Spaghetti Sauce made with Ground Venison

This savory homemade spaghetti sauce made with ground venison is a great all-purpose sauce to have on hand all year round. One batch makes over 2 quarts! Add this to your collection of ground venison recipes for your next deer harvest.

When you process your deer meat, do you end up with a ton of ground venison? Ground venison is one of the easiest ways to process your harvest, but then there’s the question of what to do with all of the meat. This spaghetti sauce made with ground venison is a great staple to keep stocked in the freezer – it’s perfect year-round!

Ingredients needed:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small white onion – diced
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 pound ground venison
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp. sugar

How to make spaghetti sauce with ground deer venison

1. In a large dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
2. Add in the ground venison, salt, and pepper and cook until no longer pink. There shouldn’t be any grease to drain as deer meat is much leaner than beef.
3. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes, occasionally stirring. Taste test and see if any additional salt or sugar needs to be added to taste. The sugar will help reduce the acidity. If it tastes too bitey, add more sugar 1/2 tsp. at a time.
4. Serve with fresh pasta or if saving for later, let cool, then transfer to canning jars and let fully cool before sealing. Refrigerate for up to four days, or freeze for up to six months.

Recipe FAQs and Notes

How long can you store homemade pasta sauce?

You can refrigerate homemade spaghetti sauce for around 3-4 days. If freezing, you can store in an airtight container for up to six months. Be sure to add the date to your container so you remember when you stored it away.

How to get the gamey taste out of ground venison

I’m sure you’re familiar with people saying venison and other wild game meat tasting “gamey.” The “gamey” flavor actually comes from a variety of factors, including the diet of the deer, the processing of the meat, the season in which the animal was harvested (i.e., if the male deer was in rut), the age of the animal, and more. Outside these factors, venison will not taste exactly like beef, so if you’re expecting that, you’ll be in for a surprise. However, I’ve also found how the meat is cooked can also greatly reduce any strong gamey flavor. 

If you’ve had a bad experience with venison tasting “gamey”, there are a few things you can try. 

1. If it’s your kill/harvest, do your research on proper field dressing, bleeding, and processing to know what elements can affect the flavor of the meat during these. 
2. Purchase ground venison from a company like The Honest Bison. By doing this, you’ll ensure the meat was properly processed and see if you experience a noticeable difference in the taste and texture.

Is ground venison healthy?

Ground venison comes from deer, which are by nature much leaner animals than cattle. They contain less fat than beef, therefore containing lower calorie and fat content.

Recipe notes

• Add in additional chopped fresh vegetables like carrots, mushrooms, or celery if you’d like.
• Be sure to taste test at the end and add any additional salt or sugar as preferred.
• Let the sauce fully cool before sealing your airtight container and storing.
• Swap in ground elk meat if that’s what you have on hand.

Recommended kitchen resources for this recipe

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Enjoy these additional ground venison recipes!

• Venison Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
• BBQ Bourbon Venison Meatballs
• Venison Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
• Venison Taco Ring
• Venison Patty Melt

Spaghetti Sauce made with Ground Venison Recipe