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Venison Salisbury Steak is a delicious twist on the traditional, comfort food classic. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or noodles to soak up every drop of the easy, homemade gravy.
This post and recipe card updated January 2, 2021
Up until five years ago, you couldn’t pay me to eat game meat. Once I did take the plunge, I did it very slowly. I began with bison burgers at one of our favorite restaurants in town and stuck with that for a couple of years.
When I finally bought venison at the store, my first recipe was Venison Cheeseburgers with Jalapeno and Guacamole.
Now I keep venison in the freezer at all times. It’s perfect for my Venison Stuffing Balls during the holidays, a comforting bowl of Venison Lasagna Soup in the winter, and my Venison Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes when I’m feeling indulgent.
Sometimes I have trouble with inspiration for new venison recipes. The other day I was on Pinterest, and came across Salisbury steak. Since I’d never made it before, I added my own twist with Venison Salisbury Steak
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- You can make the raw patties ahead and freeze them
- The homemade gravy is easy to make, and adds incredible richness and flavor
- You can do a combination of venison and ground beef, or even all beef
INGREDIENT TIPS FOR VENISON SALISBURY STEAK PATTIES
Venison is definitely an acquired taste, as it has a very gamey flavor. That was one of my biggest hesitations with even trying it.
Venison is leaner and lower in calories than beef. I’m still a die-hard steak girl, and will never give it up. Now, I’m just glad I have venison as a great option.
Fact: venison needs help with both moisture and seasoning. So don’t skimp on either part, especially if you’re new to game meat.
For the patties, I add minced onion and garlic, Spicy Brown Mustard, Tomato Paste, Worcestershire Sauce, and fresh parsley. Plus salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Panko Bread Crumbs act as a binder to help keep the patties together. There’s no egg, so just press the patties together well with your hands.
Don’t over mix, or the patties will be dense. I combine the mixture with my hands and then form the patties and let them rest for about 15 minutes.
HOMEMADE GRAVY FOR VENISON SALISBURY STEAK
The gravy is easy to make, but it does take a little practice and patience to get the right consistency.
Yellow onion and baby portobello mushrooms are the base of the sauce. You can certainly substitute white button mushrooms. Fresh thyme adds a wonderful earthy flavor.
I use store-bought low sodium Beef Stock, and all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce. A little bit of butter adds another layer of richness. I use real butter, and a little goes a long way.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, combine venison, minced onion and garlic, Worcesteshire sauce, tomato paste, mustard, Panko, parsley, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
Fold the mixture together with your hands until it’s just combined. Divide the mixture into equal parts and form into patties with your hands. Set aside for 15 minutes to rest.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove patties, set aside and cover to keep warm.
Add a little more oil to the skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until golden. Next, add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, until soft.
Add fresh thyme, garlic powder, and flour. Stir together and cook for 1 minute.
Add beef stock, scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove the brown bits. Add Worcestershire sauce and bring the mixture to a low boil.
As gravy begins to thicken, turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I add about 1/2 teaspoon of each)
Return the patties to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the patties and cook over medium-low for another 5 minutes.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What’s the best way to serve Venison Salisbury Steak? I like it with creamy mashed potatoes. But you could also do egg noodles or even a root vegetable mash.
Can you make Venison Salisbury Steak ahead? You can make the patties ahead, but I recommend making the sauce and cooking the patties just before serving.
Can you freeze the patties? Absolutely. Form the patties, place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag, and then into the freezer for up to 3 months. Then thaw the patties in the fridge.
What if I’m not fully sold on venison? Do a 50/50 mixture of venison and ground beef. Of course, you could do all ground beef.
What about leftovers? Store the Venison Salisbury Steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
MORE DELICIOUS COMFORT FOOD RECIPES
- Steak Fajita Quesadillas
- Tuna Tettrazini
- Spinach Alfredo Lasagna Roll Ups
- Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Taco Spaghetti
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Venison Salisbury Steak
Venison Salisbury Steak is a delicious twist on the traditional, comfort food classic. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or noodles to soak up every drop of the easy, homemade gravy.
Ingredients
PATTIES
- 16 ounces ground venison
- 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
GRAVY
- 1/2 Tablespoon Avocado or Canola oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4" pieces
- 4 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low sodium beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- black pepper and sea salt, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add venison, minced onion and garlic, Panko bread crumbs, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and parsley.
- Use your hands to combine the until it just comes together. Do not over-mix, or the patties will become dense.
- Divide the mixture into 8 portions and make patties about 1/2 inch thick. Set the patties aside to rest for about 15 minutes
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet heat oil to medium. Add the venison patties and cook for 3 minutes per side.
- Remove the patties from the skillet and set aside. Cover the patties to keep warm
- Add a little bit more oil, if needed. Add onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add mushrooms and continue to cook for 3 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the fresh thyme, garlic powder, and flour, and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef stock, scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove the brown bits. Add the Worcestershire sauce, and bring the mixture to a low boil.
- When the gravy begins to thicken, turn the heat down, and add the butter. Stir well until butter melts into the gravy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I add about 1/2 teaspoon of each.
- Return the patties to gravy. Spoon the gravy over patties and cook for 5 minutes
- Garnish with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or root mashed vegetables
Notes
Fact: venison needs help with both moisture and seasoning. So don’t skimp on either part, especially if you’re new to game meat.
Panko Bread Crumbs act as a binder to help keep the patties together. There’s no egg, so just press the patties together well with your hands.
I use store-bought beef stock, but if you have homemade definitely use it. I also use real butter because it has great flavor. And a little goes a long way
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where can I find venison? I find it at Sprouts Farmer's Market, or a similar specialty store. You'll find it with the other frozen meat.
What’s the best way to serve Venison Salisbury Steak? I like it with creamy mashed potatoes. But you could also do egg noodles or even a root vegetable mash.
Can you make Venison Salisbury Steak ahead? You can make the patties ahead, but I recommend making the sauce and cooking the patties just before serving.
Can you freeze the patties? Absolutely. Form the patties, place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag, and then into the freezer for up to 3 months. Then thaw the patties in the fridge.
What if I’m not fully sold on venison? Do a 50/50 mixture of venison and ground beef. Of course, you could do all ground beef.
What about leftovers? Store the Venison Salisbury Steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 379Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 1213mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 37g
Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, etc
Sharon
Thursday 13th of October 2022
WoW!! This is 1 awesome dish! My husband & I had it for supper tonight, and it was fabulous! Very flavorful & the spices are perfection! My husband hunts & trims out himself & then we wrap & freeze ourselves & ALWAYS looking for new recipes & so glad we found this one... it's definitely a keeper!
Thanks for sharing it! Sharon
Lauren
Monday 7th of February 2022
Many of the comments here seem appropriate if you live in a city, do not know any hunters, and venison must be searched for in specialty shops. For those of us who live in more rural areas, and/ or find hunting to be pretty much a way of living, the reality will be different. Handled properly, venison is not more “gamey” than beef —- I’ve often served it and my company did not ever realize it. Know your hunter, know your butcher, know your deer. This recipe works just fine whatever the meat you use. At least for us, we find that long cooking times result in tough meat (venison is definitely lean!), so we shorten the times we find and like the results. Good luck!
Laura H.
Wednesday 26th of January 2022
Oh my goodness!! I just tried this meal for the first time. I’m usually not a fan of venison, but this is the most flavorful and delicious meal I’ve had! I will certainly be making this again.
Pam
Tuesday 3rd of November 2020
This Salisbury Steak is awesome.! My beautiful granddaughter bag's several every year. My entire family fell in love with this recipe. Getting ready to make again. Thanks so much for this much-loved meal! Pam
Karyl
Tuesday 5th of January 2021
Oh, thank you so much Pam! I'm so glad your family loves it. I just made it again last night :) Thanks for stopping by
Kimberly
Monday 8th of April 2019
This was delicious! Thank you for the recipe. My husband is a meat and potatoes kinda guy and he was in his glory eating this meal.
Karyl
Friday 14th of June 2019
Thank you so much Kimberly!! I really appreciate hearing that