Kick taco night up a notch with this delicious venison shank recipe, where the fork-tender shank meat is braised in a rich and flavorful homemade chile sauce. Wrapped in a warm tortilla and topped with a crisp and tangy apple slaw, each bite combines the savory depth of the shredded venison with a refreshing crunch.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Incredibly Flavorful: The chile sauce infuses into the venison resulting in ultra-flavorful meat. These tacos are the perfect way to prepare one of my favorite cuts of venison!
Fork-Tender Perfection: The braising process at a low temperature breaks down tough connective tissues and silver skin and turns shanks into fork-tender deliciousness.
Adventurous: This venison taco recipe is packed with exciting flavors, perfect for an adventurous taco Tuesday. If you're looking for a simple recipe for ground venison meat, try this ground venison tacos recipe!
Ingredients
- Venison Shanks: This recipe uses the whole shank to make the sauce velvety smooth from the connective tissue. A lot of people throw them into the grind pile, but this is a great way to use shanks for something different! You can use another bone-in cut of meat like shoulder or neck if you don't have shanks. Shanks can also be cut into cross sections and used for osso buco.
- Chiles: Dried whole chiles provide a much deeper flavor than standard chili powder. This recipe uses a mix of ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, and smoky chipotles. The combination of the three makes these tacos super flavorful with a very mild heat. You can use other varieties of chiles to change the flavor profile or use what you have available to you.
- Wild Game Stock: I like to have wild game stock on hand for braising but you can also use beef broth or beef stock if you don't have any on hand.
- Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are my favorite for this style of tacos because the flavor and texture complement the meat well. But you can also use flour tortillas or your favorite taco shell.
- Apple Slaw: The crunchy apple slaw is the perfect topping to add texture and flavor to these tacos. But, you can also add your favorite toppings or keep it simple with fresh toppings like diced onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
See the recipe card below for a full ingredient list and amounts needed.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven: I like to use a Dutch oven to sear the shanks and prepare the chile sauce all in one cooking vessel. But, you can also use a cast iron skillet or other large skillet.
- Crock Pot: This recipe uses a crock pot to braise the meat. You can use another type of slow cooker or a Dutch oven. For faster cooking, you can use a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot.
How to Make Chile Sauce for Tacos
The magic of these tacos is in the homemade chile sauce. Read below for how to make it!
Step 1: Place chiles in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1.5 minutes or until chiles are soft and flexible.
Step 2: Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Add chiles to the blender.
Step 3: Add the remaining chile sauce ingredients to the blender.
Step 4: Blend until smooth. Set aside.
How to Make Venison Shank Taco Meat
Step 1: Pat the shanks dry with a paper towel and season them all over with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Heat lard or oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the shanks in the hot pan and sear them on all sides possible until browned, about 2 minutes per side. They are a unique shape, so do your best to get all of the sides.
Step 3: Place seared shanks into the crock pot insert.
Step 4: Add more lard to the dutch oven if there is not enough left to coat the bottom of the pan. Add in chile sauce. Stir frequently until fragrant and slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Add in stock and stir until combined, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Step 6: Pour the liquid over the shanks in the crock pot. Make sure the shanks are fully submerged. Add more stock or water if necessary. Add cinnamon sticks and bay leaves to the crock pot. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 7: The next morning, remove the crock pot insert from the fridge and place it in the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours, or until the liquid is simmering. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 6 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones. Cooking times vary on the size of the shanks.
Step 8: Remove the meat to a plate. Remove the bones and connective tissue and discard them.
Step 9: Shred the meat.
Step 10: Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Use a spoon to push as much of the chile sauce through the strainer as possible.
Step 11: Add the sauce and meat back to the crock pot and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Step 12: To each warm tortilla, add the shredded meat and apple slaw. Top with a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Leftover venison taco meat freezes really well! Place meat with a few cups of the braising liquid (or enough sauce to cover the meat) in a freezer-zippered bag or vacuum seal bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze flat on a sheet pan. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat using the boil-in-bag method (if stored in a heat-safe bag) or reheat in a pan on the stove.
How to Make Apple Slaw
Apple slaw has the perfect balance of crunchy, tangy, and sweet. The flavors and textures are the perfect complement to savory shredded taco meat. Prepare apple slaw at least 1 hour before serving or up to 8 hours before serving.
Step 1: Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl (sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, salt, and black pepper).
Step 2: Combine cabbage, apples, cilantro, and green onions in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Pour the dressing over the other ingredients and toss to combine.
Step 4: Refrigerate until ready to use.
Pro Tip: Prepare all ingredients except for the apples first. Shred the apples right before preparing the slaw to avoid browning. The lime juice in the slaw dressing will keep them from browning once the slaw is prepared.
What to Serve with Venison Tacos
One of the best things about tacos is that they're a meal on their own! But, if you'd like to serve them with sides, a few ideas are listed below. No matter how you choose to serve them, this is sure to become your new go-to venison shank recipe!
Recipe FAQ's:
Venison shanks are a type of bone-in venison roast. They are often misunderstood but they are super delicious cuts of meat! They're great for braising because the connective tissue breaks down and turns the meat into fork-tender deliciousness.
Venison shanks are often thought of as tough cuts of meat. But, they can become super tender if they're cooked properly.
Wild game meat is often lean meat and it needs special care to ensure an enjoyable dining experience. Some cuts of venison are naturally tender, while other cuts are not. Backstraps (loins), tenderloins, and some sirloin steaks are naturally tender. So, these cuts can be cooked "hot and fast" and served medium-rare and will be tender. However, tougher cuts like shanks, neck roasts, and shoulders need a "low and slow" preparation to break down connective tissue and become tender.
More Venison Taco Recipes
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Annie
📖 Recipe
Venison Shank Tacos with Apple Slaw
Ingredients
Chile Sauce:
- 5 large ancho chiles (more if they're small)
- 4 large pasilla chiles (more if they're small)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup olive oil
Meat:
- 4 venison shanks, about 4.5 lb total (I used 2 hind shanks and 2 front shanks)
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon pork lard (or other cooking fat)
Other Marinade Ingredients:
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 cups stock (wild game, beef, etc.)
Apple Slaw:
- 4 cups savoy cabbage, shredded (about ½ small cabbage)
- 2 cups granny smith apples, shredded (about 2 medium apples - wait until other ingredients are prepped before shredding)
- ⅓ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno, finely diced
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ teaspoon garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Other Ingredients:
- 24 corn tortillas
- lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Meat:
- Place chiles in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1.5 minutes or until chiles are soft and flexible. Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Add chiles to the blender. Add remaining chile sauce ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Season shanks all over with salt and pepper. Heat lard or oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear shanks on all sides possible until browned, about 2 minutes per side. They are a unique shape, so do your best to get all of the sides.
- Place seared shanks into the crock pot insert. Add more lard to the dutch oven if there is not enough left to coat the bottom of the pan. Add in chile sauce. Stir frequently until fragrant and slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in stock and stir until combined. Pour the liquid over the shanks in the crock pot. Make sure the shanks are fully submerged. Add more stock or water if necessary. Add cinnamon sticks and bay leaves to the crock pot. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, remove the crock pot insert from the fridge and place it in the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours, or until the liquid is simmering. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 6 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones.
- Remove the meat to a plate. Remove the bones and connective tissue and shred the meat. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Use a spoon to push as much of the chile sauce through the strainer as possible.
- Add the sauce and meat back to the crock pot and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Apple Slaw:
- Prepare apple slaw at least 1 hour before serving or up to 8 hours before serving.
- Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl (sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, salt, and black pepper).
- Combine cabbage, apples, cilantro, and green onions in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the other ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly:
- Warm tortillas. To each tortilla, add shredded meat and apple slaw. Serve with lime wedges.
Freezing Instructions:
- If you have meat leftover, it freezes well! Place meat with enough sauce to cover the meat in a freezer-zippered bag or vacuum bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze flat on a sheet pan. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat using the boil-in-bag method (if stored in a heat-safe bag) or reheat in a pan on the stove.
Notes
- This recipe uses the whole shank to make the sauce velvety smooth from the connective tissue. You can use another bone-in cut of meat like shoulder or neck if you don't have shanks.
- Dried whole chiles provide a much deeper flavor than standard chili powder. This recipe uses a mix of ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, and smoky chipotles. The combination of the three makes these tacos super flavorful with a very mild heat. You can use other varieties of chiles to change the flavor profile or use what you have available to you.
- I like to have wild game stock on hand for braising but you can also use beef broth or beef stock if you don't have any on hand.
- Corn tortillas are my favorite for this style of tacos because the flavor and texture complement the meat well. But you can also use flour tortillas or your favorite taco shell.
- The crunchy apple slaw is the perfect topping to add texture and flavor to these tacos. But, you can also add your favorite toppings or keep it simple with fresh toppings like diced onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
- I like to use a Dutch oven to sear the shanks and prepare the chile sauce all in one cooking vessel. But, you can also use a cast iron skillet or other large skillet.
- This recipe uses a crock pot to braise the meat. You can use another type of slow cooker or a Dutch oven. For faster cooking, you can use a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot.
- Leftover venison taco meat freezes really well! Place meat with a few cups of the braising liquid (or enough sauce to cover the meat) in a freezer-zippered bag or vacuum seal bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze flat on a sheet pan. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat using the boil-in-bag method (if stored in a heat-safe bag) or reheat in a pan on the stove.
- Prepare all ingredients except for the apples first. Shred the apples right before preparing the slaw to avoid browning. The lime juice in the slaw dressing will keep them from browning once the slaw is prepared.
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