Easy to make, tender, marinated venison steak seared in a hot cast iron skillet or grilled, then smothered in the most creamy, dreamy mushroom wine cream sauce. This recipe is seriously amazing!!
I can't get enough of this venison steak! The steaks are marinated in a dijon mustard based marinade that makes them so tender and flavorful, then seared until nicely charred on the outside, but tender and juicy on the inside. They're seriously the best!
And you have to make the mushroom cream sauce!! It pairs perfectly with the venison steaks. It's creamy, flavorful and takes the steaks to another level. I love to serve this recipe with mashed potatoes and green beans.
If you don't like mushrooms, you can simply leave them out! The sauce is still amazing without them! The sauce is actually based off my Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce. You can head over to that recipe post to get the recipe for the creamy dijon sauce to serve over the venison steaks instead. Trust me, I've tried it, and that dijon cream sauce is also delicious with venison!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Delicious marinade. Simple 5-ingredient marinade helps to remove the gamey taste form the venison while adding incredible flavor.
- Easy to make. Sear the steaks and while they rest, you'll make the mushroom cream sauce. Aside from the marinating time, this dinner comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Seriously good mushroom cream sauce. The mushroom cream sauce is made in the same skillet that venison is cooked in, absorbing all of those delicious flavors. Made with white wine, broth, heavy cream and some simple seasonings.
What takes the gamey taste out of venison?
If the venison is freshly harvested, you can soak the venison in buttermilk for a couple hours, or overnight, to help remove the gamey flavor and draw out the blood. Once you remove it from the buttermilk, give it a rinse.
If the venison isn't freshly harvested, there is no need to soak it in buttermilk. Simply marinate the venison to help to remove gamey flavor while simultaneously adding lots of great flavor!
Venison steak marinade
This venison steak marinade is super simple and made with just 5 pantry staple ingredients.
I like to use dijon mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire, fresh garlic and black pepper. Rub the steaks with the marinade and let rest for at least 1 hour or overnight. The marinade helps to remove gamey flavor, while simultaneously adding delicious flavor.
How to cook venison steak
There are two common methods for cooking venison steak also known as deer steak: stovetop or grill.
I enjoy both methods! It honestly depends on the weather. After all, I do live in Minnesota. If you decide to grill the steaks, you can make the mushroom cream sauce on the stove inside while the steaks grill.
When cooking venison, like most meat, you should use a meat thermometer to ensure you don't overcook the meat, which causes it to become tough and dry.
Stovetop venison steak
- Heat an oven-safe cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat with oil.
- Cook the venison steak about 4-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches about 130 degrees for medium-rare steak. The time may be more or less depending on the thickness of the steak. Always use a meat thermometer.
- Transfer the venison to a clean plate and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Grilled venison steak
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Grill the venison steak about 4-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches about 130-135 degrees for medium-rare steak.
- Transfer the venison to a clean plate and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Pro tip! Always account for the fact that the meat will continue to cook once it's removed from the heat source, this is called carryover cooking. The residual heat left in the meat will continue to cook the meat and the temperature will continue to rise 5-10 degrees. So, for example, if you want the venison backstrap cooked to medium (135 degrees), remove it from the heat source at 130 degrees, then let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it reaches 135 degrees.
The best internal temperature for venison steak
I highly recommend using an instant read meat thermometer when cooking meat to ensure you don't overcook or undercook it. For venison, here are the temperatures for degree of doneness:
- Rare: 125 degrees F.
- Medium-rare: 130-135 degrees F.
- Medium: 135-140 degrees F.
- Medium-well: 140-145 degrees F.
- Well: 145-150 degrees F.
I like to cook venison steak to around 130-135 degrees F. It's still pink and juicy in the center, but not raw, and browned around the edges.
Why you should let meat rest
Cooking meat draws all of the juices to the surface. So if you cut into freshly cooked meat without letting it rest first, all of the juices will run out, leaving you with dry meat.
Let the cooked venison rest for 5-10 minutes after it's removed from the heat source. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in tender, juicy cuts.
Frequently asked questions.
What can I use if I don't have a cast iron skillet?
Cast iron skillets allow you to get a nice sear on steak and conducts heat evenly, which makes it great for cooking steaks.
If you don't have a cast iron skillet, I recommend using stainless steel, so you can still get a nice sear. Last resort, you can use a non-stick skillet, but you won't be able to get as nice of a sear on steak.
If you don't own a cast iron skillet, I highly recommend purchasing one! Lodge sells very reasonably priced cast iron skillets on Amazon. Here is a link to the one I own.
Can I leave out the mushrooms?
Yes! If you don't like mushrooms, you can simply leave them out! The sauce is still amazing without them! The sauce is actually based off my Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce. You can head over to that recipe post to get the recipe for the creamy dijon sauce to serve over the venison steaks instead. Trust me, I've tried it, and that dijon cream sauce is also delicious with venison!
Is venison steak tough?
Deer steak is tender, juicy and flavorful when prepared right. Marinade helps to remove gamey flavor, while simultaneously tenderizing the meat and adding flavor. Because venison is so lean, it's important that you don't overcook it. Venison is best served cooked to medium-rare or medium.
How do you tenderize deer steak?
Marinading deer steak for at least 1 hour or overnight helps to tenderize the meat by breaking down the some of the tough tissue, while infusing flavor. This results in a tender, juicy venison steak.
Do you need to soak venison before cooking?
I only recommend soaking venison if the deer meat was freshly harvested. You can soak the venison in buttermilk for a couple hours, or overnight, to help remove the gamey flavor and draw out the blood. Once you remove it from the buttermilk, give it a rinse.
If you pulled the venison from the freezer, thaw the meat in the fridge overnight then marinate. There is no need for soaking.
Can you cook venison like steak?
There are cuts of venison that are great for cooking like a steak. I recommend using cuts of meat from the loin/backstrap, rump, or leg/round.
The shape of venison steak is different than beef steak. Venison steaks can be long, round and thick (like you see in these recipe pictures) or round 1-inch cuts, like beef tenderloin steaks.
Venison steaks can be cooked on the stove in a cast iron skillet or grilled. Venison steaks are best cooked for about 4-6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches medium-rare.
What's the best way to cook venison?
I recommend cooking venison steaks on the stove in a cast iron skillet or on the grill. They are best cooked to medium-rare, then transferred to a plate to rest for 10 minutes to redistribute the juices and allow for carryover cooking from the residual heat.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftover venison steak.
Cooked venison steak can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to reheat venison steak.
To reheat venison steak, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil. Add the venison steaks and sear for about 4-5 minutes on per side, or until heated through.
Alternatively, you can cut the venison steaks into ½-1 inch slices, then lay the slices in a cast iron skillet heated to medium-high heat with a little oil. Sear the first side for about 30-60 seconds, then flip and sear the other side.
Transfer the steak from the cast iron skillet to a plate, reduce heat to medium and add the mushroom cream sauce. Mix until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below! I'd love to hear from you! If you’re on Instagram, share a picture of the food you created and tag me at Modern Farmhouse Eats! I enjoy seeing all the pictures! 😊
Venison Steak with Mushroom Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Venison steak/marinade
- 4 venison steaks
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil (olive or vegetable)
Mushroom cream sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup white wine (or more chicken broth)
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Venison steak/marinade
- Mix together the dijon mustard, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire and pepper.
- Using paper towels, thoroughly pat the venison steaks dry to remove blood. Spread all sides of the venison steaks with marinade. Lay the steaks on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight).
- Lightly pat the steaks dry again with paper towel to remove any excess marinade.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, cook the steaks about 4-6 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook another 4-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about 130-135 degrees F for medium-rare (if the steaks are getting too charred, reduce heat to medium).
- Note: The total time will vary depending on the thickness of the steaks. If the steaks are thicker than 1 inch, I like to use tongs to stand the steaks on their sides to sear each side about 1-2 minutes. Keep in mind that the internal temperature of the steaks will continue to rise about 5 degrees after removed from the skillet.
- Once done, transfer the steaks to a clean plate. Loosely tent with tinfoil and let rest while you make the mushroom cream sauce.
Mushroom cream sauce
- Using the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook just until they turn brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in the garlic and flour; cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the white wine and whisk to combine. Let cook for for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth and heavy whipping cream. Add the dijon mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking frequently, until thickened to a gravy consistency.
- Serve the mushroom cream sauce over the steaks and enjoy!
Notes
How to grill venison steak:
-
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
-
Place the steaks on the hot grill and cook for 4-6 minutes, then flip and continue to cook another 4-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks.
-
The steak is done when a meat thermometer reads 130-135 degrees F. for medium-rare. Keep in mind that the internal temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees after removed from the heat. Transfer the steaks to a plate and let rest while you make the mushroom cream sauce.
What can I use if I don't have a cast iron skillet?
Cast iron skillets allow you to get a nice sear on steak and conducts heat evenly, which makes it great for cooking steaks. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, I recommend using stainless steel, so you can still get a nice sear. Last resort, you can use a non-stick skillet, but you won't be able to get as nice of a sear on steak. If you don't own a cast iron skillet, I highly recommend purchasing one! Lodge sells very reasonably priced cast iron skillets on Amazon. Here is a link to the one I own.Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my privacy policy for details.
Laval
I made this tonight with a small twist. I didn't want the steaks to cool too much so I started the sauce and then got the steaks going while the sauce was reducing. the steaks and sauce were done at the same time so I poured the sauce over the steaks and simmered them in the sauce for 2 minutes.
I served this with grilled zucchini and boiled potato slices. I spooned some of the sauce over the potatoes and it came together deliciously. 10 out of 10 on this one.
Mike Drzewiecki
I thought this was very good but was wondering how do you get the white gravy mine turned more to a lite brown. I used the same pan like you said but I didn’t wash it first was I suppose to.
Thanks
Mike D
Modern Farmhouse Eats
Mike, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! When I make the recipe, the mushroom gravy is a light brown color, as well. The brightness of the images may make the gravy appear a little lighter. You can certainly clean the skillet before making the gravy, but you would be washing away lots of flavor.
Kylene
So good!! The flavor from the marinade alone was amazing but the sauce made it over the top good! I was hesitant about how I would like deer meat but this is a game changer.
Denise
I have just done this recipe for the first time and all I can say is WOW! My husband loved it as did I, the venison just melted in our moths , it’s definitely in my top ten! Thank you, great recipe x
Harryman
Soooo dang good! If only my wife liked mushrooms. But that's ok - more for me!!
Vickie
I have made tenderloin before that we loved but this recipe was by far the best! I was a little concerned with the white sauce but mine came out darker which we loved. Will follow for more recipes and I’m not offended when you teach us how to get rid of the gamey taste. My boyfriend brought home a hog and I couldn’t stand the smell or taste…so keep on keeping on!
Chris Schaefer
Used the tenderloins and a couple steaks. Doubled the yummy mushroom cream sauce. Delicious. One of the best venison recipes ever! Thank you.
Kristin
This was amazing! By far my favorite venison recipe so far. The sauce was so flavorful; I’m going to try making the sauce for other types of meat as well. I did not have a cast iron skillet but it didn’t matter, was delicious anyways!
Bravo !
Michael Culver
Made this amazingly delightfully tasting recipe tonight for dinner. I’m pretty sure if Heaven has a kitchen, this plate would be offered there.
MJo
Is that white wine vinegar?
Modern Farmhouse Eats
The recipe calls for white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, etc. Do not use vinegar - it will ruin the recipe! If you don't want to use wine, you can substitute chicken broth. Enjoy!
Tim
This recipe turned out fantastic. We moved into a rural area during the pandemic and have started eating a lot more locally sourced and wild game food. I took a nice buck this fall and have been experimenting with venison recipes. The whole family loved the marinade and the gravy. Thank you for sharing!
Brandon
Any idea on the nutritional information on this, per serving?
Modern Farmhouse Eats
Sorry, Brandon. I do not track nutritional information for my recipes.
Kris
I use the app “coronometer” to calculate recipe nutritional information for my son who I have to closely monitor his nutritional intake. You enter the ingredients, amounts, servings, etc. and it’s broken down into macro and micronutrients. You can scan barcodes of ingredients to make entry easier. Hope that helps you!
Will
Hi. Please stop using "gamey" when you talk about venison. It's a cliche', it's negative, and it's off-putting to people who are approaching venison for the first time. Nor does venison need to be "tenderized" or "soaked in buttermilk." Celebrate the natural flavor and texture of the meat.
Modern Farmhouse Eats
Hi Will. I'm sorry that my use of the word "gamey" offends you. Wild game tastes a bit different compared to commercially available meats, which I'm sure you're aware of. For some, wild game is an acquired taste, and I love sharing recipe tips that tone down those wild game flavors so that even those that are new to eating venison (or those that don't partially enjoy the strong flavor) can still prepare and enjoy the meat that maybe their spouse harvested.
Jan Combs
Great recipe. Followed the principles with a few variations to fit with my store cupboard. Next time I’d marinade overnight (time permitting!) One to remember - thanks.,
Modern Farmhouse Eats
Jan, I'm so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for sharing a review!
Amy
Is the garlic in the cream sauce supposed to minced like the marinade? It doesn't say in the ingredient list or the instructions how the garlic should be prepared before adding to the skillet, should they be added whole?
Modern Farmhouse Eats
Amy, sorry for the confusion! I just updated the recipe post. The garlic should be minced for both the marinade and the mushroom cream sauce. I hope you love the recipe!