This is the best and easiest Deer Bacon Recipe! Learn how to make a small and simple 5-pound batch of ground and formed deer bacon (or venison bacon) that easily fits in a 9 X 13 pan using some of your deer from this season.
There are other Venison Bacon recipes out there, but almost all of them are for bigger batches of 10 pounds, 15 pounds, and even 25 pounds. I developed this recipe for all of you who just want to try it and see if you like it before committing to a large batch. I also hope you will appreciate the fact that it all easily fits in a 9 X 13 pan.
If you are anything like me, you have lots of stuff going on in your refrigerator right now. A giant meat tub filled with 25 pounds of deer bacon taking up the majority of space in your fridge for a couple of days may not be appreciated by family members or roommates. But a 9 X 13 pan can just slide right underneath a carton of eggs, taking no room at all.
Everything is Better with Deer Bacon
This venison bacon recipe takes the succulent, gamey flavor of venison and infuses it with smoky, savory bacon goodness. Perfect for hunters who want to use every part of the deer, or for adventurous foodies looking to expand their culinary horizons, deer bacon is a versatile and flavorful ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes.
Whether you're looking to fry it up for breakfast and serve it with your eggs, add it to a sandwich for lunch, or crumble it on top of a salad for dinner, this recipe will show you how to make the perfect deer bacon every time.
Unlike traditional pork bacon, this venison bacon is made from a combination of ground venison and ground pork instead of a whole muscle meat like pork belly.
Because venison is extremely lean, the pork is added to create that mouthwatering fattiness we all love in traditional bacon. A mixture of cure and a smoke adds that crispy, smoky bacon flavor to this venison bacon recipe.
Ingredients for How to Make Deer Bacon
- ground venison
- ground pork
- curing salt (Instacure No. 1)
- kosher salt
- non-fat dried powdered milk
- brown sugar
- liquid smoke
- onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried mustard, and black pepper
Why Do We Use Powdered Milk?
1. Improves Binding and Texture
- Non-fat dried milk contains proteins like casein, which act as binders. These proteins help hold water and fat in deer bacon and sausage mixtures, creating a stable emulsion. This reduces the likelihood of fat separating out during cooking (a process knows as "fat-out").
- By binding the ingredients, it improves the bacon's overall texture, making it smoother and more cohesive.
2. Enhances moisture Rentention
- The milk powder absorbs water and retains it during cooking. This leads to juicier venison bacon by reducing moisture loss, particularly when the bacon is exposed to heat.
3. Extends Shelf Life
- The lactose (milk sugar) and proteins in non-fat powdered milk help maintain freshness by holding moisture and preventing the bacon from drying out too quickly.
4. Neutral Flavor Contribution
- Non-fat dried milk adds no noticeable dairy flavor to the venison bacon, allowing the venison, pork, and seasonings to shine.
5. Encourages Protein Network Formation
- When mixed with the venison and pork, the proteins in the milk powder interact with the myosin in the meat. This interaction enhances the formation of a protein matrix, further stabilizing the bacon structure.
Why Non-Fat Powdered Milk?
Stability: Non-fat dried milk has a longer shelf life and is less prone to rancidity than whole fat options, which is particularly important in processed meat products.
How to Make Venison Bacon
1. Place the ground venison and ground pork in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine curing salt, salt, powdered milk, brown sugar, liquid smoke, and seasonings with the cold water. Mix well, then pour the mixture over the meat.
3. Mix the venison and pork with your hands until the seasoning is well incorporated, and the meat becomes tacky.
4. Line a 9 X 13 pan with plastic wrap and press meat mixture evenly into pan to eliminate air pockets so it's about 2-inches thick. Cover meat with more plastic wrap and set in refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight (up to 2 days).
5. Preheat smoker to 200 degrees F. Once heated, add wood chips of your choice. We prefer hickory.
6. Remove the top plastic wrap and gently invert the pan onto your smoker rack and lift away the pan. Peel away and discard the plastic wrap that lined the pan.
7. Smoke the bacon at 200 degrees F until the internal temp reaches 150 degrees F using an instant-read meat thermometer. (With my electric Masterbuilt smoker, this took about 2 ½ hours.)
8. Remove the bacon from the smoker and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
9. Slice the bacon on a meat slicer or on a cutting board with a sharp knife.
How to Use Deer Bacon
Some of our favorite ways to use deer bacon are these recipes:
Deer Bacon with Asparagus and Eggs
Wedge Salad with Venison Bacon and Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
Come Deer Hunting in North Dakota
If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.
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The BEST Deer Bacon Recipe - Ground & Formed Venison Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground venison
- 3 pounds ground pork
- 1 teaspoon curing salt (Instacure No. 1)
- 2 ½ Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 cup non-fat dried powdered milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Place the ground venison and ground pork in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine curing salt, salt, powdered milk, brown sugar, liquid smoke, and seasonings with the cold water. Mix well, then pour the mixture over the meat.
- Mix the venison and pork with your hands until the seasoning is well incorporated, and the meat becomes tacky.
- Line a 9 X 13 pan with plastic wrap and press meat mixture evenly into pan to eliminate air pockets so it's about 2-inches thick. Cover meat with more plastic wrap and set in refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight (up to 2 days).
- Preheat smoker to 200 degrees F. Once heated, add wood chips of your choice. We prefer hickory.
- Remove the top plastic wrap and gently invert the pan onto your smoker rack and lift away the pan. Peel away and discard the plastic wrap that lined the pan.
- Smoke the bacon at 200 degrees F until the internal temp reaches 150 degrees F using an instant-read meat thermometer. (With my electric Masterbuilt smoker, this took about 2 ½ hours.)
- Slice the bacon on a meat slicer or on a cutting board with a sharp knife.
- Vacuum seal bacon in 1 or 2 lb. packages and freeze for long-term storage.
- When you're ready to eat it, fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until it's as crispy as you like it.
Barb says
Do you happen to have a vegetarian version of this recipe? JUST KIDDING!! 😂 I couldn't resist. 😁
Jeff Benda says
You can make this salad https://wildgameandfish.com/loaded-lettuce-venison-bacon/ and just leave off the bacon 🙂
Bob says
This is one we make all the time. Quick fry up and delicious...
Kathy says
Great stuff!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Kathy. Glad you like it.
Penni Harden says
Would this work for elk?
Jeff Benda says
Penni - Absolutely! Any ground venison would work, including deer, moose, antelope, caribou, or elk.
Anonymous says
What format of pork do you grind? Tenderloin is too lean. Pork shoulder?
Jeff Benda says
Boston Butt - Pork Shoulder
Carl says
What part does the powdered milk play…totally understand the cure and seasons, but milk seems out of place.
Jeff Benda says
Great question Carl! The powdered milk is used as a binder. It helps us get a juicier final product for this deer bacon recipe, but also works well when making deer sausage too. Some may tell you it's not needed if the sausage is mixed properly, but I've found it helps me a ton.
Sophia says
Is it possible to not use the milk? We have dairy allergies.
Jeff Benda says
Great question Sophia. And yes - you can skip the milk. It's there to to help the meat bind together.
RMD says
Just wondering why add liquid smoke if using a smoker?
Jeff Benda says
Great question. I experimented with this recipe for a very long time and without the liquid smoke, my wife always lamented that it needed just a little more of a smoky flavor, so I added the liquid smoke and it made a huge difference.
Ryan says
Is it the same meat ratio if your ground venison already has pork fat ground into it?
Jeff Benda says
It depends on the ratio of venison/pork. If you are mixing 20% pork with 80% venison, I would just do the recipe as is. If you are mixing 50% pork with 50% venison (like some people I know), then you could adjust it and use less. I would err on the side of caution and stick with the recipe as is so you don't end up with dry meat that didn't quite have enough pork mixed in.
Deb says
Can I use Morton Tender Quick for the curing salt? (It’s what I have available)
Mrs. D says
This recipe is great! I did 2x the recipe, used my grill at 175-200 instead of smoker (issues with it) I also used pork tenderloin. Next time I will try pork picnic roast, half liquid smoke (not a huge fan of it), try the smoker, and do a 50/50 combo. Other than changing a few things to our families taste, this was an amazing recipe!
Randy says
What is the reason for adding powdered milk?
Jeff Benda says
Great question Randy! Such a great question that I just updated the recipe to answer it.
Yvonne Fowler says
Can I cook/bake this in my oven and if so how?
Jeff Benda says
Great question Yvonne. It should work, but you might want to add a little more liquid smoke to get the full smoky bacon flavor. But now I'm interested to find out myself and promise to try it out sometime before Christmas and revise the recipe with my findings.
Anonymous says
Thank you for responding. I'm actually going to make it today. I'm going to bake it on a 185° and see how it turns out.!
Jeremy says
Do you have to fry it up or can you it eat it cold ?
Jeff Benda says
If you plan to eat it cold, just be sure when you pull it out of the smoker, it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for food safety precautions since it contains pork. The recipe states 150 degrees F on the premise that you'll be heating it up again after slicing and before eating.
Jerry Nordby says
Sounds like a good one , haven't tried it yet but will.
Kevin Hicks says
If you don't smoke it in smoker but use oven what amount of liquid smoke should I use
Jeff Benda says
Great question Kevin. I would try using 1 1/2 Tablespoons instead of 1 Tablespoon if you are going to try making it in the oven instead of a smoker.
Alan says
what plate do you use for grinding?
Jeff Benda says
I used a 4.5mm fine grinding plate with my Cabelas Commercial Grade Carnivore Grinder.
Larry says
I used beef fat and 3 tbsp’s of liquid smoke and used an oven. It turned out great.
Jeff Benda says
Glad to hear that Larry. I'm so happy to hear you liked it!
Val says
I wasn't sure about this, but convinced my husband we should try it before paying so much $ for a 25 lb mix from our butcher. So glad we did. We love it!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Val! So happy to hear you two enjoyed it!
Marc says
Very tasty, my family of 6 loves it, east and fun to make. We've used elk, our own grass fed beef, and venison. Everyone loves it
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Marc. So glad you and your family love it as much as we do!
Kathy says
Delish!!!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Kathy! So glad you enjoyed the deer bacon recipe.
Murray says
When do you add the smoke in the smoker? After 1 hour?
Jeff Benda says
Great question Murray. I'm sorry I didn't make that clear when I first wrote the recipe, but went back and updated the instructions to make it clear to add the wood chips right away after preheating the smoker. I also added the detail that we prefer hickory wood chips, but you can use whatever you prefer. Thanks for taking the time to leave the question so I could answer it and make the recipe better with more details!
Jerry says
Great stuff!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Jerry!
Suzanne VanderFeen says
OMG the best Venison,Bacon recipe ever!
Thank you for making a recipe for smaller amounts of venison!!!!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Suzanne! So glad you appreciated the recipe for being for smaller amounts of venison!
Mark says
Great stuff! Best deer bacon recipe I have ever tried.
Jon Arthur Giebel says
Can't wait to make this recipe, however, the spices are listed, but no measured amounts other than 5 lbs. of meat. Can you advise? Thanks!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks for your interest in making the deer bacon. If you hit the "Jump to Recipe" button, it will take you to the recipe that has all of the ingredients and the amounts listed. I hope you make it and enjoy it. It's a huge favorite!
John Baxter says
I swapped the meats. 3# deer 2# pork. We'll see. I used the exact recipe other than that. I also sprinkled Bad Byrons Butt rub and black pepper on it. After covering with seran wrap I placed another 9x13 pan on top with 5#s of bird shot to help press it down.
Jeff Benda says
Glad to see you added your own twist to the deer bacon recipe. Let me know how it turns out!
Tim says
Easy to make if you have some equipment. It’s not essential but it helps. The only thing I would change a little , I would add more seasoning. The bacon loses some flavor if cooked to crispy.(my opinion that’s all.)I cooked another small batch’s little less crispy and it tasted much more flavorful.I would definitely do it again.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Tim! Glad you liked the deer bacon and plan to do it again!
Jeanelle says
We just pulled this out of the smoker today, and I got to enjoy some with a late breakfast. This is a super easy recipe, and I love that it is a smaller batch. It tastes great! I think next time I make it, I'll brush it with a little maple syrup when it comes out of the smoker to give a little bit of sweetness. I love maple and bacon together!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Jeanelle! Glad you found it easy to make and loved the taste!
Doug Gainor says
I
Have been a Butcher for over 40 years
This recipe is great flavorful good texture
I would recommend it
Thanks for the recipe
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Doug! Great to hear a butcher of 40 years liked the recipe!
Ron says
Great recipe. Love that I don't have to make a giant batch of 25 lbs anymore! Thanks!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Ron! Glad you liked the deer bacon
Lou says
Had anyone tried substituting Morton Tender Quick for the Pink Cure successfully?
Jeff Benda says
Great question Lou! The nitrite levels of the two are very different, but you could try substituting 3 Tablespoons of Morton's Tender Quick for the 1 teaspoon of pink curing salt and give that a try. However, if you do that, I would not use the full amount of 2 1/2 Tablespoons of kosher salt as well, or it might get to salty. I will plan to experiment with Morton's Tender Quick vs pink curing salt and edit the recipe for this option in the coming months so stay tuned!
Theresa says
We love this bacon. Super easy to make and I love that it fits in a 9 x 13 pan in the fridge.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Theresa. Glad you like the deer bacon.
Melissa says
This was great bacon
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Melissa. We love this bacon and it's one of my most popular recipes.
John says
Did this exact recipe except went 50/50 on the meet content. Look no further, this is a winner! The whole family is enjoying it.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks John! Glad the 50/50 mix worked for you.
Dean says
Good recipe . I tripled it on first try 3lbs deer/3lbs moose & Costco pork log 6.6 lbs .
Only thing I changed was I cut salt back. Only 3.5 Table spoons for triple batch or 1 1/4 table spoon for single batch. Not a salt fan. Mixed up let sit for few days then smoke for few hours & then in oven to finish up. Has been loved by everyone who has tried. Just mixed up spices for another batch with moose tomorrow. Awesome way to use up ground meat. Thanks for sharing.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Dean! Glad it worked out with the decrease in salt. And happy to hear someone finally used some moose to make it! That's great.
Jerry says
My son made this for us and we loved it!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks for taking the time to let us know you loved the deer bacon! Glad you son make it for you.
Karen says
I don't have a smoker can I make this in a 200 oven?
Jeff Benda says
Great question Karen! And yes - you sure can make this in the oven. However, you will lose that "smoky" flavor you'll get from the smoker. I tried the oven method in the development stage of this recipe, and if you add another 1 Tablespoon of liquid smoke for a total of 2 Tablespoons, you can still achieve a slight "smoky" flavor if cooking in the oven. It's not as great as the smoker, but if you don't have one, and the oven is your only option, you can try that. Try it out and let us all know how it turns out!
Ken says
Would you br able to add any maple syrup to this recipe? If so how much would you think to add.
Jeff Benda says
Great question Ken! I did try to add maple syrup to the venison bacon in the development stage of this recipe, and it burned! Your best bet is to follow my directions for the bacon recipe and slice it. Then just before eating, you can brush it with maple syrup and heat it slightly before cooking.
Maria says
We love this bacon recipe! We’ve bought seasoning packets that made 25 lbs but didn’t want THAT much. This makes 5 lbs and is perfect amount!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Maria! Glad you enjoyed it.
Henry says
Great deer bacon! I was so happy to find this recipe and have it turned out. I hate having to make a whole 25lbs of something when I don't even know if it will be good. I appreciated this recipe since it only makes 5lbs. I brought it over for Easter Sunday to share with family and everyone loved it, especially the kids. There wasn't any leftover to take home! I'll definitely make this again.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Henry! It's great to hear you shared the deer bacon with folks at Easter, and that they enjoyed it.
Jerry says
Best bacon ever
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Jerry. Glad you liked the deer bacon.
Trevor says
We used hickory chips and really liked the flavor. And I really like the fact it makes a small batch. Gonna make it again real soon.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Trevor! Glad you liked the deer bacon as much as we do and that the hickory made it work well.
Bob says
I have the same smoker and only 147 after 4 hours @200 degrees. What did I do wrong?
Jeff Benda says
You didn’t do anything wrong! Four hours is just a guideline, and deer bacon can definitely take longer to reach the proper internal temperature. The biggest factors are the loaf's thickness and size, how cold the meat was when it went into the smoker, the outdoor temperature, and normal differences in smoker temperature and airflow. I’d keep smoking it at 200 degrees F and rely on the internal temperature rather than the clock. You were at 147 degrees F, so you were getting close!
Bob Kassenoff says
How long should I keep the smoke going?
Jeff Benda says
I keep it going throughout the entire time, usually adding wood chips every 45 minutes.
Sammy says
This was really easy to make and didn't piss off my wife like the last time I stuffed 25 pounds in the fridge. I'll be making this again. Good stuff!!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Sammy. Glad this recipe could help your marriage!
Rebecca says
Can i make this with beef fat?
Jeff Benda says
Great question, Rebecca! Are you thinking about substituting beef fat for the ground pork or for the venison? My recipe uses 2 pounds of lean ground venison and 3 pounds of ground pork (I prefer pork shoulder). The key difference is that ground pork includes both lean muscle and fat, while beef fat is almost entirely fat. If you're considering replacing the 3 pounds of ground pork with 3 pounds of straight beef fat, I would strongly advise against it. That would produce an extremely fatty mixture, with excessive grease, a softer texture, and fat separating from the meat during smoking. Lean meat provides proteins, particularly myosin, that help bind the mixture and give the finished bacon its firm, sliceable texture. Fat contributes moisture, richness, and flavor, but too much fat without enough lean meat compromises that structure. If you're avoiding pork, I would recommend using ground beef with a moderate fat content rather than pure beef fat. A good starting ratio would be 80/20 or even 70/30 ground beef, although I haven't personally tested that substitution in this recipe. If you let me know exactly what you're hoping to substitute, I'll be happy to help you figure out the best ratio. I want you to end up with delicious deer bacon, not a pan full of rendered fat!
Cantrell says
I made this with 80% venison and 20% beef fat and its really good the only thing I would do different next time is only use 1/2 the liquid smoke as my smoker smoked it up plenty well on its own...
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Cantrell! Glad you enjoyed the deer bacon. And I appreciate your input on the amount of liquid smoke used.