Marinated Venison Kabob Recipe

Venison Kabobs (or Venison Kebabs) are marinated in a venison kabob marinade and stacked on a skewer with mushrooms, bell peppers, and red onion then grilled to perfection!

Summertime means it’s kabob time and these grilled venison steak kabobs always make my mouth water! The venison steak gets a tender, savory flavor from a simple venison kabob marinade and it’s layered with the perfect combination of veggies.

Kid-Approved Venison Kabob Recipe

Venison Kabobs are perfect for grilling in the backyard with friends, or for a weeknight dinner with the kids! My wife and our 10-year-old daughter love these - mostly because they love eating anything on a stick. It’s much more fun.

As a wild game chef and full-time recipe developer, I know how important it is to keep family meals approachable. Hunters and home cooks often ask me for the best marinade for venison. The truth is, a great marinade should tenderize the meat, add balanced flavor, and make cooking stress-free. That’s exactly what this marinated venison kabob recipe delivers.

Why We Love These Marinated Venison Kabobs

Cooking venison can feel intimidating if you’re new to it. But kabobs are one of the easiest ways to build confidence. Here’s why:

• The marinade does the work. The soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, and herbs soak into the venison steak, giving you deep flavor and tenderness.
• The skewers keep it fun. Food on a stick always feels special, and kids never argue about eating vegetables when they’re grilled this way.
• It’s flexible. You can prep the kabobs in advance, which makes them perfect for entertaining or a busy weeknight.
• Two skewers = grilling success. One skewer makes everything spin, which leads to uneven cooking. Using two skewers keeps the kabob steady and guarantees even char on all sides.

The Best Marinade For Venison Steak

This marinade for venison steak is simple and delicious. Olive oil keeps the meat moist. Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce brings salt and umami, while garlic, thyme, and rosemary layer in bold flavor. It’s a tried-and-true combination that works every time.

Many people ask if you need to marinate venison overnight. For this recipe, two hours is enough to get tender results, but up to eight hours makes it even better. That flexibility means you can start marinating after lunch and have kabobs ready for dinner, or just let them marinate all day while you are at work.

How to Make Marinated Venison Kabobs

Grilling venison kabobs doesn’t require fancy gear or endless prep. Here’s the step-by-step breakdown.

Ingredients

For The Venison Kabobs

• 1 ½ pounds venison steak
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces baby bella or white mushrooms
• 16 wooden or metal skewers

For The Venison Kabob Marinade

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground rosemary
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Place the venison steak on a cutting board and tenderize with a Jaccard meat tenderizer. Then use a sharp knife to cut the steak into 1-inch cubes.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper.

3. Place the venison steak in the bowl with the marinade and massage it into the meat.

4. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.

5. Carefully thread the marinated meat and veggies onto two skewers. Using two skewers locks everything in place, so when you flip, the whole kabob turns together – no spinning, no uneven grilling.

6. Grill the kabobs on high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, depending on how you like your meat cooked.

7. Use tongs to remove the kabobs from the grill. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips For Perfect Venison Kabobs

• Soak wooden skewers. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before grilling. That keeps them from burning.
• Cut evenly. Make sure your venison and veggies are cut into uniform 1-inch pieces. That way, everything cooks at the same rate.
• Hot grill = success. A hot grill sears the outside and locks in flavor. Medium heat will only dry things out.
• Don’t skip the rest. Letting the kabobs rest after grilling keeps the venison juicy.

Venison Kabob vs. Venison Kebab

You’ll see both “kabob” and “kebab” used in recipes, but they mean the same thing. The word kebab comes from the Middle East, where it describes meat cooked over fire, sometimes on skewers and sometimes in other styles like doner or seekh kebabs.

Here in the United States, the spelling kabob caught on, and most people use it to mean skewered meat and vegetables grilled together. So whether you call them venison kabobs or venison kebabs, you’re talking about the same delicious dish.

More Great Venison Steak Recipes

If you are looking for more great venison steak recipes, be sure and check out some of these other family favorites:

Venison Steak and Mushroom Galette Recipe 

Cast Iron Venison Steak Recipe

Deer Backstrap and Potato Stacks

Deer Steak and Mushroom Crostini

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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