Venison Tikka Masala Recipe
This rich and creamy Venison Tikka Masala Recipe is one of our new favorite venison recipes. It rivals your favorite Indian restaurant. Why go out for Indian food when you can make it at home with those venison shanks in your freezer! I used an elk shank from my 2021 North Dakota Elk, but you could also use deer shanks, antelope shanks, moose shanks, or caribou. Pair it with rice and garlic naan bread for the win!WHAT IS TIKKA MASALA?There’s nothing quite like sitting down to a piping hot plate of tikka masala. This world-renowned Indian food, with countless regional variations, can be found in Indian restaurants around the globe. Although its origins are hotly contested, the creamy, spiced curry and tender dish traditionally made with chicken can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. So, what exactly is the story behind this popular Indian food? Let’s start by digging into its mysterious origins.The origin story of chicken tikka masala is the stuff of legends. While many people assume that this popular Indian food originated in India, the most popular origin story places its roots in Scotland when a Bengali chef needed to improve a dish for an unhappy customer. On a dark and stormy night in 1971, an off-duty bus driver stopped in at a local Indian restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland for a plate of chicken curry. The chef, Ali Ahmed Aslam, delivered his dish, but the bus driver wasn't happy and returned it for being too dry.Needing to improvise in a jiffy, Ali used what he had on hand – a simmering, creamy tomato soup – to moisten the dish. The bus driver enjoyed the new version so much that he regularly returned for years, bringing his family and friends to enjoy Ali’s new creation. Thus, chicken tikka masala was born. Whatever the real story is, chicken tikka masala is now a delicious, worldwide favorite among the many offerings of Indian food. Indian restaurants from the United States to Asia prepare it as a feature dish, and many of the world’s top chefs offer it on their menus. VENISON TIKKA MASALAInstead of using the traditional boneless chunks of marinated chicken commonly found in Tikka Masala, I used venison shanks to create one of our family's favorite venison recipes.If you happen to still have some deer shanks or elk shanks in your freezer that you haven’t yet run through the grinder, you need to try this tikka masala recipe. Shank meat works perfectly here. Not only is the venison meat tender and delicious, but the cartilage from the bones thickens and enriches the flavor of the liquid they’re cooked in.If you are looking for more ways on how to cook venison shanks, check out my Venison Shank Rogan Josh. It's a great venison curry that is sure to impress!COME HUNT IN NORTH DAKOTAIf you would like to come to North Dakota and experience a great deer hunt, 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. CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYDid you make this Venison Tikka Masala Recipe? I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of this dish and all of your wild game and fish creations. Be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #wildgameandfish and tagging me @wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Venison Tikka Masala Recipe? Be sure to leave a rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- 1 whole elk or deer shank
- salt & black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 cups venison or beef broth
- 4 Tablespoons Masala seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons turmeric
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season shanks with salt & pepper.
- Heat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven on stovetop burner over medium-high heat. Add shank and fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown all over
- Add onion, carrot, celery, broth, and ONLY 2 Tablespoons of the Masala seasoning to the Dutch oven. Mix well, cover with lid or tightly with foil, and place in the oven at 350 degrees F, undisturbed, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Take Dutch oven out, remove lid, and use tongs or forks to shred meat off of the shank bone. Discard the bone and any undesirable tendons or fat
- Add remaining 2 Tablespoons of the Masala seasoning, the turmeric, brown sugar, and diced tomatoes to the meat mixture and combine well. Simmer on stovetop over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
- Add Greek yogurt and heavy whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add 1/4 cup of water to thin out the sauce if needed.
- Serve with rice and naan bread.
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