieces of venison with classic French elements, inspired by the French beef bourguignon. The result is a hearty and savory deer stew that with deep earthy flavors!
Why You’ll Love This Venison Bourguignon Recipe
If you have never had bourguignon before, you are in for a real treat! Bourguignon is a French dish that braises red meat in a red wine sauce over a long period of time in order to get juicy, tender pieces of meat! It is usually made with beef, but if you, like me, have had a neighbor or friend share venison meat with you, then make it with venison!
After being gifted with this precious piece of protein, I wanted to make something lavish yet rustic. Something that would allow the venison flavor to shine, but offer plenty of contrast. Venison Bourguignon was the answer.
Venison is considered one of the healthiest red meats because it is high in protein, iron, and vitamin B, but extremely low in fat.
Since it is low in fat though, it is essential to cook it the right way. By braising it with flavorful vegetables and aromatics and a deeply flavored red wine sauce, the venison will turn out extremely tender and absolutely decadent!
This rich French Deer Stew Recipe of red meat, red wine, herbs, and butter was the perfect way to “honor” the deer meat and delight those partaking. The venison bourguignon broth is more of a luxurious gravy bathing tender veggies and melt-in-your-mouth morsels of deer meat. I served the deer stew over a bed of roasted baby potatoes.
Ingredients You Need
This venison stew recipe has a long list of ingredients, but don’t get scared! It is actually very simple to make. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bacon
- Deer Meat – cuts of venison like tenderloin, venison backstraps, venison steaks, or a venison roast – substitute with beef for “boeuf bourguignon”
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
- Mushrooms – cremini or button mushrooms
- Brandy
- Dry Red Wine – stay away from anything sweet
- Venison or Beef Stock
- Tomato Paste
- Thyme, Rosemary & Bay Leaf
- Butter & Flour
- Salt & Pepper
- Mini Potatoes – for serving
How to Make Venison Bourguignon
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauce pot or dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pat the venison chunks dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper to taste. Brown the deer meat on all sides. Then remove with a slotted spoon. You can do this in batches if needed so each chunk has enough room to get a good sear!
Add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the pot. Cook and stir for several minutes until the onions have softened, then add the mushrooms and cook another 5-10 minutes.
Add all the deer meat back to the pot, followed by brandy, wine, stock, and tomato paste. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and stir well. Then add the bouquet garnis (bundle of thyme, rosemary and bay leaf) and cover with a lid.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and slow cook for approximately 3 hours until the venison is very tender.
In the last hour of simmering, preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the mini potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until tender, tossing once in the middle.
Once the venison is tender, mix half a stick of butter with 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Use a fork to press into a paste.
Slowly stir the butter mixture into the stew until the desired thickness is reached- I like to add it all!
Add salt and black pepper to taste if needed. Serve hot with a side of roasted potatoes!
Serving Suggestions
With all the lovely gravy that is made in the process of making bourguignon, it is best to serve this with something that will soak it all up! I like to serve it over a bed of roasted mini potatoes, but you can also opt for fluffy mashed potatoes or even rice!
Some garlic bread or your favorite crusty bread would also go amazingly on the side!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have ever seen the movie Julie & Julia, you know that Julia Child is famous for her beef bourguignon. But bourguignon and stew look very similar. The main difference between French bourguignon and stew is the presence of red wine. If you leave out the wine and replace it with beef or venison broth, you will have a stew instead!
If you find that the venison chunks in your stew are tough, it might be that you didn’t cook it long enough! You have to simmer this venison bourguignon for at least 3 hours, if not even longer, depending on the size of your chunks of meat!
Venison Stew Tips & Tricks
- Something this special takes time. Venison Bourguignon is not a quick throw-together mid-week meal–save this for the weekend and savor it with good wine and great friends!
- Before I started the Venison Bourguignon, I brined the meat for one hour in salt water and a “Wild Game Blend” with juniper berries from Asheville’s Spice & Tea Exchange. This tenderized the deer meat, helping it to break down better. I recommend brining it in at least some salt water beforehand, and then pat dry with paper towels!
- When choosing a red wine to use for cooking, go with something that is not too expensive but not terribly cheap either. You want to use a wine that you enjoy drinking. Since the wine cooks down, the flavor will really concentrate and shine through!
Looking for More Decadent Dishes to Try? Be Sure to Check Out:
- Beef Lentil Stew
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Coq au Vin (Chicken in a Wine Sauce)
- Steak Au Poivre
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerky
- Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew Recipe
Venison Bourguignon Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 8 ounces chopped bacon
- 3 pounds deer roast meat chopped into large 2-inch chunks
- 2 pounds carrots chopped into large chunks
- 2 onions roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 pound crimini mushrooms halved
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 750 mL dry red wine
- 2 cups venison stock or beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bouquet garni a small fresh herb bouquet with thyme, rosemary and a bay leaf – tied together
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/4 cup flour
- Salt and pepper
- 3 pounds baby golden potatoes
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepot. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Next pat the venison chunks dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper to taste. Brown the deer meat on all sides. Then remove with a slotted spoon.
- Add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the pot. Cook and stir for several minutes until the onions have softened, then add the mushrooms and cook another 5-10 minutes.
- Add all meat (including the bacon) back to the pot, followed by: brandy, wine, stock, and tomato paste. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepof per and stir well. Then add the bouquet garni and cover.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for approximately 3 hours until the venison is very tender.
- In the last hour of simmering, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place the mini potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast for 35-45 minutes until tender, tossing once in the middle.
- Once the venison is tender, mix half a stick of softened butter with 1/4 cup of flour. Use a fork to press into a paste.
- Slowly stir the butter mixture into the stew until the desired thickness in reached—I like to add it all!
- Salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Made this some tougher cuts and it still turned out tender and delicious! Making again this weekend
When I went to print the recipe, it allowed me to adjust it depending on the number of guests and venison on hand – that was very helpful. The stew is simmering as I write this. I’m looking forward to tasting in a couple of hours. Two questions: does brining make the meat salty? And are the calories listed, 978, for the entire meal (serving 6-8) or per serving? Thank you for the recipe.
Followed to the T; till the end
Guest numbers got twice , decided to cook spagatini Pasta , drain than cook on pan to dry and add butter to finish , 1 table spoon .
Used a coffee cup to pack pasta , drop on plate and top with the stew
OMG what a winner
Hi, can I also use ‘venison loin’ in this recipe along with the ‘roast meat’ or will it break down too quickly?
Hi CJ,
It should be fine to mix of substitute loin as well. :)
Making this today! In the crock pot with the last of last season’s venison. Question, what do you do with the crispy bacon (lardon)?
Hi Kathey,
For this recipe, you really only need the bacon grease. You can either save the bacon bits for another recipe, or you can keep them in and simmer them along with the venison. :)
Excellent! Follow it, don’t deviate from the recipe.
Every time my husband brings home a deer, we make this. It’s a lovely meal. Thank you!
I’ve been making this recipe for years now. It is my go-to dinner party favorite and everyone raves over it. The only change I have made is that instead of flour/butter to thicken I use cream cheese. I start with 2 TBS but usually add in 4-6. I think it adds a level of sweetness to it. Cream cheese takes a long time to dissolve so don’t panic if you see little white lumps. Turn up the heat and give it a good half hour. Also, I always make this a day or two ahead. It just gets better when it sits. I always double the recipe as it freezes really well and I make single servings for my father in law to have.
I have never brined my meat as this recipe doesn’t need it. If the meat is not tender just cook it longer. I love the taste of venison and this recipe only enhances it.
Also, if you get a roast with a silver membrane on it you need to remove as much of it as possible. It is what gives a gamey taste sometimes. I had a 6 lb roast and after removing all membranes and what not it ended up being a 4-1/2 lb roast. So you may have to take off a lot.
Solid recipe but I liked the overall flavor and thought the recipe was easy, but I wasn’t blown away by the flavor of the venison. I thought it was still pretty game forward. Was hoping all the time put in to this recipe would tame the meat a little.
Maybe it was my brine? I didn’t have time to buy the spice brand listed in the recipe so I did a brine with spring water, salt, pepper, rosemary & bay leaves for two hours.
This is the best stew recipe that I have ever made and tasted. It has such rich flavor. I soaked the venison roast overnight in hunter’s brine spice pack that I bought at specialty store. I used fresh thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf instead of the spice bundle called for in the recipe. It was so tender, moist, and had no gamey taste at all. I served it over biscuits. Got rave reviews from my family!
In preparation for the Venison Bourguignon, I brined 3 pounds of venison roast for 2 hours in the refrigerator. For the brine I used the recipe for Hog Brine and doubled the quantities to ensure the meat was completely submerged. I followed the Bourguignon recipe to the letter and the result was awesome! I shared some of the Bourguignon with my husband’s hunting mentor and he immediately asked for the recipe. The time soent preparing this dish was more than worth by the many accolades I received. Thanks!!
Made an approximation of this while visiting relatives w/a lot of venison in the freezer. YUM YUM! Will have to look for the juniper berry herb mix before I go back again.