A good venison meatball recipe is something every hunter needs in their repertoire. They're easy to make, versatile, and a great way to use ground venison. You can add them to your favorite sauce, make meatball subs, French onion meatballs, Italian wedding soup, and more. I've tested this classic ground venison recipe at least 50 times, and it's always a hit with my family!
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"Best meatballs I have ever made. Juicy and tender. This one went in my cookbook!"
- Sandra Lee
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
100% Venison: Yes, it's true! You can make tender and moist meatballs with 100% ground venison. No pork needed!
Easy: These easy baked venison meatballs are just that - easy! They come together quickly and make for a great, easy weeknight meal. If you're looking for a ground venison recipe perfect for the weekend, give this hearty venison bolognese a try.
Versatile: This venison meatballs recipe can be adapted for your tastes and whatever dish you plan to make with them. See below for a few recipe variations.
Ingredient Notes:
- Ground Venison: Any ground meat, whether it's wild game meat, ground beef, ground pork, etc. can be substituted for ground venison.
- Garlic: If you're short on time, garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic. Use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to replace 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
- Parsley: These meatballs call for fresh parsley because it's a versatile herb that can be paired with many different flavors. You can switch it out for other fresh herbs or dried herbs or use Italian seasoning if you're making meatballs for spaghetti.
- Breadcrumbs: The type of breadcrumbs used will change the texture of the meatballs a bit, but you can use whatever you have on hand. I prefer to use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs but plain breadcrumbs, panko, Italian bread crumbs, etc. will all work. They're also perfect for making elk meatloaf!
Equipment Notes:
Recommended:
Cookie Scoop
A cookie scoop is a handy tool to make evenly sized meatballs!
- Oven: These venison meatballs are super tender, so they are best baked in an oven to avoid breaking them. You can cook them in a pan on the stovetop, but be careful when you flip them!
- Parchment Paper: Many oven recipes suggest using aluminum foil to line baking sheets. However, I prefer parchment paper for meatballs because the meatballs don't stick to it as easily.
How to Make Venison Meatballs
Perfect meatballs are just a few easy steps away! Follow along below to learn how to make them.
Step 1: To a large bowl add egg, milk, bread crumbs, and olive oil.
Step 2: Mix together with a whisk. Let the mixture sit while you prepare other ingredients (onions, garlic, parsley, etc.), about 5 minutes. The breadcrumbs will absorb the wet ingredients which helps the meatballs stick together.
Step 3: Add meat, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bowl.
Step 4: Gently mix the meat mixture together with your hands until well combined.
Step 5: Use a cookie scoop to divide the meatball mixture into 24 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each.
Step 6: Gently form each portion into a ball.
Step 7: Place meatballs on a parchment paper-lined pan, evenly spaced in a single layer. Place in preheated oven.
Step 8: Bake for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outsides are golden brown.
Pro Tip: One of the secrets to tender meatballs is to gently mix the ingredients. If you overmix the ingredients or compact the meat mixture too much, you'll end up with tough meatballs.
How To Freeze Venison Meatballs
Venison meatballs are an awesome option to have on hand in the freezer. You can make a double batch or more and freeze them raw or cooked. Read the simple steps below!
- Raw Meatballs: Prepare meatballs and place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze until solid. Place frozen meatballs in a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and thaw overnight under refrigeration. Follow the cooking instructions above.
- Cooked Meatballs: Follow the preparation and cooking instructions above. Let the meatballs cool on the sheet pan at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place the sheet pan in the freezer and freeze until solid. Place frozen meatballs in a resealable bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and thaw overnight under refrigeration. Reheat to 165°F before eating.
Venison Meatball Recipe Variations
This venison meatball recipe can be adjusted to whatever you plan to make with your meatballs. See below for a few ideas for variations:
- Parmesan Cheese: If you're using meatballs for spaghetti or meatball subs, add some parmesan cheese to the mixture for an extra boost of flavor!
- Herbs: These meatballs call for fresh parsley because it's a versatile herb that can be paired with many different flavors. But you can use any fresh or dried herbs you'd like. Fresh basil is a nice addition for Italian recipes. Fresh thyme is great for French onion meatballs.
- Cocktail Meatballs: Make your meatballs smaller in size and cook them in a slow cooker in sweet and sour sauce for this classic party appetizer. Add a dash of your favorite hot sauce for an extra kick!
- Swedish Meatballs: These venison meatballs are perfect for making Swedish meatballs. Add a little nutmeg to the meat mixture and simmer in a sour cream sauce. Serve over egg noodles for this classic comfort food.
- Italian Sausage: To add some extra flavor, use venison Italian sausage instead of plain ground venison to make meatballs.
- Porcupine Meatballs: Swap the breadcrumbs for rice and change up a few other ingredients to make delicious and tender venison porcupine meatballs! Bonus - they're gluten-free!
- Size: These meatballs are about the size of a golf ball, but you can make them any size you'd like! Make them larger for classic spaghetti and meatballs or smaller to feed a crowd. But, make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
What to Serve with Venison Meatballs
Venison meatballs are a super versatile dish. They can be served in classic spaghetti and meatballs, venison meatball subs, Swedish meatballs, French onion elk meatballs, venison soup, and the list goes on!
You can also serve them with your favorite dipping sauce alongside roasted cauliflower and your favorite starchy side for an easy meal. No matter how you choose to serve them, you're going to want to make these venison meatballs over and over again!
Recipe FAQ's:
There are several reasons meatballs may be tough. Overmixing the ingredients is the most common culprit. Overmixing causes the meatballs to become compacted and tough. Also, not using enough filler ingredients like sourdough breadcrumbs, milk, and eggs can lead to tough meatballs.
Milk is a great addition to meatballs because it adds moisture. Try soaking your breadcrumbs in milk before adding them to the meatball mixture for super tender, moist meatballs!
There are several ways to remove the gamey flavor from venison. My favorite way is to let the meat thaw in a paper towel-lined bowl to soak up the excess moisture that seeps out of the meat when it thaws. The liquid that comes out is called myoglobin and if it sits with the meat too long after it's thawed, it can add a stronger taste to the venison.
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious wild game recipes, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Easy Venison Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison (or other lean ground meat)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup grated yellow onion (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- To a medium bowl add egg, milk, bread crumbs, and olive oil. Mix together with a whisk. Let mixture sit while you prepare other ingredients (onions, garlic, parsley, etc.), about 5 minutes. The breadcrumbs will absorb the wet ingredients which helps the meatballs stick together.
- Add meat, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Gently mix together with your hands until well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the meat into 24 equal portions, about 2 tablespoon each.
- Gently form each portion into a ball. Place meatballs on a parchment paper-lined pan, evenly spaced. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outsides are golden brown.
- If you'd like to brown your meatballs a little more, you can broil them on high for 3-5 minutes after the initial cooking time.
- Use in your favorite meatball recipe. Enjoy!
Freezing Instructions:
- Raw Meatballs: Prepare meatballs and place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze until solid. Place frozen meatballs in a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and thaw overnight under refrigeration. Follow the cooking instructions above.
- Cooked Meatballs: Follow the preparation and cooking instructions above. Let the meatballs cool on the sheet pan at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place the sheet pan in the freezer and freeze until solid. Place frozen meatballs in a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and thaw overnight under refrigeration. Reheat to 165°F before eating.
Notes
- One of the secrets to tender meatballs is to gently mix the ingredients. If you overmix the ingredients or compact the meat mixture too much, you'll end up with tough meatballs.
- Any ground meat, whether it's wild game meat, ground beef, ground pork, etc. can be substituted for ground venison.
- These meatballs call for fresh parsley because it's a versatile herb that can be paired with many different flavors. You can switch it out for other fresh herbs or dried herbs or use Italian seasoning if you're making meatballs for spaghetti.
- The type of breadcrumbs used will change the texture of the meatballs a bit, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Plain breadcrumbs, panko, Italian breadcrumbs, etc. will all work.
- A cookie scoop is a handy tool to make evenly-sized meatballs. But, you can also portion them by hand.
- These venison meatballs are super tender, so they are best baked in an oven to avoid breaking them. You can cook them in a pan on the stovetop, but be careful when you flip them!
- Parchment paper is essential to making sure your meatballs don't stick to the baking sheet.
Ellie
Easy and tasty venison!
Lily
Very yummy! They came out a bit bland for me but that's my fault for not tasting before baking them. For any gluten free folks out there. I tried using rolled oats in place of breadcrumbs. The oats do not soak up the milk/egg mixture like the breadcumbs would. So they did not quite yeild the 24 meatballs I was hoping for since there was very little expansion. They came out a bit wet at first and required a few more minutes cook time. I was worried they'd come out crunchy but the oats softened and are undetectable after baking! If I do this again, I think I'll try warming the milk and the oats together first in the microwave to help them soak up the liquid and expand instead of a cold soak.
Annie Weisz
Thanks for the tips for gluten free folks! My venison porcupine meatballs are gluten free as well and are a great alternative! https://peaktoplate.com/venison-porcupine-meatballs/
Jenny
Very easy and tasty way to use venison. Love the breadcrumb paste that’s created at the beginning- it truly holds the meat together. Thanks- will definitely make again!
Annie Weisz
Hi Jenny! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! The breadcrumb paste is a game-changer for holding everything together. Thanks for the kind words, and I’m so glad you’ll be making them again!
Linda Thom
Everybody loved these meatballs and I fryed them in Olive Oil in a big frypan on top of stove and was GREAT: Taste Amazing!
Annie Weisz
That's awesome, Linda! I'm so glad you enjoyed the meatball recipe. It's one of my favorites!
PattyOfurniture
These are pretty darn good. I used all the dried ingredients (thank you for listing both fresh and dried quantities). I'm eating these right now, bachelor pad royale style, and these are satisfying. I will cook these again with the cresh ingredients next time for a comparison. I bet they will be even BETTER. The meatballs were messy to form, but hey, that's cooking. They baked up really well in the end. Thank you for the recipe!
Annie Weisz
I'm so glad you enjoyed the meatball recipe! They can be a little messy to prepare, but all that moisture makes them tender and delicious!
Ellen luehring
I made the meatballs today and they are fantastic! I did forget to add the parsley so I sprinkled it on top before they were baked. We have a lot of venison and I see so many possibilities with this recipe.
Thank You
Annie Weisz
Thank you for your kind review, Ellen! You're right, the possibilities are endless with this recipe! I love to freeze a big batch of them to have them on hand too. Enjoy!!
Sandra Lee
Best meatballs I have ever made. Juicy and tender. This one went in my cookbook!
Annie Weisz
Thank you so much, Sandra!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Anonymous
just used this recipe… turned out great! breadcrumbs were great to keep the venison together and not fall apart.
Annie Weisz
That's awesome! I'm so glad you loved the recipe!
Pat
Made these tonight and they were great! I used garlic powder but next time will use fresh. I also added a splash of balsamic vinegar and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Can't wait to try the different variations.
Annie Weisz
Thank you so much, Pat! I love balsamic and Worcestershire sauce with venison. I'm sure they were great additions!