Venison Meatloaf Recipe

Jump to Recipe

This venison meatloaf recipe has the perfect combination of moist and tasty. Using the flavors of the south really adds some delicious dimension to this meatloaf.

Two slices of meatloaf against some mashed potatoes.

Some people might think eating meatloaf and mashed potatoes would be a winter time meal, but not for my family. We eat this all year round, it's serious comfort food.

Jump to:

❤️ Why you'll love it
🧅 Ingredients
🥣 Instructions
🔄 Substitutions and Variations
🔌 Equipment
📘 Other Venison Recipes
🧊 Storage
💡 Tips
👩‍🍳 FAQs
Venison Meatloaf Recipe
💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

Venison meatloaf is so hearty and filling, your tummy will thank you.
Using venison makes it that little bit healthier than using ground beef.
It's a meal the whole family can get behind, you should also try my Tri Tip Roast Recipe.

🧅 Ingredients

Ground Venison (ground deer meat)
Italian Breadcrumbs
Eggs
Tomato Sauce
Onion
Worcestershire Sauce
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Creole Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Parsley (garnish)

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

🥣 Instructions

Step 1: In a large bowl mix all ingredients and just ¼ Cup of the tomato sauce (reserving the rest until later).
Step 2: Shape meat mixture into a loaf in a large casserole dish then cover with aluminum foil.
Step 3: Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, then remove the foil. Skim the juices that have leaked from the meatloaf, then pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top evenly.
Step 4: Bake for another 45 minutes (or until an internal temperature reads 160° of a meat thermometer).
Step 5: Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Hint: Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray before covering the meatloaf so it doesn't stick to the foil.
When shaping the venison mixture don't leave small pieces on the end. Try to keep it even so that no one area of the deer meatloaf cooks more than the rest.

🔄 Substitutions and Variations

Brown Sugar - add some brown sugar to the tomato sauce if you prefer it sweeter.
BBQ Sauce - a little barbecue sauce in the meatloaf could work, instead of the Worcestershire sauce.
Meatloaf muffins - Try making mini meatloaf versions in a muffin tray. You'll need to adjust the cooking time obviously.
Saltine Crackers - Use crushed saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs.
Olive Oil - use olive oil to grease the cooking pan.
Sour Cream - add a little sour cream for richness.
Fresh Thyme - fresh thyme is always a good addition to any meat dish.
Dijon Mustard - try adding a little dijon mustard to your ingredients.

Overhead shot of a meatloaf with tomato sauce on top.

❤ Sharing is Caring - Like Our Facebook Page ❤

The Cagle Diaries

🔌 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I use a large mixing bowl to prepare the meatloaf ingredients as well as a large baking dish, or casserole dish to cook the meatloaf in.

I have some links in the recipe card below.

📘 Other Venison Recipes

Venison Chili - a comforting hearty chili, perfect for the colder months.
Smoked Venison Backstrap - venison backstrap can be tricky to not overcook it. Using the smoker is perfect for this tender meat.
Grilled Venison Burgers - There's nothing better than a delicious venison burger off the grill.
Venison Cutlets - southern cooking at its best.
Venison Taco Recipe - Super easy and delicious weeknight meal.
Instant Pot Venison Stew - Quick and hearty yet made in less than an hour.

🧊 Storage

Once cooled completely store the venison meatloaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

💡 Tips

Expert Tip: When shaping your meatloaf don't taper the ends too much. You don't want any area of the meatloaf to cook quicker than anywhere else. Try to keep it shaped like a brick almost.

Overhead shot of a plate of mashed potatoes with meatloaf.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What is the secret to moist meatloaf?

Add moisture. In this venison meatloaf recipe here I use eggs, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, but you can also use milk, cream, sour cream, etc to add a good amount of moisture.

What is the best to mix with ground venison?

Venison is a very lean meat and because of this can become quite dry in the cooking process. Adding a certain amount of pork helps this.

What temperature do you cook ground venison to?

160°F is the temperature you need to cook it to, especially due to the addition of the pork.

You should check out how I turn this meatloaf into a Monster for Halloween!

Also, if you have some hunters in your family you should check out this list of Unique Christmas Gift Ideas for Hunters. There's some awesome ideas!

If you’ve tried this Venison Meatloaf recipe or any other great recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can also follow me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes!

Venison Meatloaf Recipe

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

This venison meatloaf recipe is a perfect combination of moist and flavorful. Seasoned to perfect with southern spices.

Ingredients

2lb Ground Venison / Pork Mixture (70/30)
1 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs
2 Large Eggs
28 oz Can Tomato Sauce, divided
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Add the ground venison, eggs, breadcrumbs, ¼ Cup of the tomato sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, diced onion, garlic powder, onion powder and Creole seasoning to a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Mix together with hands until it's totally combined.
Add to a 9x13" baking dish and form a loaf shape.
Spray some aluminum foil with cooking spray then cover the baking dish with the foil (spray side down).
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes then remove the foil. Use a spoon and remove the fluids that have gathered in the bottom of the dish.
Cover the meatloaf with the remaining tomato sauce then put back in the oven for another 45 minutes (the middle of the meatloaf should have reached 160°F with a meat thermometer).
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

We usually mix our venison meat with about 20-30% pork (fat blend) for ground meat. This way we get some moisture in the meat when cooking. This is normally done by the meat processing company we use to package our deer meat. If you don't have this option and have only ground venison you should add some raw bacon, or pork fat in some other way.

When you're forming the loaf in the meatloaf pan pat it gently so that there are no cracks visible. Also, make sure the loaf is uniform in size/shape. You don't want the end to be tapered too much or that part will cook much faster than the rest.