How to Make Venison Meatloaf
This amazing homemade venison meatloaf is so tender and juicy on the inside with a sweet and tangy glaze that adds a ton of flavor. It will soon be your new favorite recipe for meatloaf.This meatloaf is made with lean ground venison from a North Dakota mule deer hunt, and some ground pork from a pig I butchered last year. I added a handful of seasonings, onions, garlic, chives, and panko breadcrumbs. RECIPE FOR MEATLOAFBelow are my favorite tips for how to make a venison meatloaf that will have everyone asking for seconds.Ground venison: I used 75% ground venison and 25% ground pork for the perfect balance of flavor and juiciness. However, feel free to use 50% of each if you prefer. Pre-cooking onions and garlic: Diced onions and garlic add extra flavor to the meatloaf. Precooking will make sure that you don’t end up with crunchy onions. Also, sautéing onions will give you a different flavor, from the fat, from the concentration of the onion juices, from the escape of some of that strong onion flavor into the air. These may not be huge differences, but they are differences. Try and experiment on your own with both precooking the onions and without and see what you think.Eggs: These also help bind the venison meatloaf so it doesn’t fall apart when you slice it.Breadcrumbs: These help the venison meatloaf hold together and give it the right texture. I love using Italian style breadcrumbs for the extra flavor, but plain breadcrumbs or even panko breadcrumbs will work too.Seasonings: Fresh chives add a bright, fresh flavor. If you don't have chives, feel free to use fresh parsley as a substitute. Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika add a little zing to this venison meatloaf. Salt and pepper are essential for any recipe, and they help bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.HOW LONG TO COOK MEATLOAFHow long to cook meatloaf depends on its size. The larger the meatloaf the longer it will take to cook. If you are using a traditional loaf pan like I do here, you can count on about one hour. You could also make a mini meatloaf. Just divide the meat into smaller portions and put the meat mixture in a muffin tin and your venison meatloaf will be done in just 30 minutes!HOW TO MAKE A VENISON MEATLOAF1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.2. In a small pan, sauté onions in butter over medium low heat for about 5 minutes until tender. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let them cool completely.3. Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.4. In a large bowl, add all of the meatloaf ingredients, including the cooked onion and garlic, and mix well to combine.5. Add meat mixture to the loaf pan, gently press meat down and shape evenly. Bake meatloaf at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.6. In a small bowl, mix all of the glaze ingredients. After the meatloaf has been in the oven for 40 minutes, take it out of the oven and spread the glaze over the meatloaf. Return it to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F. 7. Rest meatloaf for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable. Drizzle each plate with the baking juices from the pan. Serve immediately.WHAT TO SERVE WITH VENISON MEATLOAFServe this venison meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a side of asparagus for your next family dinner and I guarantee it will be a big hit. My 8-year-old daughter thinks this is the best meatloaf recipe ever! I love it because it's delicious AND such an easy meatloaf recipe!MORE VENISON RECIPESIf you want to try another great meatloaf recipe, check out my Irish Venison Meatloaf recipe. Or if you are just looking for more venison burger recipes to empty the freezer before hunting season, check out my Venison Tater Tot Casserole or the Venison Patty Melt. And don't forget to leave a comment on this recipe and let me know what you think!CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make this Venison Meatloaf Recipe, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Venison Meatloaf Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Venison Meatloaf
- 1 ½ pounds ground venison
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup Italian style Panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup half and half
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Meatloaf Glaze
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small pan, sauté onions in butter over medium low heat for about 5 minutes until tender. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let them cool completely.
- Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add all of the meatloaf ingredients, including the cooked onion and garlic, and mix well to combine.
- Add meat mixture to the loaf pan, gently press meat down and shape evenly. Bake meatloaf at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix all of the glaze ingredients. After the meatloaf has been in the oven for 40 minutes, take it out of the oven and spread the glaze over the meatloaf. Return it to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F.
- Rest meatloaf for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable. Drizzle each plate with the baking juices from the pan. Serve immediately.
