Venison Stew, slow cooker or stovetop

5 from 3 votes

This Venison Stew is so easy! It’s so much healthier than beef, and has just as much flavor. The venison in this Venison Stew is neither gamey, nor tough. It is melt in your mouth tender, in the slow cooker or on the stove!

Course entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 8

Slow cooking time 8

Total Time 8 20

Servings servings

Calories 251kcal

Author Beth Neels

Cost $5

Equipment

Ingredients

Day One

1 1/2 lbs Venison, cut into cubes
drizzle olive oil to coat pan.
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk Celery
1/2 cup red wine
water to cover
salt and pepper, to taste. You can adjust later.

Day Two

1 cup butternut squash, cut in cubes
1 1/2 cup potato, cut in cubes (4 small)
1 cup carrots, cut in chunks (2 medium)
1/2 cup celery, cut in larger chunks
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
5 small mushrooms, sliced vertically
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions
3/4 cup Frozen Peas
3 tablespoon cornstarch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For Day One

Trim the venison stew meat well, before cutting into cubes. If stove top cooking, use heavy bottom Dutch oven. If slow cooking, just use any heavy bottom pan. Heat oil on high heat. When oil is hot, add a few pieces of venison at a time so that oil doesn't lose temperature. Brown venison on all sides, when brown, remove to plate.
Once all the venison is browned, reduce heat to medium low. Add a bit more oil to pan. Saute the onion, carrot and celery, scraping up the fond (the brown stuff) in the bottom of the pan.
Add red wine, continuing, to scrape pan. If using the stove top, add meat back to pan and cover with the stock or water. If using slow cooker add meat and the vegetable mixture and the wine, stock or water to slow cooker. In both cases, cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Let cool and refrigerate, overnight, or up to 3 days.

Day Two

The next time you cook the stew, add the butternut, potatoes, carrots, celery. and herbs. Cook for 3 hours, or so.
Add mushrooms. Make a slurry of cornstarch and warm water, make sure you stir or whisk all of the lumps out. Cook 1 hour, or so. Add onions and peas and heat through, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve.
Times are not critical, so whatever fits into your schedule, is fine. The times I suggest, are the minimum required to cook the ingredients!

Video

Notes

Quantities and ingredients are not crucial in this recipe! Use what you like, in the quantities you prefer.

If you enjoy green beans, bell peppers, hot peppers, corn, pumpkin, other squash, whatever you can go into a stew like this!

Brown venison well on all sides.

Make sure to add all of the browned goodness (fond) from the bottom of the cast pan into the slow cooker.

Stew can be cooked in one 8 hour day, but is far superior on day 2.

If you don't have any venison stock, you can substitute vegetable stock or beef stock, as a last resort.

Nutrition