Venison Meatballs with Marsala Sauce
Venison meatballs in rich marsala mushroom sauce make a cozy, flavorful dinner. Tender and perfect over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Servings: 4
Calories: 496kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 batch venison meatballs (using 1 lb ground venison)
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup shallots, diced
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup marsala wine
- ¼ cup stock (wild game, beef, etc.)
- chives, chopped (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Assemble and bake the meatballs according to the venison meatballs recipe.
- While the meatballs are baking, start the marsala sauce.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they release their liquid and then reabsorb it, about 7-10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add butter, shallots, garlic, and thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir to coat in butter and cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add the marsala and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Stir in the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the pan, spooning some sauce over the tops. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to warm through.
- Garnish with fresh chives and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use my all-purpose venison meatball recipe made with 1 pound ground venison. The blend is designed to stay tender and juicy, which is key since venison is so lean. You can swap in other ground red meat if needed.
- Use dry marsala for a rich, savory sauce. It has a slightly nutty, caramelized flavor that pairs beautifully with mushrooms and venison. Dry sherry is the closest substitute and will give a very similar savory richness. Madeira is another great option with a slightly deeper, more complex flavor.
- Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms are ideal for their deeper, more robust flavor, but white mushrooms work too. Add a blend of wild mushrooms for a deeper flavor!
- Don't rush the mushrooms. Letting them fully cook down gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavor.
- Use dry marsala wine if possible for the best savory flavor.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash more stock to loosen it up.
- If your meatballs are already warm from the oven, you only need to simmer them briefly in the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 689mg | Potassium: 1217mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 629IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 8mg
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